Pedro Clerot brought his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign to a fitting conclusion with his maiden victory at the final F3 round in Madrid, converting the pace he had demonstrated throughout 2026 into a long-awaited first win.
The Rodin Motorsport driver collected five podiums across the season and finished sixth in the Drivers’ Championship. He ended level on points with Théophile Nael in fifth but lost the position on countback.
Nevertheless, the year provided several signs of Clerot’s potential. The Brazilian reached the podium in Monte Carlo, Spielberg and Spa before finally standing on the top step in Madrid, giving him a significant result to carry into his confirmed second season with Rodin in 2027.
Clerot reflects on an up-and-down 2026 rookie F3 campaign
Looking back on his first full F3 season, Clerot, while speaking to Formula 3, acknowledged the difficulties he faced but remained pleased with what he and Rodin ultimately achieved.
“I think up and down,” he surmised. “For sure it was not maybe the year that we deserve and maybe wanted, with some things out of our control, some others went off, but overall I’m proud with the team.
“We achieved five podiums, including a win, which is quite remarkable. We got the first one in Monaco, then a very good round in Spielberg with almost a double podium, really good, really strong weekend and to top it off Spa, which is a special track.
“(Madrid) was a really special, really special weekend. It is really good to finally show what we had I’d say the whole year in terms of pace.
“It’s unfortunate that Monza didn’t go away, I think we were set to fight for at least another podium.”
Madrid ultimately provided Clerot with the result that had eluded him earlier in the year. His Feature Race victory completed a weekend in which Rodin finally converted its competitive pace into the Brazilian’s first F3 win.
Rodin and Clerot recover from difficult 2026 F3 middle stretch
Clerot’s season did not follow a straightforward trajectory. Podiums in Monte Carlo, Spielberg and Spa demonstrated his speed, but those strong results gave way to six consecutive races outside the points.
The rookie nevertheless believes that period helped demonstrate the importance of concentrating on the elements he and the team could influence.
“I focus on what I can control and what I’ve done. We had a lot of moments in the season that were out of our control. Monza for example where two really strong results got thrown in the bin for situations that we cannot control, one a technical issue and the second a crash.
“In the end I think it’s about maximising the things I can control and what we can control as a team. I think we’ve been up there, we showed that we can for sure fight, we come back even when we sometimes start a bit further away from points. I’m proud of what the team has achieved.”
That ability to recover became particularly important in Madrid. Instead of allowing the preceding difficult run to define the closing stages of the campaign, Clerot and Rodin responded with their strongest result of the year.
Race pace emerges as major strength
Clerot identified race pace as one of Rodin’s clearest strengths throughout the 2026 campaign.
Although Qualifying did not always provide the starting positions he wanted, the Brazilian regularly recovered through the field. He believes the team helped him significantly with tyre degradation and race management as he adapted to F3.
“Race pace in general has been really strong. We’ve come back to the field multiple times starting outside the top 20 to score some points.
“I think the team have given me a lot of help to understand degradation and what we can do in the races to actually make a difference and I think it stands out.
“Red Bull Ring, two races that we showed that we were one of the quickest, if not the quickest on track, pace has never been an issue.
“I think it’s difficult to say that the pace was not there on a single lap either because I think we had the pace to be inside the top 12 every qualifying, it’s just sometimes being a bit unlucky with things out of our control, put us out of that top 12.
“For sure there’s work to be done everywhere, things that maybe we could have done better as a driver and also maybe as a team but anyway, I’m proud of what we achieved.”
Those recoveries added an important dimension to Clerot’s rookie campaign. While the final championship position reflected his five podium finishes, his ability to progress from difficult starting positions also gave him valuable experience ahead of another season in the category.
Patience and resetting shape Clerot’s biggest lessons
Clerot will remain with Rodin Motorsport for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 season, giving him continuity as he attempts to build on his sixth-place rookie campaign.
Before attention turns fully towards next year, F3 will complete its 2026 post-season testing programme in Jerez and Barcelona, providing teams with their first opportunity to begin preparations for the new campaign.
For Clerot, however, the most important lessons from 2026 extend beyond outright speed. He highlighted patience, adaptability and the ability to reset quickly during demanding race weekends.
“Patience and resetting. During the race weekend, everything happens so quick. The season happens so fast with the summer races that you just have to reset after every race and come back with a fresh mindset, focus on each weekend and not the big picture.
“That is what we learn in this championship – adapting. You do 2-3 laps in FP, 2-3 push in Quali and then that’s it. That’s your weekend set. Sometimes you can turn things around and sometimes push those results even better but sometimes not.”
His maiden Madrid victory therefore provided more than simply a breakthrough result. It offered confirmation that Clerot and Rodin could convert their underlying pace into success after navigating the difficult periods of his rookie year.
With five podiums, a first victory and another season with Rodin already confirmed, Clerot will enter 2027 with significantly more experience and a clearer understanding of what F3 demands.
