Freddie Slater seizes the sandings' lead
The FIA Formula 3 Championship returned to action at the short and winding Hungaroring circuit located just outside Budapest, home this weekend to the seventh round of the 2026 Formula 3 Championship. In a very close qualifying session, the Trident Motorsport drivers experienced a mixed session. On the Hungarian circuit, Freddie Slater took second place after having led the session for a long time. Qualifying was more challenging for fellow Trident Motorsport drivers Noah Strømsted and Matteo De Palo, who failed to find the conditions to perform at their best, posting the twenty-third and twenty-ninth fastest times, respectively.
Due to the inversion of the top twelve qualifying times, Freddie Slater started from eleventh on the starting grid for the Sprint Race. The seventeen-year-old Englishman took advantage of the brawl in the first corners to climb to ninth place.
The Audi Junior Driver then set a steady pace, consistently competing in the points positins. Due to the layout of the Hungaroring circuit, which doesn't allow for much room for overtaking, Slater therefore preferred to avoid duels to secure the result.
The final laps of the Sprint Race saw the Englishman battle to maintain the top 10, despite the tyre degradation. He achieved his goal, crossing the finish line of Saturday's race in tenth place. With this result, the Trident Motorsport driver climbed to the top of the overall FIA Formula 3 Championship Drivers' standings.
Noah Strømsted, forced to start from the middle of the pack, got stuck in traffic. The narrow Hungarian track didn't help Strømsted, who finished twentieth under the checkered flag.
Matteo De Palo was also forced to fight back. However, the eighteen-year-old Roman made a mistake when the lights went out. The jump start cost him a five-second penalty, which saw the McLaren Junior Driver finish twenty-seventh.
The Trident Motorsport drivers will now analyze today's events with the technical staff as they prepare for the Feature Race, scheduled for tomorrow at 8:40 a.m.
Giacomo Ricci: "We leave the Sprint Race leading the FIA Formula 3 Championship Drivers' standings. By finishing in the points, Freddie Slater secured the top spot in the series’ overall standings. Traffic in qualifying prevented Noah Strømsted and Matteo De Palo from posting a good time. Starting from the middle of the pack certainly didn't help. Nevertheless, both showed good race pace. Given what we achieved in today's race, I expect more from tomorrow's Feature Race."