Théophile Naël continued his remarkable qualifying form in the 2026 FIA Formula 3 (F3) Championship by securing a third consecutive pole position at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The Campos Racing driver topped the timesheets in Qualifying after also leading a Campos 1-2-3 in Free Practice earlier in the day, with teammate Ugo Ugochukwu joining him on the front row for Sunday’s Feature Race.
Speaking in the post-Qualifying press conference, attended by Pit Debrief, Naël expressed his delight after extending his perfect qualifying record across the opening three rounds of the season.
“Yeah, I’m super happy,” Naël said. “Third pole position in a row. I’ve started the Championship well in quali. So, it feels great to be on pole once again. This morning in FP, the pace was really strong as well. I think the team did a really good job this morning as well. And we were expecting a big step in grip this afternoon, and I think the team reacted quite well. ”
Naël searching for his maiden F3 victory
Campos Racing’s pace has been evident throughout the 2026 F3 Barcelona weekend in Practice and Qualifying, but despite starting from pole position, Naël remains focused on gathering valuable information during Saturday’s Sprint Race before turning his attention to Sunday’s Feature Race.
“Well, I mean, tomorrow will be a training race to see how the tyres will develop along the race, and I will try to have a fresh idea for the Feature Race on Sunday. ”
Despite claiming pole positions in both Melbourne and Monaco, Naël is still searching for his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory. Having reflected on the mistakes that cost him an opportunity to convert pole into victory in Monaco, the Campos driver believes he is better prepared heading into Sunday’s race.
“Yeah, I mean, I made a mistake in Monaco at the start, to be honest. Also, I think Brando had a really good start, starting from second in Monaco. So I’m looking forward to this start on Sunday. I know what to improve compared to Monaco start. ”
Sunday’s F3 Feature Race prospects
When asked by Pit Debrief about whether pace or race management would assist with Sunday’s Feature Race victory, Naël identified tyre management as the key factor around the demanding Barcelona circuit.
“Well I think, so its gonna be [about] race management with the tyres,” he explained. “So, hopefully I can, I can have a clean start and then manage the race from there. Yeah, so that will be the key to success on Sunday, to manage well the tyres.”
Naël also acknowledged the extra motivation he carries into the weekend as he continues his pursuit of a first FIA Formula 3 victory, while also aiming to bounce back from the disappointment of Monaco.
“Well, for sure, the motivation is high. I mean, I’m still chasing my first victory in the FIA Formula 3, so I hope I can have it this weekend, especially in Barcelona. I really enjoy the track. It’s special for me to be racing here.“
However, the Frenchman stressed that the Sprint Race remains an important opportunity to gather information before the championship’s main event.
“But, first of all, we have to make a clean race tomorrow and learn as much as possible for the feature race on Sunday.”
Previously lessons learned could pay dividends
Naël arrives at a circuit where he enjoyed strong performances during the 2025 season, finishing fifth in the Sprint Race before securing second place in the Feature Race. When asked by Pit Debrief on how those results will affect him this weekend, he believes the lessons learned last year could prove valuable as he attempts to finally convert pole position into victory.
“I think I learned quite a lot last year, to be honest, in both races, Sprint and Feature Race,” Naël said. “So I’m still thinking about what I did right last year and if I can do it again this weekend, it will be perfect.”
With a third consecutive pole position secured and Campos Racing demonstrating impressive pace throughout Friday, Naël heads into the remainder of the weekend confident but aware that execution and tyre management will ultimately determine whether he can claim his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory.
“So yeah, trying to improve what I did wrong last year, and I know what it is. Looking forward to it.”
