Rodin Motorsport’s Pedro Clerot made a remarkable impression in his F3 debut at the 2026 Australian GP, demonstrating both skill and composure in a challenging weekend. The Brazilian driver faced adversity from the outset, with a brake issue in Qualifying leaving him down in 19th place. Despite this, he steadily progressed through the field in the Sprint and Feature races, finishing eighth in the latter to claim his first F3 points. Clerot’s performance highlighted not only his raw pace but also his ability to manage races and make intelligent overtakes under pressure, marking him as a driver to watch this season.
His debut weekend was also the first for Clerot with Rodin Motorsport, and he quickly adapted to the team environment, showing confidence in the car and developing a strong understanding of F3 racecraft.
Qualifying setback creates early challenge
Clerot’s promising weekend began with a solid showing in Free Practice, where he was seventh fastest. This suggested that he and Rodin Motorsport had prepared a competitive package capable of fighting for points. However, during Qualifying, a brake problem severely hampered his lap times, leaving him in 19th on the grid for the Sprint Race.
This unexpected setback could have derailed many drivers, but Clerot approached it methodically. He focused on extracting every ounce of performance in the remaining sessions while preparing for recovery drives in both races. In the shortened Sprint Race, he improved to 14th place, a performance that gave him confidence and valuable experience for Sunday’s Feature Race.
Impressive recovery in F3 Feature Race sees Clerot claim points on debut at 2026 Australian GP
Sunday’s Feature Race offered Clerot the opportunity to fully demonstrate his skill and race intelligence. He carefully managed tyre degradation over the race distance and executed overtakes with precision, moving steadily through the midfield. His efforts culminated in an eighth-place finish, securing his first four championship points.
Reflecting on the experience, Clerot explained the satisfaction he felt after such a challenging debut weekend.
“It was a fun race. I knew we had very good pace, unfortunately we had a couple of issues in Qualifying that put us on the back foot for the races. I don’t think our time was really representative, we had a really good Free Practice, we were P7.
“Starting from P19 in the Sprint we finished P14 with good pace in those few laps. Today in the Feature I knew that if we had a proper race we could come forward. I think we did a very good job, I think for my first race managing the degradation was quite good.
“I think I dealt with everything quite maturely and I was very happy to end up in the points. It was a very good race, it was very fun. I told my engineer it was one of the most fun races I’ve had in my career, so I’m very happy.”
Teamwork and strategy key to progress
A key factor in Clerot’s success was his ability to work strategically with fellow competitor Brad Benavides. Their mutual support during the race allowed both drivers to navigate the challenges of traffic, tyre degradation, and on-track battles more effectively. Clerot elaborated on the teamwork that helped him climb the order.
“It was quite nice because yesterday we had a little bit of a taste for today. It wasn’t obviously a lot because we were starting to have degradation and then we had the Red Flag. I didn’t really know what to expect today, but I think I dealt with everything quite maturely. We had a good opening lap and then I knew once we settled the pace I could come forward. Brad and I were actually helping each other out to go forward. So I’m very, very happy. I think as a first weekend, I learned a lot.”
Clerot on adapting to F3 complexity after steep learning curve at 2026 Australian GP
Beyond raw speed and overtaking, Clerot faced a steep learning curve in terms of F3 race procedures and technical systems. The management of DRS, Safety Car periods, Virtual Safety Car deployments, and race strategy was far more complex than he had experienced in previous categories, requiring adaptability and focus.
Clerot reflected on the challenge: “I got a lot of grips with the car but also with everything that goes on within the race. So like with DRS, with the Virtual Safety Car, the Safety Car, with everything that we have to do. It’s a little bit more complicated than FREC for sure, but I’m just very happy that we can end up the weekend with some good points.”
Strong start with Rodin Motorsport
The Melbourne weekend was also Clerot’s first with Rodin Motorsport, and he quickly built a positive rapport with the team. Following extensive winter testing, both driver and team showed strong potential, even if Qualifying issues prevented an ideal start to the weekend.
Clerot praised the team’s preparation and support. “We had a good programme of testing together. We knew that we were going to do some good work together, but coming into the weekend, I was not expecting much. I was just trying to focus on my job and I think that we as a team had a really good package. Like I said, it was a shame we couldn’t really put it together in Qualifying. We had a brake issue, but I am really, really happy to be working with the team.
“They are a wonderful group of people to work with. My engineer and my coach, we are doing really good, and to be fair, I have felt quite comfortable with the team since day one.
“I’m just very happy that in the first weekend, we can already put the car up there and show that we have potential. We’re P8 in the championship. I know there’s a long way to go, but to start like this is always really good. It just gives me more confidence that once we put Qualifying in there, we will be able to fight for top positions and score points every weekend.”
