Jin Nakamura topped Free Practice for the 2026 Madrid F3 Round at the Spanish GP ahead of Qualifying, with Taito Kato second and Enzo Deligny third. Nicola Lacorte’s late crash ended the session early. Freddie Slater leads the championship on 141 points, 15 clear of Ugo Ugochukwu, with the title fight reaching its conclusion this weekend.
Kato and Clerot set the pace in Madrid F3 Qualifying 1
The drivers headed out immediately at the start of Qualifying 1, with the threat of red flags or late incidents increasing the importance of setting an early banker lap. ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato immediately committed and produced a 1:51.127, setting the early benchmark with the fastest time in all three sectors.
PREMA Racing’s Alex Powell moved into second, just over 0.15 seconds behind Kato in only his second F3 weekend. Meanwhile, TRIDENT’s Freddie Slater completed his opening lap in fourth, with Campos Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu fifth.
Rodin Motorsport’s Pedro Clerot then displaced Kato with a 1:50.547. However, Kato responded immediately and reclaimed the top spot with a 1:50.535, beating Clerot by just 0.012 seconds. Ugochukwu climbed to fourth, Hitech’s Jin Nakamura moved into fifth and Van Amersfoort Racing’s Enzo Deligny improved late in the session to break into the top six.
Car problems derail Slater’s 2026 Madrid F3 Qualifying 1 at the Spanish GP
Slater endured a difficult first Qualifying session as problems with his car sent him tumbling down the order. The championship leader reported that the car felt as though it was crabbing and suggested that suspension damage could have caused the problem.
Slater returned to the pits, where TRIDENT fitted a fresh set of Hard tyres. He became the only driver in the pit lane while the rest of the field remained on track, and the stop cost him valuable running time during the short session.
After returning to the circuit, Slater pushed hard and ran close to the walls on several occasions as he attempted to recover. However, he could not regain the positions he had lost and ended Qualifying 1 in 17th.
Kato therefore secured pole with his 1:50.535, while Clerot finished second and MP Motorsport’s Tuukka Taponen took third. Ugochukwu completed the top four and put himself in a much stronger position than Slater for the races determined by the opening Qualifying session.
Slater rebounds in Madrid F3 Qualifying 2
TRIDENT repaired Slater’s car before Qualifying 2, and the Briton immediately demonstrated the pace he had struggled to show in the opening session. His first flying lap produced a 1:49.972, the quickest time of the day at that stage, and sent him straight to the top of the order.
Clerot and Ugochukwu remained close, but Kato soon lowered the benchmark to a 1:49.916. Ugochukwu then moved to provisional pole with a 1:49.901 before Clerot found more time and went fastest with a 1:49.830.
Ugochukwu responded again with a 1:49.771 as the leading drivers prepared for their final runs. Just 0.142 seconds separated the top five at that stage, leaving the fight for Feature Race 2 pole open heading into the closing minutes.
Taponen takes 2026 Madrid F3 pole in Qualifying 2 at the Spanish GP as Clerot crashes late
Taponen delivered when it mattered on the final runs, producing a 1:49.7 lap to move to the top of the timesheets and put himself in position for Feature Race 2 pole.
Clerot pushed hard in response and set the fastest opening sector as he attempted to reclaim first place. However, he lost control at the final corner and hit the wall, bringing his final attempt to an abrupt end. Clerot climbed from the car unhurt, but the crash prevented him from completing the lap.
Taponen therefore secured pole for Feature Race 2, while Clerot retained second despite his late accident. Kato finished third, with Ugochukwu fourth.
Slater recovered from his difficult opening session to finish eighth in Qualifying 2. Although he could not convert his early pace into a front-row starting position, the result gave the championship leader a stronger platform for the final race of the 2026 F3 season.
