Madrid, the championship is the target
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is preparing for the final and decisive round of the season. Just a few days after the Monza weekend, Trident Motorsport will immediately return to the track at the new Madring circuit, which this weekend will host the third category for the first time in the heart of the Spanish capital, Madrid.
The Milan-based team, with operational headquarters in Ossona, enters the championship finale with Freddie Slater leading the overall FIA Formula 3 Championship Drivers' standings. The eighteen-year-old Briton arrives in Spain with a fifteen-point advantage over his nearest rival. This is a significant margin, but one that still leaves the title fight wide open, given the unique format of the Madrid weekend.
Unlike the other rounds of the season, the grand finale at the Madring will feature two qualifying sessions and three races. The first qualifying session will determine the starting grid for the Sprint Race, with the top twelve grid positions reversed, and the first Feature Race, while the second session will determine the grid for Sunday's final Feature Race.
The format to be in place in Spain will offer a greater number of points and will make it crucial to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the weekend.
Slater arrives in Madrid after a weekend in Monza that once again confirmed his speed and competitiveness. Having secured pole position, the Audi Junior Driver staged a splendid comeback in the Sprint Race, finishing in second place after starting from twelfth on the grid. The Feature Race, however, left some regrets: starting from pole and initially leading, Slater was forced to retire due to a problem with his right rear wheel. Despite the setback, the Briton retained his championship lead and will thus enter the final round of the season in ideal conditions to fight for the title.
The Madring, however, will not be a complete unknown for Trident Motorsport. The team has already gathered valuable data and insights during the two days of official testing on the new track last August. Slater particularly stood out, finishing fastest in both afternoon sessions.
Useful feedback also came from Noah Strømsted and Matteo De Palo, who completed the top ten in the final test session in ninth and tenth place, respectively. Both will therefore be able to draw on the experience gained during the two days of testing to tackle a weekend where quickly finding the limit on a still unfamiliar circuit will be crucial.
Strømsted too arrives in Madrid after a positive Feature Race in Monza. Starting from fifteenth place, the nineteen-year-old Dane managed to gradually climb the standings to seventh place, gaining eight positions and earning valuable points for Trident Motorsport. This performance confirmed the Danish driver's strong pace and represents a solid foundation on which to build for the final round of the season.
De Palo also enjoyed a comeback weekend in Monza. The 18-year-old Roman initially set the second-fastest time overall in qualifying, but a subsequent disqualification for a technical irregularity found on the floor of his car forced him to start from the back of the grid in both races. The McLaren Junior Driver nevertheless fought back with determination, making up several positions in both the Sprint Race and Sunday's longer race, finishing sixteenth after starting thirtieth.
The new Madring will present a different challenge than Monza. The Spanish track, 5.416 kilometers long and featuring twenty-two corners, alternates particularly fast sections with more technical ones and features typical characteristics of a semi-street circuit. The proximity of the barriers will reduce the margin for error, as already evident during testing, which was marked by numerous interruptions and red flags. Among the most unusual points of the layout is the long, banked Monumental corner, characterized by a particularly steep banking.
The ability to quickly find the right level of confidence and an effective set-up will therefore be crucial. The data collected during testing will provide an important reference, but the evolution of the track and the different context of the race weekend will still require the team to work diligently on preparation.
Trident Motorsport enters the final round with a residual chance of also winning the FIA Formula One Teams Championship. The Italian team currently sits in second place, sixty-four points behind the leaders. The goal will therefore be to conclude a season that has seen the team consistently at the top of the class in the best possible way.
Giacomo Ricci, Trident Motorsport Team Manager: “We arrive at the final round of the season aware of the importance of the weekend ahead. Freddie Slater arrives in Madrid as the championship leader, and we know we'll need to approach every session with maximum concentration. The format of two qualifying sessions and three races will make the weekend even more intense and forbids any distraction. We had the opportunity to drive on the Madring during the August tests, and this allowed us to gather very useful data on a completely new circuit. In Monza, we once again demonstrated our excellent potential, even if we weren't able to achieve what we deserved. We'll need to focus solely on our work, without distractions. Now, the goal is to finalize the work done during the season and give it our all until the final metre of the race.”
The engines of the FIA Formula 3 Championship cars will start on Friday at 9:55 a.m., with the 45-minute free practice session. Two consecutive qualifying sessions will take place that same day, with the first session scheduled for 6:25 p.m. and the second at 6:55 p.m. On Saturday, the Sprint Race will start at 11:05 a.m., while the first Feature Race will take place at 6:00 p.m. The 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship season will conclude on Sunday with the second Feature Race, scheduled for 9:45 a.m.