AIX Racing’s Yevan David achieved a landmark result in the 2026 Silverstone F3 Sprint Race at the British GP, finishing second at Silverstone to secure his first points and maiden podium in the championship.
The result also carried wider significance, as David became the first Sri Lankan driver to stand on an FIA Formula 3 podium. After a challenging start to the season for both driver and team, the Silverstone Sprint Race offered a major breakthrough and a powerful boost for the rounds ahead. David reflected on his Silverstone success in the post-Sprint Race press conference attended by Pit Debrief.
David proud after “surreal” Sri Lankan milestone
David immediately linked the result to Sri Lanka, the country whose flag he carried on the podium. He has represented the country throughout his racing career, and seeing the flag on the podium gave the moment a deeper meaning.
“Yeah, honestly, that was the first thing I was thinking. You know, I’ve been representing Sri Lanka for a long time, and just to see the flag up on the podium was just such a surreal feeling. I knew it was possible in the coming future, but this soon was just… it was a bit of a surprise to me, to be honest. So, it’s just a huge feeling for me. And honestly, I’m very proud of my country and myself.”
That pride shaped his reaction after the race. Moreover, the podium arrived at a key point in his rookie F3 campaign, giving him a result that finally reflected the progress he and AIX Racing had started to make across the weekend.
A personal breakthrough after early-season pressure
David also explained how much the result meant to him personally. He admitted that he often places pressure on himself, so converting strong pace into points and a podium gave him an important release.
“Yeah, it’s a huge thing for me. You know, I always try to… I’m almost sometimes my biggest enemy. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. So, just having this kick-started momentum for myself is the main thing. You know, it’s obviously going to help the team and everything, but just for myself, as you say, first points as well. But for it to be a podium as well is super amazing.
Silverstone also carried extra personal value for David because of his connection to the United Kingdom.
“Also, I really like this track, Silverstone. I was born in London, so it’s a bit of a home race for me. So, it’s also a great place to do it.
He then returned to the importance of Sri Lankan support, making clear that the result belonged not only to him but also to those who have followed his journey.
“And tying it back to Sri Lanka, just super proud. Honestly, I know the whole island is going to be very happy with this result and very supportive. And they deserve it, you know, with all the support they’ve been giving me. And I’m very excited for the rest of the season because I think they’re going to be watching with a lot of expectations. But I’m very excited for the coming future.”
As a result, David leaves Silverstone with more than a podium. He also carries renewed belief, national pride, and a stronger platform for the second half of the season.
David explains how the 2026 Silverstone F3 weekend “clicked” for AIX Racing
David had already shown promise before the Sprint Race. He targeted the reverse-grid positions in Qualifying and saw early signs in Practice that AIX Racing had found a better operating window.
“Yeah, I was expecting, you know, to be in the reverse grid in Qualifying, so just aiming for the top 10. It hasn’t been the most smooth sailing season for us, but already in Practice I saw that something clicked and we had that potential for Qualifying. And then definitely I always wanted to go for the win today. Unfortunately, Ugo was a lot quicker, and we need to look into that for tomorrow, but still very happy with the podium.
Although David wanted to fight for victory, he accepted that Ugo Ugochukwu had stronger pace at the front. Nevertheless, second place still gave AIX Racing its clearest sign of progress so far.
Silverstone gives the team momentum
David then shifted attention to the team’s morale and the challenge ahead in the Feature Race. Starting further back would make another top-three result difficult, but Silverstone’s overtaking opportunities gave him optimism.
“I think we can really keep the spirits up in the team. And then tomorrow it’s going to be a lot more of a difficult race for us to finish in the top five or top three, starting from P11. But I think anything is possible in Silverstone. As we saw today, there was a lot of people climbing their way through the field, and there’s a lot of overtaking opportunities.”
That belief mattered after a difficult start to the campaign. Crucially, AIX Racing now had a performance baseline to study and build from.
