Mattia Colnaghi believes he can challenge for an F3 podium in Budapest after producing his strongest Qualifying performance of the 2026 season.
The MP Motorsport driver placed himself near the front of the Feature Race grid during his first visit to the Hungaroring. His result continued the team’s recent improvement after he secured two fourth-place finishes during the previous round at Spa-Francorchamps.
Speaking during the post-Qualifying F3 press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Colnaghi discussed his rapid adaptation to the circuit, MP Motorsport’s efforts to recover from a difficult first half and his approach to the Sprint and Feature Races.
Colnaghi adapts quickly during first Hungaroring visit
Colnaghi entered the Budapest weekend without previous racing experience at the Hungaroring. However, he quickly learned the circuit during Free Practice before refining his driving ahead of Qualifying. He then delivered a clean session and extracted the available performance from the MP Motorsport car.
“Yeah, it was a solid one. Good to be back up there, and, yeah, overall, quite a clean session. Just maximising what we could in terms of car performance after Free Practice and driving. Fine-tuning the driving, obviously. First time here for me, so good to straight away be on it and, yeah, maximise what we had.”
The Hungaroring’s technical layout requires drivers to link several corners together while maintaining rhythm throughout the lap. Nevertheless, Colnaghi adapted quickly enough to compete with drivers who had more previous experience at the circuit.
He also believed MP Motorsport demonstrated competitive pace throughout the session.
“I think, yeah, we had a good Qualifying, a good pace overall. Everyone, I feel, definitely had something more to show, which tends to be the case here in Hungary. Gaps are quite tight, but, yeah, considering it’s my first time here, I feel I’ve adapted quite well and, yeah, delivered quite a decent Qualifying performance.”
Although Colnaghi felt satisfied with the result, he also recognised that several drivers failed to complete a perfect lap. The narrow gaps therefore reflected both the circuit’s characteristics and the difficulty of maximising every corner.
MP Motorsport work produces late-season improvement for Colnaghi at 2026 Budapest Round
MP Motorsport struggled to compete consistently near the front during the opening half of the season.
However, the Dutch team began showing stronger form at Spa, where Colnaghi finished fourth in both races. Tuukka Taponen and Alessandro Giusti also contributed to the team’s improved results as the three drivers worked alongside their engineers to address its weaknesses.
Colnaghi credited the entire operation for continuing to push through the difficult opening rounds.
“Yeah, obviously, it’s not been the best first half of the season for us. We’ve struggled a bit in some tracks, been good at some. So, yeah, just lacking a bit in general plays in some places. And I feel we’ve worked really hard with the team as drivers, me, Tuukka and also Sandro [Giusti], and also the team in general has just been putting so much effort. Obviously, they want the best for us, and they’ve been pushing a lot to get us back up there.”
The team’s Budapest performance provided further evidence of that progress. MP Motorsport placed multiple cars near the front and gave its drivers an opportunity to fight for significant points.
However, Colnaghi must now help the team convert its improved Qualifying pace into a strong race result.
Fine margins shape the Qualifying order
Only small margins separated the leading drivers during Qualifying at the Hungaroring. The short lap and high number of corners allowed drivers to gain time in one section before losing it elsewhere. Consequently, each competitor needed to find an effective compromise rather than dominate every part of the circuit.
Colnaghi believed that give-and-take nature contributed to the closely matched order.
“I think Qualifying here in Hungary, as they’ve [Taponen and Slater] mentioned previously, seems to be quite tight always. I think it’s a short track, lots of corners. I do feel, at least from my side, and I believe also others, there was a little bit more in it. But I feel that this track is just generally give and take. You can be strong in some corners, weak in others, and so it kind of all adds up in the end of the lap.”
Despite identifying further potential, Colnaghi completed a clean enough run to secure his best starting position of the campaign.
The result also reduced the amount of work he must complete during the Feature Race. Instead of recovering through the field, he can challenge the leading drivers from the opening lap.
Spa results increase confidence ahead of Sunday
Colnaghi arrived in Budapest after his most competitive weekend of the season. He secured two fourth-place finishes at Spa and remained close to the podium throughout the Belgian GP. Those results strengthened his confidence after several difficult rounds and gave MP Motorsport useful momentum.
However, Colnaghi now wants to take another step and earn his first podium of the campaign.
“I think would be good to get a podium. I think it’s possible. We had already a good points haul in Spa with a P4, not quite enough to get to the press conference, but still solid results and, yeah, good to step it up a bit.”
Starting near the front should give him a realistic opportunity to achieve that target. Nevertheless, the Hungaroring’s limited overtaking opportunities will place significant importance on his start and opening laps.
He will also need to manage his tyres and respond effectively to any Safety Car periods or changes in track conditions.
Colnaghi prioritises Sprint Race data before Feature Race after 2026 Budapest F3 Qualifying success
Colnaghi must first tackle the reverse-grid Sprint Race before pursuing his podium target on Sunday. The Sprint Race will allow MP Motorsport to evaluate tyre behaviour, overtaking opportunities and the car’s balance over a full race distance. However, Colnaghi also wants to avoid incidents or penalties that could compromise his Feature Race starting position.
Pit Debrief asked how his Qualifying result would change his approach to the remainder of the weekend.
“Yeah, as the other two [Taponen and Slater] said, I think it’s important on Saturday to get a good read of the tyres, good read of track condition, good read of what you need in the race to be quick. And then, the biggest scoring is on Sunday. So, it’s, making a good race, finishing the race tomorrow, having a strong start and seeing where that brings you, and then on Sunday, obviously, just either keeping or moving up the position.”
Colnaghi will therefore balance his pursuit of Sprint Race points with the need to prepare for Sunday.
A clean Saturday would provide valuable information and protect his opportunity to challenge for the podium. Meanwhile, a strong Feature Race result would confirm that MP Motorsport has transformed its recent progress into sustained front-running form.
After adapting quickly to the Hungaroring and delivering his best Qualifying result of the season, Colnaghi now has an opportunity to build on his Spa momentum and secure the breakthrough result he has targeted.
