Yevan David left Silverstone with his strongest F3 weekend so far in 2026 after claiming his maiden podium in the Sprint Race and scoring again in the Feature Race.
The AIX Racing driver qualified inside the top 12 for the first time this season, securing P11 and a front-row start for the reverse-grid Sprint Race. He then started and finished second, despite heavy pressure across the closing laps.
David also finished seventh in the Feature Race. As a result, he turned a scoreless start to the campaign into a 15-point weekend and now hopes Silverstone can fuel a stronger second half of the season.
David reflects on a breakthrough 2026 Silverstone F3 result
David described his first F3 podium as a major personal achievement. Although he had shown potential earlier in the season, Silverstone gave him his first clear breakthrough in the championship.
“Honestly, it’s a very good achievement to have,” said David to Formula 3. “To be honest, I was quite surprised to have it this early in the season. The only thing I can think about in the grand scheme of things is how much this podium means to me.
The result also carried extra meaning because David had grown up watching the championship before making his own step onto the F3 grid.
“I was watching F3 when I was a 12-year-old kid and to know now that I am here just a few years later with a podium in F3 with double points on a weekend, it’s just an incredible feeling.
Beyond the personal milestone, David also recognised the wider significance of his podium for Sri Lankan motorsport.
“Also to see the Sri Lankan flag up on the podium as well, to be the first Sri Lankan to get a podium and score points, it’s just an unbelievable feeling and honestly I have to thank so many people for it.”
David executes his Sprint Race plan
David started the Sprint Race from the front row and initially aimed to stay close to race leader Ugo Ugochukwu. However, once Ugochukwu moved outside DRS range, David had to change his approach.
“I had a game plan to stay in the DRS for as long as possible with Ugo but then once he broke it, I was just basically like, all right, let’s keep pushing.
At that point, David switched into defence mode. Several drivers pressured him, but he relied on his experience from simulator work and his two years in single-seaters.
“But then it was full defence mode and honestly, I was just trying to focus on getting good exits and looking in my mirrors. Honestly, I was using my experience from racing on the sim and over my two years in single seaters to defend as much as possible and to place the car perfectly.
David keeps calm under pressure
The final laps tested David mentally as much as physically. He had no DRS to help him defend, so he focused on staying composed and placing the car correctly.
“Obviously, it was a lot harder because I didn’t even have DRS to defend but honestly, the main thing wasn’t so much about driving, it was more to keep my mind composed.
David then counted down the laps while blocking out the result. That mindset helped him hold second place to the finish.
“I was just telling myself, don’t think about the result, keep focused, keep focused, keep focused and then I already knew exactly where to place the car and get good exits and in the end. I was just counting down the laps as much as possible but that was a huge sigh of relief.”
Sri Lankan support adds to David’s achievement
David also reflected on the response from Sri Lanka after his Silverstone podium. His defensive drive quickly earned him a new nickname among supporters back home.
“Well, obviously the biggest thing that’s been said is Minister of Defence, I think that’s the new nickname from Sri Lanka,” joked David. “It was good to see F3 posted as well.
David explained that support from Sri Lanka had followed him throughout his single-seater journey. However, his first F3 podium increased that attention significantly.
“The support has just been immense. Ever since I’ve been racing in single seaters, it’s already been quite high because they’ve been supporting me for the longest time.
David feels the impact of a national milestone
For David, seeing the Sri Lankan flag on an F1 weekend podium added another layer to the result. It also gave fans in Sri Lanka a new moment to celebrate.
“But now to be in F3 scoring a podium, seeing the Sri Lankan flag on a podium on an F1 weekend means so much more to the country and I think it’s really been so pleasant to see all the support and encouragement.
The reaction has also given David fresh motivation for the remaining rounds.
“It’s really helping me and fuelling me for the rest of the season because I see it as a huge motivation to keep giving this to the people and to myself to have this feeling again. So honestly, it’s just been incredible. It’s definitely blown up across the island.”
Silverstone marks a turning point for David in 2026 F3 campaign
David arrived at Silverstone without points, but he left with 15 after finishing second in the Sprint Race and seventh in the Feature Race. Therefore, he believes the weekend confirmed the progress he and AIX Racing had been chasing.
“It was coming, it was just a matter of when,” said David. “Of course, we always want to be up there and we know we have potential but having potential is one thing, executing it is another.
The weekend also brought relief. David felt he and the team finally delivered when it mattered across Qualifying and both races.
“You’re only as good as what is shown. So, we showed it this weekend and I think it was a sigh of relief because it definitely clicked. We found that I was able to execute on the weekend finally after a long time, me and the team and it’s been a huge sigh of relief.
David sees 2026 Silverstone F3 Round as a breakthrough weekend
Although David knew AIX Racing had potential, he admitted that Silverstone still exceeded his expectations after a difficult start to the season.
“Honestly, I always go into a weekend not expecting too much but I have to say I didn’t expect this after the season we’ve had so far. But it is halfway through the season and I do see it as a huge turning point and honestly, I’m very much seeing it as a breakthrough weekend for the rest of the season.”
Spa offers David another opportunity
David now turns his attention to Spa-Francorchamps for Round 6. The Belgian circuit feels familiar to him and the team because AIX Racing carries out much of its simulator work near Eau Rouge.
“It does feel like a bit of a home race because our sim is in Spa in Eau Rouge,” said David. “But I’m very excited, Spa is one of my favourite tracks.
Spa also brings added excitement because David expects his family to attend. The circuit’s unpredictable weather could also create new opportunities.
“I’ve got my family there again as well so it’s going to be a very exciting weekend and as we know, racing is always cool at Spa, you never know with the weather, and we haven’t had a wet race this year.
David targets Qualifying execution and more points
After proving his racecraft at Silverstone, David wants to repeat the basics at Spa. He identified Qualifying, reverse-grid opportunities and clean execution as the key targets.
“That could make it interesting as well but we know we’ve got the racecraft side in pretty good hands so it’s just about, once again, having a good Qualifying, being in the top 10, scoring those points, getting those reverse grids and executing on the weekend.”
Silverstone gives David momentum for the second half of the 2026 F3 season
David’s Silverstone weekend changed the direction of his rookie F3 campaign. He claimed his first podium, scored his first points and gave Sri Lanka a landmark result on an F1 support weekend.
Now, Spa gives him the chance to prove that Silverstone was not a one-off. If David and AIX Racing can repeat their Qualifying execution and race pace, they can turn one breakthrough weekend into the start of a much stronger run to the end of the season.
