FIA F3 2026 – UGO UGOCHUKWU LEADS OPENING SESSION OF THE SEASON
The 2026 Formula 3 season officially began in Melbourne with the first practice session at the Albert Park circuit. It was an important session for teams and drivers: some are discovering the track for the first time, while others raced here last year.
As is often the case during a practice session, the work was split between qualifying simulations and race simulations. Teams focused on quickly understanding the behaviour of the cars and the tyres in order to find the optimal setup ahead of qualifying later today.
At the end of the session, Ugo Ugochukwu set the fastest time. The Campos driver finished ahead of Brando Badoer and Noah Stromsted, who completed the top three in this first session of the season.
The early trends already seem quite clear, with Campos appearing very competitive on this track. Ugo Ugochukwu looked very quick, as did Théophile Naël, suggesting that the Spanish team could be fighting at the front in qualifying. Trident should not be overlooked either.
However, the session ended dramatically with Mattia Colnaghi’s engine catching fire. Fortunately, the driver was unharmed, but his team will almost certainly have to change the engine with qualifying just around the corner.
These first practice runs still give a first indication of what qualifying could look like tonight, and the battle is already shaping up to be very close to kick off the 2026 Formula 3 season.
Share this content:
