Maciej Gładysz believes his Qualifying performances have prevented him from consistently fighting at the front during his rookie F3 season in 2026.
The ART Grand Prix driver has regularly finished inside the points and claimed a victory at Silverstone. However, difficult Qualifying sessions have often forced him to recover positions during the races.
Although Gładysz sits inside the championship’s top 10, he believes he has yet to demonstrate his full potential. Therefore, he will prioritise stronger one-lap performances during the final three rounds.
Gładysz highlights Qualifying deficit in 2026 F3 campaign
Gładysz has shown competitive race pace throughout his 2026 F3 campaign.
However, he believes his Qualifying performances have created his greatest obstacle. Starting further down the order has limited his opportunities to challenge the leading drivers, even when he has possessed the pace to score strongly.
While speaking to select media, including Pit Debrief, ahead of Round 7 in Hungary, the Polish driver therefore identified one-lap performance as the main area that he and ART Grand Prix must improve.
“I would say I’m missing Quali performance. I’m not showing my full potential in Qualifying. This is the biggest problem this season. I think race pace is quite strong, but just Qualifying needs to be better. That’s what I’m missing this year and I’m not too happy with the year I’m having so far.”
Improved Qualifying results would allow Gładysz to use his strong race pace from more competitive starting positions. Moreover, they would reduce the need for recovery drives and give him more opportunities to fight for podiums and victories.
Rookie mistakes leave potential unfulfilled
Gładysz entered F3 as a rookie and has had to adapt to the championship’s demanding Qualifying format. He believes he has made several mistakes during those sessions. In contrast, he has generally felt more comfortable during the races and has regularly converted his pace into points.
Although Gładysz views his overall campaign positively, he remains frustrated because he believes stronger Qualifying performances could have placed him higher in the standings.
“I would say the season isn’t going too bad, especially it’s my rookie season. So I would say it isn’t going too bad. But I think there was a bigger potential, which I didn’t use this season. I made quite a lot of rookie mistakes in Quali sessions.
“Races were always quite strong. But, as I said, Quali performance compared to my teammates, it wasn’t too good. So I think that’s the thing that could have gone better. But I think anyway, it isn’t too bad, but I could have been in a better position. But obviously the season is still not over, so I’m aiming for a better result still.”
His assessment reflects the balance that every rookie must manage. Gładysz has needed to pursue immediate results while also learning how to extract the car’s maximum performance under the pressure of Qualifying.
Nevertheless, his regular points finishes and Silverstone victory have shown what he can achieve when he starts closer to the front.
Gładysz rates 2026 F3 rookie season seven out of 10 amidst Qualifying challenges
Despite his frustration, Gładysz gave his season a rating of seven out of 10. He highlighted his position inside the top 10 as a positive achievement during his first year in the category. However, he also acknowledged that missed opportunities have prevented him from giving the campaign a higher score.
With three rounds remaining, Gładysz wants to strengthen his results and confirm that he deserves his position among the championship’s leading drivers.
“I would say a 7. I think for a rookie season, being inside top 10, it’s obviously quite good. So I’m happy to be inside [the] top 10 in the races and obviously in the championship. But as I said, there were moments that could have gone better. I mean, there are still three rounds left. So I’ll try to maximise those last three rounds to show I deserve to be top 10.”
The final phase of the season now offers Gładysz an opportunity to address the weakness that has defined much of his campaign.
Final three rounds offer chance to show progress
Gładysz has already demonstrated that he can deliver strong race performances and compete for major results.
However, he must now translate that pace into Qualifying. A stronger starting position would allow him to attack the front-runners immediately rather than spending the opening stages recovering through the field.
His rookie season has included clear progress, regular points and a race victory. Yet Gładysz believes his results still fall short of his potential.
Therefore, the final three rounds will give him an opportunity to sharpen his Qualifying execution, consolidate his top-10 championship position and finish his first Formula 3 season on a stronger note.
