FORMULA 2 AND FORMULA 3 2026: FIRST DRIVER MOVES
As the Formula 3 season comes closely to its ending, the driver market starts to get busy as usual. With Monza being the final round of the F3 championship, the line-ups begin to change already after the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Rafael Camara brought home the Formula 3 title with a spare round, and the last race, which will take place in September, will stabilise the positions of the rest of the grid and define the Constructors champion, who is currently in Trident’s hand.
The drivers’ market heats up
After AIX announced their first drivers in both Formula 3 and Formula 2, the market is heating up for next season. EuroFormula Open title contender Yevan David has signed for AIX in F3 in 2026, whereas in F2 the son of Two-time Formula 1 World champion Emerson Fittipaldi, Emmo Jr., is the first driver officially announced on the grid.
Formula 3 champion Rafael Camara has stated after the Feature race in Hungary that, as soon as the championship ends, he will be completely focusing on working for his Formula 2 season in 2026. Whilst the Brazilian is expected to race for Invicta next season, Trident might step him up to F2 already from Baku, replacing either Meguetounif or Max Esterson. It is worth remembering that not every driver has a contract lasting for the whole season. Usually, those who struggle more with budget tend to leave the series after the European season comes to an end.
Roman Stanek and Taylor Barnard in the 2024 season are great examples. The Czech driver left his seat at Trident vacant after the Italian Grand Prix, allowing the Aussie Christian Mansell to do the step up at Baku.
Nevertheless, we will see the Brazilian Rafael Camara following the lights of Gabriel Bortoleto and Leonardo Fornaroli, where both won the Formula 3 title with Trident and stepped up to Formula 2 with Invicta. Bortoleto capitalised the opportunity and won the championship with the British team, and as it stands, Fornaroli seems to be the favourite contender for the title, leading F2 17 points ahead of the American Jak Crawford.
Camara’s rivals, Tim Tramnitz and Nikola Tsolov, are also set to do the step up together to Formula 2. Both Red Bull juniors will be driving for Campos in 2026, keeping the partnership going between the Spaniards and the Austrians in the Formula 1 feeder series. Once again, we will see a full Red Bull line-up in Campos. Mari Boya will then change squad on his way to Formula 2 promotion, it is expected that he will drive for MP Motorsport in 2026.
The collaboration is set to continue in Formula 3 as well. Title contender in Eurocup-3 Ernesto Rivera, Mexican Red Bull junior, has signed for Campos in Formula 3 in 2026. The second seat is being fought between Enzo Deligny and Theophile Nael. Deligny, who is currently in FRECA, was a previous Red Bull junior member, and has got good contacts with the Spanish team. However, as per “Illan Se”, French media, Nael is close to signing for Red Bull, and would automatically have the preference over Deligny in case he joins the Academy of the Formula 1 Team.
The Japanese Kanato Le, currently 12th in FRECA, is approaching the 3rd seat.
FRECA championship leader Freddie Slater has already debuted in Formula 3 this season, surprising a lot of spectators by getting a podium in his first ever race in Bahrain. The young British star is looking comfortable leading the Formula Regional standings, and he is surely a driver that every team would like to have in their car. Trident in Formula 3 is the answer of where Slater will be in 2026. Seen the success of both driver and team so far, it looks like they have found an agreement, and the Brit is the first confirmed driver of the team.
His team mates are yet to be decided, but FRECA runner-up Matteo de Palo looks like to be in contention to drive for Trident in Formula 3 as well, creating a strong line-up already for the Italians.
The market will get intense as the time goes on and we approach the end of the season, but for now, these are the first moves that are set to be announced soon.
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