Freddie Slater has set his sights on pole position at Spa-Francorchamps after making the perfect start to the weekend by topping FIA Formula 3 (F3) Free Practice.
The TRIDENT driver set the fastest time of the session with a 2:06.311, putting himself at the top of the timesheets ahead of Qualifying later on Friday.
Speaking after the 2026 F3 Spa-Francorchamps Free Practice session, Slater described his start to the weekend as a hugely positive one, with the TRIDENT car immediately giving him the confidence to push.
“It felt really positive for me. The team gave me a great car straight away, the first lap was really strong and then towards the end it got a little bit chaotic with all the fighting for track position. I think we all know what to expect for qualifying, but I think it was a really positive start for me as well.
“I think my first couple of laps were really strong,” he said. “I managed to deliver and get on the limit straight away. I’m very proud of what we did, and now we need to build on that into qualifying.”
Patience will be key in Qualifying
While Slater topped the session, several drivers struggled to improve their times towards the end of Free Practice as the tyres began to lose performance and the fight for track position intensified.
That battle is only expected to become more important in Qualifying, with 30 cars all attempting to find a clear piece of track around Spa-Francorchamps.
Slater explained that the significant fuel effect around the circuit means drivers cannot simply expect their first run to produce their fastest lap.
“It’s tough to say, because the fuel effect here is quite a lot, so between the first run and second run, it’s quite a big step in terms of lap time, so I think you can’t really just go on the first run and expect it to be the lap,” he said.
“Of course, you need to just maximise every lap possible and see where you end up. There’s going to be a lot of things out of our control in this session. You need to just try and put yourself in the best position and stay out of trouble and then see where we end up.
“It’s really difficult, especially with all the different setups between the teams as well. There’s 30 cars on track, you’re trying to manage as best as possible who wants to go in the front and who doesn’t.
“Nobody wants to go in the front, as you can see, so it’s very tricky, but it’s part of the sport.”
Track position battles
The TRIDENT driver experienced that battle for track position first-hand during the final stages of Free Practice.
“I just remember coming out of T7 and 8, and then I went into 10, then I went into 12, and I just remember seeing more and more cars behind me each time I checked,” Slater explained.
“It was like the whole grid was behind me at one point. I know I just had to wait a little bit longer, and then luckily a couple of cars came through anyway because they wanted to get some laps under their belt, so I managed to get a decent track position for the last lap.
“The tyres were a little bit off at that point, so I couldn’t quite improve, but yeah, I think you’ve just got to be patient. I think if you make a panic decision, then that’s when it goes wrong, so I think patience is going to be the key.”
Slater targeting maiden FIA Formula 3 victory
Despite his strong start to the weekend, Slater is still searching for his first FIA Formula 3 victory.
The Briton has been a regular presence on the podium throughout the season, but has yet to convert that consistency into a race win.
After topping Free Practice, Slater is now targeting pole position, although he remains confident that a strong result is possible even if he does not start from the front.
“I think pole is the goal, especially after Practice, it was really positive, and we’ve had a good run throughout the whole year, and now we’re starting to find a bit more consistency, and I’ve become more comfortable with the car weekend by weekend as I’ve gained more experience,” he said.
“So, of course pole is very important, but for me, you can race from anywhere here because it’s a chaotic track, with lots of slipstream, and now a new DRS zone, so it’s even more exciting.”
With the fastest time already secured in Free Practice, Slater will now look to carry that momentum into Qualifying and put himself in the best possible position to finally claim his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory at one of the championship’s most iconic circuits.
