Every 2026 Formula 3 driver linked to Formula One
- Liam Ploetner
- Feb 26
- 5 min read
Written by Liam Ploetner, edited by Rohan Brown
Now that the 30 drivers for the 2026 Formula 3 season are confirmed, we can officially say that there are nine drivers who are involved with seven F1 teams, whether that be through being in their academy, or being in the academy of a technical partner or engine supplier.
Ernesto Rivera - Red Bull
The sole Campos driver on this list is Mexican driver Ernesto Rivera, who has been a member of the Red Bull junior team since September 2024.
Prior to joining the Red Bull junior team, Rivera raced in the F4 Spanish championship and won at Portimão en-route to finishing fifth in the standings as the third-best rookie behind Maciej Gładysz and future Red Bull stablemate Mattia Colnaghi.
The following year, Rivera won three races in Eurocup-3 where he finished fourth in the overall standings.
Rivera, from Mexico City, will be hoping to follow in the tracks of fellow Mexico City natives Pedro and Ricardo Rodríguez.
Freddie Slater - Audi
Audi’s first-ever junior driver is none other than the exciting prospect Freddie Slater.
He was announced as an Audi driver development programme member in January 2026 three days after the Programme - led by ex-Formula One driver Allan McNish, was launched. The 17 year old’s junior record is stacked with achievements, with championship wins in Ginetta Juniors, Italian F4, Formula 4 UAE and the Formula Regional European Championship, as well as runner-up finishes in Euro 4 and Formula Regional Middle East.
He will be competing with Trident for the 2026 season alongside Matteo De Palo and Noah Strømsted.
Matteo De Palo - McLaren
The only McLaren Formula 3 junior driver on the 2026 grid is Italian driver Matteo De Palo.
He joined the McLaren driver development programme in November 2025 after a successful sophomore season in Formula Regional where he finished runner-up to eventual champion and 2026 F3 Trident teammate Freddie Slater.
Prior to Formula Regional, he raced in the F4 Spanish championship where he finished fifth in 2023.
Originally from Rome, De Palo will seek to emulate local hero Elio de Angelis by making it to Formula One.
Mattia Colnaghi - Red Bull
All three of MP Motorsport’s 2026 drivers will be part of driver academies, the first of whom is Mattia Colnaghi.
Colnaghi was born in Monza, the home of the famous “Temple of Speed”, which is the perfect place for a racing driver to be born. He joined the Red Bull Junior Team in August 2025 after successful results in Formula 4 and Eurocup-3. In his first season of single-seater racing in 2024, he won the F4 Spanish championship with six wins as a rookie.
The following year, Colnaghi won the Eurocup-3, winning five times, being so dominant that he missed the final round and still won the title by 35 points.
Tuukka Taponen - Ferrari
The second MP Formula 3 driver aligned with an F1 team is Finland’s Tuukka Taponen.
Taponen, unlike the previous drivers on this list, is in his sophomore season of F3, having taken three podiums in 2025.
Despite being in his second season, Taponen does have a strong record in the feeder series, winning Formula Regional Middle East in 2024 and finishing third in the European equivalent.
He has been with the Ferrari Driver Academy since 2023.
Alessandro Giusti - Williams
Williams have their Formula 3 efforts focused on MP’s Alessandro Giusti, who impressed in his rookie season of F3. He joined Williams’ junior ranks in January 2024.
Giusti finished tenth in the standings, scoring points in nine consecutive races from Bahrain to the Sprint Race in Austria, which included two podiums.
The Frenchman previously won French F4 in his second season in 2022 and won five times in two seasons in Formula Regional Europe.
Taito Kato - Honda (Aston Martin engine supplier)
Taito Kato is one of two drivers on this list to not be with an F1 team directly, but with a partner, as he is a member of the Honda Formula Dream Project, led by former F1 podium finisher Takuma Sato.
Kato joined the project in 2024 and in his debut season of single-seaters, won the French F4 Championship.
A consistent Formula Regional Europe campaign where he took two podiums followed. Kato ended the season strong with six consecutive points finishes.
He will be driving for ART Grand Prix alongside Maciej Gładysz and Kanato Le. Despite being born and raised in Japan, Kato races under the French flag.
Fionn McLaughlin - Red Bull
One of two Hitech TGR drivers affiliated with an F1 team, Fionn McLaughlin is in only his second season of single-seater racing.
From Northern Ireland, McLaughlin races under the Ireland flag. He joined the Red Bull Junior Team in August 2024 and has had a brief, but successful single-seater career.
The 18-year old won the British F4 Championship in 2025 with five wins and 14 podiums driving for Hitech TGR, beating James Piszcyk by 52.5 points. Previous British F4 Championship winners include Alex Dunne, Luke Browning and Zane Maloney.
Jin Nakamura - Toyota (Haas technical partnership)
The final driver on this list, Jin Nakamura’s F1 link is similar to Taito Kato, as it is not to an F1 team, but to a partner.
Nakamura began his single-seater career in his native Japan, winning four times in two seasons of the F4 Japanese Championship.
Success in Super Formula Lights in 2024 gave Nakamura an opportunity to race in Formula Regional Europe.
After a difficult first half of the season, Nakamura went on to score points in seven of the last eight races, including a first podium in Austria.
Nakamura has been a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program since 2024, with the program being run by former Williams F1 driver Kazuki Nakajima.
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