The second round of the 2026 season finally got underway at the F3 Monaco GP, where Van Amersfoort Racing’s Hiyu Yamakoshi stormed to victory. After a close Qualifying session, the grid was set for the Sprint. Théophile Naël took pole in Qualifying, but because the Sprint Race reverses the top 12 on the grid, Hiyu Yamakoshi lined up on the front row.
The Sprint Race got off to a clean start in the first corner with Yamakoshi maintaining the lead. However, as Monte Carlo always brings the action, it was not quiet for long. With 30 drivers attempting to take on the narrow streets, chaos was bound to happen. In the hairpin, Tuukka Taponen attempted to dive down the inside of Ernesto Rivera. However, contact led to the rest of the pack being caught up, resulting in the first safety car of the day.
From then on, the 23 laps of the Sprint were tense. With five retirements and several close calls, F3 brought chaos. Yamakoshi maintained his lead and took the chequered flag first on the Monte Carlo streets. This marked VAR driver’s maiden F3 victory.
Provisional F3 Sprint Race Results:
- H. Yamakoshi*
- G. Xie
- B. del Pino
- P. Clerot
- A. Giusti
- N. Stromsted
- U. Ugochukwu
- J. Nakamura
- M. Gładysz
- K. Le
- N. Lacorte*
- M. De Palo*
- L. Sharp*
- W. Shin*
- E. Deligny*
- J. Garfias
- M. Colnaghi
- N. Bhirombhakdi
- F. Barrichello*
- Y. David*
- F. McLaughlin
- J. Wharton
- T. Kato
- F. Slater*
- T. Naël
- E. Rivera (DNF)
- T. Taponen (DNF)
- B. Badoer (DNF)
- B. Benavides (DNF)
- C. Ho (DNF)
- Slater – 10-second time penalty – Causing a collision
- Deligny, Barrichello, Shin, David, Lacorte and Sharp – 10-second stop-and-go penalties converted to 30-second time penalties – Resumption procedure infringements.
- De Palo, Deligny and Lacorte – 10-second time penalties – Leaving the track and gaining an advantage.
- Yamakoshi – Disqualified – Technical nonconformity