David keeps calm through late-race pressure
David faced intense pressure in the closing stages. A DRS train formed behind him, and the fight for the podium changed constantly. However, he focused on the immediate task rather than the potential result.
“Yeah, I was just trying to, you know, in my head, keep my feet on the ground and just think lap by lap, corner by corner, and not think about the result. And just basically driving in my mirrors, honestly. There was a lot of chaos behind me.
The closing laps demanded constant awareness. David had to defend while managing the car, the tyres, and the traffic behind him.
Defending from the TRIDENTS
David expected the TRIDENT drivers to remain his main threat in the final phase. Instead, Campos Racing’s Théophile Naël emerged in third, adding to the unpredictability behind him.
“I was surprised that Théo actually came out in P3 because I was just defending from the Tridents for the last eight laps or something. But honestly, I love these type of races. Of course, when I’m the one overtaking, it’s more exciting. But it’s super exciting, so I’m looking forward to it tomorrow as well.”
Despite the pressure, David enjoyed the racing. That composure helped him protect second place and turn a chaotic Sprint Race into a career-defining result.
AIX Racing searches for answers after breakthrough pace in Silverstone
David also placed the podium in the wider context of AIX Racing’s season. The team had struggled across its cars, while Brad Benavides’ absence after his Monaco crash added another difficult element.
“Yeah, it’s been a tough season for the team. And first of all, shout out to Brad. I hope he’s getting well soon. We all are missing him. But yeah, overall, I think all three cars have struggled this year, no matter who’s in the car.
That made the Silverstone result especially valuable. It showed that AIX Racing could compete near the front when everything aligned.
Data analysis now becomes crucial
David stressed that the team must understand why the car worked better at Silverstone. He pointed to confidence, tyre management and tyre warm-up as possible factors.
“And I guess from this weekend, from Practice, Qualifying, and now the Sprint Race… obviously, we have tomorrow to see what we can improve as well, but I think the main thing to extract is looking at all the data, seeing what the difference was compared to the other weekends that just clicked. Is it confidence or tyre management, it is tyre warm-up? So, there’s a lot of variables that have clicked this weekend, and we need to see which ones were the most effective and which were not working actually, because there could be some.
If AIX Racing identifies those gains, Silverstone could become a turning point rather than a one-off.
David and AIX Racing hoping to carry 2026 Silverstone F3 Round momentum for Spa, Hungary and beyond
David then looked ahead to the remaining rounds, stressing that the team must carry the same energy forward.
“So, I think it’s very important, as you say, to extract everything from this weekend and take it to Spa and Hungary, and then for the last two rounds in September. But as a team morale and spirit, it’s a big thing. We need to really keep this momentum up mentally and keep working hard for the rest of the season.”
Therefore, the podium gives AIX Racing both points and direction. More importantly, it gives the team renewed confidence at a crucial stage of the year.
David describes Silverstone as one of his most exciting races
David called the Sprint Race one of the most exciting of his career. Since it marked his first time fighting at the front in Formula 3, the experience carried extra intensity.
“Yeah, honestly, for me, I mean, it’s my first race at the front in Formula 3, so definitely one of the most exciting. I’ve watched F3 for the longest time, so I know that there’s been some exciting Sprint Races, especially at Silverstone. But I think watching this back is definitely going to be the most exciting as a spectator.
From outside the car, the race delivered constant action. Inside it, David had to stay disciplined and focused.
Stress and enjoyment in equal measure
David admitted that the race carried stress, especially as he tried to preserve the podium. However, he also embraced the challenge.
“In the car, I was honestly just focused on doing what I needed to do, defend and manage the gap to go in the first half, and then manage tyres in the second half. But definitely, it crossed my mind a couple of times that this was very exciting. And overall, it’s racing, so it’s always going to be fun in the car. But there was a little bit of stress in the back of my mind to just keep that position and keep the podium to the end.”
That balance between pressure and enjoyment defined his race. He had to manage the moment without letting the scale of the achievement distract him.
