Campos Racing has officially confirmed that Ernesto Rivera, currently competing in the 2025 Eurocup-3 Championship, will continue his upward trajectory with the team, making the leap to the FIA F3 Championship in 2026. The 16-year-old Mexican driver, a Red Bull Junior Team member, becomes the second driver named in the reigning champion squad’s line-up, joining Frenchman Théophile Naël for what promises to be a landmark year.
A rising star continues to climb
Ernesto Rivera has been on an impressive rise through the junior formulae since his switch from karting to single-seaters in early 2024. Born in Mexico City on 1 December 2008, Rivera made his debut with Campos Racing in the F4 Spain Winter Series. He immediately caught attention by standing on the podium during his very first outing—an early glimpse of the talent that has continued to shine.
Following that, Rivera competed full-time in the 2024 Spanish F4 Championship, scoring consistently throughout the season. He secured his maiden victory in Portimão and finished fifth overall, a standout performance for a rookie campaign.
From karting glory to European competition
Rivera’s racing journey began in karting, where he built a reputation as one of North America’s brightest young talents. Between 2021 and 2023, he was a regular front-runner at the SKUSA SuperNationals. In 2022, he took home the X30 Junior title and went on to claim both the X30 Junior and KA100 Senior championships the following year. He also finished runner-up in the Rotax US Trophy and competed internationally at the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain.
Transitioning to car racing in 2024, Rivera adapted quickly. Despite a challenging Formula Winter Series debut, he finished 4th among rookies and demonstrated steady improvement. In the main F4 Spain season, he became one of the most consistent drivers on the grid, finishing in the points in all but six races.
Breakthrough year in Eurocup-3
His F4 success earned him a coveted place in the Red Bull Junior Team in September 2024. Backed by the programme, Rivera advanced to Eurocup-3 with Campos Racing in 2025, continuing the partnership that had nurtured his development from the start.
The 2025 Eurocup-3 season saw Rivera make an immediate impact. He opened his campaign with a podium finish at the Red Bull Ring and later secured dominant wins at Monza and Spa-Francorchamps. With one round remaining in the championship, he holds third place in the standings with 176 points—highlighting both his adaptability and racecraft at a continental level.
A new chapter in F3
Rivera’s promotion to F3 for the 2026 season marks the next major step in his motorsport journey. Once again, he will remain with Campos Racing—an outfit that has become a second home for the young Mexican. The team enters the season as reigning champions, setting high expectations for the upcoming campaign.
Team Principal Adrián Campos expressed full confidence in Rivera’s potential: “We are delighted to continue working with a driver of Ernesto’s talent. From our very first season together, he showed a remarkable ability to learn and improve, something that has already been evident at European level in 2025. Ernesto is still very young, yet he stands out for his maturity, consistency, and race management. FIA Formula 3 is a highly competitive championship, but with the joint effort of everyone involved, I am convinced that his rookie season will be at least as successful as the ones before it.”
Rivera echoed this sentiment and shared his excitement about the next phase of his career: “I’m really excited to continue my journey with Campos Racing and the Red Bull Junior Team for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship season. This is a huge step forward in my career and I’m very grateful for the trust and support from both Campos Racing and Red Bull. We’ve built a really strong foundation together this season, and I can’t wait to keep learning, growing, and fighting for big results next year. I’ll give everything, both on and off the track, to make the most of this opportunity.”
