Qualifying for the 2026 F3 Austrian GP got underway at the Red Bull Ring on Friday afternoon, following Free Practice earlier in the day. TRIDENT’s Noah Strømsted had topped the timesheets in the opening session, with Taito Kato and Freddie Slater completing the top three. Heading into Qualifying, Ugo Ugochukwu leads the Drivers’ Championship by six points over Campos Racing teammate Théophile Naël.
2026 F3 Austrian GP Qualifying gets underway
Drivers headed out quickly as Qualifying for the 2026 F3 Austrian GP got underway at the Red Bull Ring. With track temperatures reaching 52°C and teams expected to complete three runs, tyre management was likely to prove important around the short Austrian circuit.
Naël headed out early looking to become the first driver in Formula 3 history to claim four consecutive pole positions. Meanwhile, Salim Hanna contested his maiden Qualifying session in the series, while Fionn McLaughlin made his first competitive appearance at the Red Bull Ring.
As the first flying laps came in, Kato briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:22.066. However, several drivers quickly found trouble. Yamakoshi lost his opening effort for exceeding track limits, while Slater also had his first lap deleted.
Naël looked set for a competitive opening lap after going quickest through Sector 1. However, an oversteer moment at the penultimate corner sent the Campos Racing driver wide, leaving him down the order without a representative time.
Taponen sets the pace early in F3 2026 Austrian GP Qualifying
Strømsted was the first driver to dip into the 1:21s to move provisionally fastest. However, Taponen soon responded with a 1:21.775 to go quickest by 0.084s and lead an MP Motorsport one-two alongside Alessandro Giusti.
After the first set of flying laps, Taponen remained fastest ahead of Strømsted and Yamakoshi. Giusti occupied fourth, while Kato completed the top five.
ART GP also featured strongly with their drivers all running inside the top ten. Elsewhere, track limits continued to catch out drivers. Drivers then returned to the pit lane for fresh tyres ahead of the decisive runs.
Yamakoshi takes provisional pole ahead of final runs
With just under ten minutes remaining F3 2026 Austrian GP Qualifying, drivers returned to the circuit for their second runs. Although teams had initially been expected to complete three runs, many appeared set to opt for only two as tyre degradation increased in the scorching conditions.
At the halfway stage, Taponen continued to lead the field ahead of Strømsted and Giusti. However, several championship contenders remained outside the top 12. Naël sat 28th after losing his opening lap, while Slater was only 20th and Badoer occupied 27th. Ugochukwu, meanwhile, held tenth place.
Van Amersfoort Racing elected to send its drivers out ahead of the rest of the field in search of clear air. The strategy paid off for Yamakoshi, who produced a 1:21.807 to move to provisional pole and put himself on course for a front-row start for Sunday’s Feature Race.
Yamakoshi secures maiden F3 pole as championship contenders falter
In the closing minutes, several championship contenders remained under pressure, with Naël still down in 28th and Slater only 20th. Slater recovered impressively to fourth on his final attempt, while Ugochukwu climbed to second after benefiting from a slight tow.
Kato appeared set to challenge for pole after showing strong pace throughout the session. However, the driver lost the rear of his car at the final corner and spun into the gravel, ending his hopes of improving. Fortunately, he was able to continue and avoid bringing out a red flag.
As the chequered flag fell, nobody could better Yamakoshi’s time, handing the Van Amersfoort Racing driver his maiden Formula 3 pole position and the team’s first since Bahrain 2022.
