Trident has confirmed Freddie Slater as the team’s first signing for the 2026 F3 season, giving the Briton one of three coveted seats at a team that has produced the last three Drivers’ Champions.
The 17 year-old is no stranger to the Formula 3 paddock, having made his debut earlier this year with AIX Racing in Bahrain. Slater impressed immediately, scoring a podium in his very first race, though he retired from the Feature Race after issues ended his race prematurely. Later in the season, the Briton returned to the grid at Spa for Round 8, this time with Hitech TGR.
At just 17 years old, the Briton has already made a name for himself in the industry, having enjoyed ample success early into his career. Slater’s name often comes up when discussing young and upcoming talents to watch. With the move to Trident for his rookie F3 season, Slater looks to have lined himself up for success in 2026. Many will definitely keep a close watch on the 17 year-old and Trident next year as their partnership looks set to be dominant.
A track record of success
Slater’s list of achievements and titles is too long to list and detail individually. However, most notably, the Briton won several major karting titles, like the 2020 Junior World Karting Championship and the 2021 FIA Karting European Championship, beating out many F2 and F3 drivers on the 2025 grid.
Transitioning to cars, the 17 year-old began with sports car racing with the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2022. He became the youngest-ever winner of the Winter Trophy and went on to dominate the championship the following year. Soon enough, Slater made his single-seater debut in August 2023.
Since then, the Briton has secured two championship titles and finished as runner-up in two others across a variety of highly competitive series. In 2025, Slater kicked off his year racing in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship where he finished second. However, the Briton currently races in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA)—where he leads the championship—and has made several appearance in GB3, alongside his Formula 3 outings. Throughout his career, the Briton has often won championships in dominant fashion—can he do the same next year?
A new chapter for Slater
So far in his European single-seater career, Slater has spent most of his time with PREMA Racing. But now, his move to Trident marks an exciting new chapter for the 17 year-old.
In today’s announcement, Slater expressed his excitement about the new chapter ahead of him in 2026: “It’s really exciting to start a new journey with a new team, TRIDENT has had a lot of success in recent years, so to be jumping into a team like this, I’m really grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully we’ll have a good season together.”
Trident’s Team Principal Giacomo Ricci highly praised the 17 year-old, praising both his calibre and talent: “We are very pleased to announce our agreement with Freddie Slater for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship. Freddie is an exceptionally talented driver who has consistently shown himself to be among the very best, in every category he has raced, from karting to single-seaters. It is a source of great pride for us to welcome him into the team, and we are convinced that a driver of his calibre will bring significant value to the entire organisation.”
