Van Amersfoort Racing’s (VAR) Hiyu Yamakoshi continued to impress with another strong Qualifying performance at the 2026 F3 Spa-Francorchamps round, claiming himself a P3 start for Sunday’s Feature Race. The rookie, who stormed to his maiden pole position just a few rounds ago at the Red Bull Ring, returned to the top three after enduring a difficult Qualifying session last time out at Silverstone.
Speaking in the post-Qualifying press conference attended by Pit Debrief, the Japanese driver reflected on the step forward VAR made between Free Practice and Qualifying, explaining that he felt much more comfortable in the car in the afternoon.
“Obviously the problem was it’s really big, but [it] was just one for me; I felt already quite nice in the Free Practice. Initially the car felt good, just that we had one big issue and team found the problem and then they did something.”
“Yeah, they did something and then it was in the qualifying for the first push. So I already felt this car is much better than FP, and I have nice confidence I can push like how I wanted to.”
Ready to mount a charge from P3
Although Yamakoshi was caught up as an innocent victim in the multi-car pileup that brought the session to a premature end, he admitted they would never know whether the car had the pace to challenge for pole position. Nevertheless, he remains confident they have the potential to fight in both the Sprint and Feature Race.
“The guy who caused the red flag is including me, I don’t know anyway, it’s kind of lucky and kind of maybe unlucky, you know. I think the potential of the pole position from my car I never know, you know, we didn’t finish qualifying properly, so well, I think we have potential for fighting in the race.”
Having missed out on converting pole position into a win or podium in Austria, Yamakoshi will be eager to make amends this weekend. Recalling Barcelona, where he started from P3 on the grid, the 19 year-old hopes to replicate that performance on Sunday and mount another challenge for the win.
Yamakoshi said: “I started from P3 in the Barcelona, compete in the start and chasing P1. I think that’s the ideal case for the Feature Race on Sunday as well. Obviously that time I couldn’t get P1. So I hope I can catch him on Sunday.”
Yamakoshi weighs in on current qualifying format
Year after year, Qualifying at the 7.004km Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps sees heavy traffic build up in the final sector, as drivers jostle for position in search of a tow. This situation often results in significant reductions in speed, with the lack of space contributing to the multi-car pileup during the session.
Weighing in on the issue and whether the venue should adopt a split Qualifying format similar to those used in Monaco and Monza, Yamakoshi explained: “Yeah, also difficult to say but for me. We should have like a minimum speed at least, I think it does time as when we had crash, I think with less than 20 kilometer per hour.”
“Which is like, no idea, especially the high-speed corner or for me at least we have to be there more than 60 kilometers, like more than 50 kilometers or something. Then at least I think it’s less chance of the crash there.”
The importance of a tow in qualifying and race
When asked by Pit Debrief what could be the biggest challenge in converting a strong Qualifying result into a podium finish, Yamakoshi highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the weather conditions. While acknowledging that overtaking opportunities are available, the Japanese driver stressed that securing a good tow will be crucial during the races.
“Spa-Francorchamps, I think it’s quite easy to overtake in a F3 car and we could all battle and overtake. Also, we don’t know the weather; like, it should be dry, should be rain. But all the slipstream and tow is really crucial in the qualifying, which means [in the] race is even more crucial.”
He added: “So for me, that’s like even like P5, P6 there is possible to win So a really important thing for me is like really manage where I am and then always try to get the chance as much as possible.”
Yamakoshi: “Track position is important”
Qualifying presented challenging wet conditions, although the track remained dry enough for drivers to head out on slick tyres and set competitive lap times. Yamakoshi explained how his approach changes when tackling a wet Qualifying session compared to a fully dry one.
“Yeah, so when we can see some drop on the visor of the helmet, for me from my side the momentum and the feelings from the driver, you start to feel worried in F3 in the car in that way if it is raining or not.”, he said. “For me that’s really be cautious that all the drivers and the guy who ended up with a […] or something. It definitely makes it interesting for the qualifying, but obviously not what I wanted.”
Having gone through the pit lane to rejoin at the back of the field for his second run, Yamakoshi emphasised the importance of track position, particularly at Spa-Francorchamps. Describing the situation as everyone “playing” for position, he explained that drivers are searching for the ideal place to secure a tow while also trying to avoid being caught up in a potential incident.
“Yeah, definitely track position is important, but that’s a reason why I went to the back to lap in the second run.”, he explained. “It’s extremely crucial that the track position is important. We don’t want to be like the guy who made a mistake and then we don’t want to get any traffic in the lap as well, but we really want a tow, a three-four car tow.”
“It’s quite difficult to manage and that’s the reason why everyone was there, you know, gaming, playing around the track.”
