Brando Badoer returned to the FIA F3 podium with second place in the 2026 Spa-Francorchamps Sprint Race at Spa-Francorchamps. The Rodin Motorsport driver started from reverse-grid pole and retained the lead through an early Safety Car period. However, Jin Nakamura passed him shortly after the restart before going on to secure his maiden F3 victory.
Although Badoer remained within striking distance during the closing stages, he could not find a way back past the Hitech driver. Pedro Clerot completed the podium in third, giving Rodin Motorsport a double top-three finish.
Badoer welcomes return to the front after difficult run
The result gave Badoer his first points since the Barcelona-Catalunya GP and brought an end to a challenging run of weekends for the Italian. Speaking during the post-Sprint Race press conference, with Pit Debrief in attendance, Badoer expressed his satisfaction at returning to the positions where he believes both he and Rodin Motorsport belong.
“It feels good. We had the last two Grand Prix weekends, which were quite unfortunate for us and didn’t fight where we deserved to. So it’s nice to be back fighting at the front. And yeah, definitely happy for myself and the team.”
Badoer made a strong initial restart while leading the field, but Nakamura used the slipstream to close in before completing the move into Turn 4.
The Rodin driver later put pressure on Nakamura as he attempted to reclaim the lead, particularly after the second Safety Car restart. However, he admitted that he never gained a strong enough run to launch a decisive attack.
“Yeah, I mean, I got a good restart when I led it, but apparently not good enough not to be overtaken by Jin [Nakamura], who had a good run with the two and got me into T4. Then when I was second, I was also close to passing him, but I didn’t have a good enough run to go for the win.“
Rodin’s Spa pace delivers double podium
Rodin Motorsport has enjoyed several strong performances at Spa-Francorchamps in previous F3 seasons, and the team once again demonstrated its pace with two drivers on the podium.
Badoer credited the work behind the scenes for giving himself, Clerot and Christian Ho a competitive package around the demanding Belgian circuit.
“Well, I think the team always works hard and works well to give me, Pedro [Clerot] and Christian [Ho] the best possible car to get the best possible result. It works particularly well here at Spa. It’s true, I just think the pace is good. We just need to find everything to have a good run tomorrow as well.“
Despite the strong result, Badoer stressed that Rodin still needed to maximise every area of the car ahead of the Feature Race.
Self-belief carries Badoer through difficult period
Pit Debrief asked all three podium finishers what their results meant at this stage of the season, particularly given the different journeys they had taken to the podium and the competitiveness of the 2026 F3 field.
For Badoer, the result marked an important return to the podium after two weekends in which circumstances prevented him from competing near the front. However, he insisted that the difficult spell had not damaged his confidence in either his own ability or the team around him.
“Yeah, obviously, I’m happy to be back on the podium, even if, as I said earlier, the goal is always to win. Yeah, I never really lost confidence. I believe in the team, I believe in myself. You know, sometimes there are a lot of factors that go against you and maybe you go through tough times, but if you put a lot of effort in what you’re doing, tough times normally don’t last, so we keep pushing.“
While second place in the F3 Sprint Race in the Spa-Francorchamps Round represented a positive step, Badoer made clear that podium finishes alone would not satisfy his ambitions. He remains focused on converting Rodin’s pace into victories during the remainder of the season.
Rodin searches for improvements ahead of Feature Race
Overtaking proved difficult for Badoer during the F3 Sprint Race despite Spa’s long straights and several potential passing opportunities. With the Feature Race still to come, Badoer said outright pace would remain the most important factor regardless of the conditions or the characteristics of the circuit. He explained that Rodin planned to use the information gathered during the Sprint Race to improve its package before the next contest.
“I mean, I think the main thing is having a good pace no matter of the situation or the track, so what we’re going to do with the team this afternoon is trying to find everything and have the best possible package for tomorrow after what we’ve learned today, and let’s see what we’ll be up to.“
Badoer describes Rodin as a family
Badoer also highlighted the positive environment within Rodin Motorsport and the relationship between its three F3 drivers. The Italian has known Clerot and Ho for several years and previously raced alongside Clerot in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine.
That familiarity has helped the trio develop a strong working relationship. Rather than allowing their internal competition to divide them, Badoer believes they motivate one another and help Rodin continue progressing.
“Well, I’m really happy about the environment we build. You know, within the F3 team. Obviously, there’s a good relationship between all three of us, me, Christian, and Pedro. Of course, I’ve known Pedro and Christian for a long time.
“I’ve already been teammates with Pedro in FRECA. So we know each other really well. And yeah, we definitely push each other and push the team to always improve and, you know, leave nothing on the table. Rodin is like a family to me. So yeah, I’m really happy to work with them.“