Tyre management shapes David’s podium defence in the 2026 Silverstone F3 Sprint Race
David spent much of the race weighing up whether to push, stay in DRS, or save tyres. That decision changed as the race unfolded.
“Yeah, to be honest, this was the main debate in my mind for the whole race, whether to push or to be in the DRS, or save tyres. I think the first half of the race, I was just managing in the DRS, and then afterwards, it was definitely saving tyres because I had a bit of a gap to the TRIDENTS.
That first-half management helped him stay in the fight while protecting his tyres for the decisive laps.
Avoiding a chain reaction
As the pack closed, David knew one lost position could quickly become several. Therefore, he focused on exits and avoided stressing the tyres unnecessarily.
“And then, to be honest, to the end of the race, I wasn’t pushing too hard because everyone was in the DRS and it was quite hard to defend. So, I was just basically doing as much as possible to get good exits, not stress the tyre too much, because once one person gets ahead of me, it’s going to start a chain reaction. So, I was just basically doing a bit of both, to be honest.
That approach allowed him to control the train just enough to stay ahead.
Maximising exits before DRS zones
In the final laps, David pushed harder at the corners that mattered most. He focused especially on the exits before the DRS zones, where rivals could gain the strongest run.
“But pretty much the last three laps, I was pushing as much as I can to just stay ahead, especially for the corners going on to the DRS zones. Turn 4 and Turn 14, I was just doing as much as possible to get a good exit so that they wouldn’t get the run down. So, it was pretty tough because the tyre wear was quite high, as we know at Silverstone, but managed in the end.”
His tyre management and exit speed ultimately protected second place. Consequently, the podium reflected both pace and race intelligence.
David praises competitive 2026 F3 field after Silverstone Sprint Race success
David also reflected on the depth of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 field. He said he expected the season to be highly competitive even before it began.
“Yeah, I think after Melbourne, and to be honest, even before going into this season, I said to myself, and I said to pretty much everyone, that this is one of the most competitive grids we’ve seen in a long time. And you can just see by how close the lap times are in Qualifying, let alone that statistic that we’ve had eight different race winners.
That competitiveness makes execution crucial. In such a tight field, small mistakes in Qualifying or races can change a whole weekend.
“We all have to be on our toes”
David expects that intensity to continue until the end of the season.
“So, it’s going to be competitive to the end of the season. I don’t think there’s going to be, you know, one driver that’s going to be ahead the whole time. It’s possible, but definitely it’s going to be hard to do it.
He then highlighted what the level of competition means for drivers and spectators.
“So, we all have to be on our toes, be on it every single weekend. We have to make minimal mistakes as possible in Qualifying and the races. But as a spectator, it shows how interesting the sport is, how interesting Formula 3 is as well. So, a good incentive to watch the rest of the season.”
In that context, David’s podium carries even greater weight. He delivered it in one of the most competitive junior single-seater fields in recent memory.
Crossing the line brings relief and disbelief
When asked by Pit Debrief for his favourite moment behind the wheel, David pointed to the final laps and the challenge of defending from the front of the train.
“Yeah, I think the last five laps was obviously very exciting and tough, but it was still very fun because, as I said, I love racing and being wheel-to-wheel. So, just being able to manage the field and be at the front of the train and just defend against a bunch of cars for the last few laps.
Those laps tested everything he had managed throughout the race: tyres, exits, mirrors and composure.
2026 Silverstone F3 Sprint podium a result David will remember
The final moment brought disbelief as much as relief. After crossing the line in second, David needed time to process what he had achieved.
“Then definitely the favourite moment out of all of that was crossing the line in P2. And knowing that I was able to hold everyone up and manage to the end, it was a huge relief. And it took me a few seconds to say anything on the radio because it was just a bit of disbelief that I was able to pull it off. But honestly, it was just a really, really amazing feeling and I’m going to remember this one for a while.”
David now leaves Silverstone with his first points, first podium and a place in Sri Lankan motorsport history. Just as importantly, he leaves with proof that AIX Racing can unlock competitive pace and fight near the front when it brings everything together.
