Every Formula 3 driver confirmed for the 2026 season so far
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- Oct 6
- 14 min read
Updated: Oct 7
Written by Trisha Lynnette, Liam Ploetner and Vyas Ponnuri
The early part of Formula 3’s off-season has been dominated by plenty of driver announcements, with as many as 23 drivers confirmed so far. DIVEBOMB gives you an account of where the F3 grid stands, and who’s confirmed so far.
1. Yevan David - AIX Racing
AIX Racing made Formula 3 history when they signed 18-year-old Yevan David onto their roster for 2026. The Sri Lankan driver will become the first from his country to race in Formula 3, marking the 43rd different nationality represented on the modern F3 grid.
Motor racing has been in David’s blood, with his grandfathers, Nirmal and Parames, involved in local motorsport championships in Sri Lanka. Although born to Sri Lankan parents in the UK, David moved to Singapore at the age of four to make his dream of motorsport a reality.
David stepped up to single-seaters in 2023, when David competed in the Spanish F4 and F4 UAE championships. A three-race stint in the Euroformula Open translated into a full-time seat in the latter championship in 2025, with David going on to finish third in the standings.
David also competed in three races in the GB3 championship, along the way, before being announced as AIX Racing’s Formula 3 driver for 2026.
“Very thankful to have this opportunity to be racing as the first Sri Lankan driver in Formula 3, and with AIX racing. They’ve proved themselves, and I’m excited to achieve great milestones with them for the season ahead,” David mentioned on the eve of his announcement.
The 18-year-old will certainly be looking to fly his country’s flag high when the 2026 F3 season begins, looking to enter uncharted territory and climb even further.
2. Fernando Barrichello - AIX Racing
Shortly after confirming David, AIX Racing also announced the signing of Brazilian youngster Fernando Barrichello on their F3 driver roster for 2026. The 20-year-old made his official F3 debut in Monza earlier this year, racing for AIX themselves in the season finale, finishing 17th in the sprint, before failing to finish the Feature Race.
As is the case with his younger teammate, Barrichello is just as familiar with motorsport, with father Rubens Barrichello a seven-time Formula One race winner, and brother Eduardo Barrichello racing in the LMGT3 class of the World Endurance Championship for Aston Martin.
Fernando stepped up to single-seaters in 2022, finishing seventh in the inaugural Brazilian F4 season that year, with four wins to his name. He would step up to European and Asian racing series in 2023, competing in the F4 UAE and Spanish F4 championships alongside his second season of Brazilian F4 in fifth.
2024 saw the youngster step up to the Euroformula Open championship, as he went on to finish third in the standings, taking two wins and six podiums along the way. The Brazilian competed in a second season in the championship before being called up by AIX Racing to drive for them in Monza.
“Extremely grateful for this opportunity - so much hard work has gone into reaching this moment! I’m excited to join AIX Racing and fight for big things. Que honra poder representar o nosso Brasil em algo tão grande - what an honour to represent Brazil on such a huge stage. Vamos com tudo!!!” Barrichello said, speaking on his announcement.
3. Brad Benavides - AIX Racing
AIX Racing rounded out its driver line-up by signing the returning Brad Benavides for a full-time Formula 3 campaign in 2026. The American driver has experienced a rollercoaster of a single-seater career, moving up and down the feeder series ladder ever since his debut in 2018.
Having competed in the Euroformula Open and the FRECA championship in a single-seater career sandwiched by the COVID-19 pandemic, Benavides stepped up to Formula 3 in 2022, driving for Carlin (now Rodin Motorsport) alongside Zak O’Sullivan and Enzo Trulli.
Benavides would later step up to drive for the renamed PHM Racing team in Formula 2, racing alongside Enzo Fittipaldi during the season, before leaving the team mid-season, replaced by GB3 racer Josh Mason.
He would then return to the Euroformula Open championship in 2024, taking top honours in a dominant campaign that heralded a return to F3 once again.
Following Nikita Bedrin and Freddie Slater’s one-off appearances, Benavides became a full-timer at AIX Racing in 2025, becoming only one of three drivers to take F3 poles in the season. He scored points twice, with ninth in the Austrian feature race, before finishing fourth in Monza after starting on pole.
“Can’t thank AIX enough for their continued support. Can’t thank God enough for not giving up on me/my love for racing. One truth is reality, and another truth is that dreaming is always worth it. With only Love, BB,” expressed Benavides, on his new F3 contract for 2026.
4. Theophile Naël - Campos Racing
2025 Formula 3 champions Campos Racing have announced a fresh new line-up for 2026, aiming to defend their maiden F3 crown. Theophile Naël became the first driver to feature on the team’s roster for the upcoming season.
The French driver had a strong 2025 F3 campaign for Van Amersfoort Racing, scoring podiums in Melbourne, Barcelona and Silverstone on his way to eighth in the standings, and outshining his more senior teammate Santiago Ramos across the season.
Naël has been no stranger to success over the past, having won the Spanish F4 championship in 2023, before finishing ninth in the FRECA series in 2024. His strong maiden F3 campaign only adds more value, as Naël aims to make the next step up with Campos and help the team defend their title.
“I’m really happy to be joining Campos Racing for the 2026 FIA F3 season! It’s a team I’ve been racing against for years, and I have always respected their professionalism and admired their work. To now have the chance to represent their colours is a real honour. I can’t wait to take on this challenge and go hunting for the championship in 2026.” Naël said, elated by his new announcement.
5. Ernesto Rivera - Campos Racing
Campos Racing announced their next driver on the Formula 3 roster for 2026, with Red Bull junior Ernesto Rivera continuing the Spanish team’s affiliation with the energy drinks manufacturer, by joining the team full-time in the upcoming F3 campaign.
The Mexican driver is currently competing in the Eurocup 3 championship, sitting third in the standings with 176 points to his name. Rivera has taken three victories and four further podiums on his way, as he aims to finish his campaign strongly in the series.
Rivera also boasts of a stellar junior record, having won several karting series on home turf before graduating to single-seaters. He competed in the Spanish F4 season in 2024, finishing fifth, dovetailing his season with a stand-in appearance at Zandvoort as part of British F4.
His 2025 season has been largely centred around a successful Eurocup 3 campaign, with Rivera also competing in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship earlier in 2025, finishing ninth overall.
“I’m really happy to be joining Campos Racing for the 2026 FIA F3 season! It’s a team I’ve been racing against for years, and I have always respected their professionalism and admired their work. To now have the chance to represent their colours is a real honour. I can’t wait to take on this challenge and go hunting for the championship in 2026,” an excited Rivera mentioned, the Red Bull junior eager to be a part of the team’s success in the upcoming F3 season.
6. Ugo Ugochukwu - Campos Racing
Campos Racing rounded out their Formula 3 roster for 2026, signing McLaren junior Ugo Ugochukwu to represent the team during the upcoming F3 season.
Ugochukwu, like Naël, made his F3 debut in 2025, driving for PREMA Racing. The New York native is a major figure in junior feeder series, having been fast-tracked by McLaren in 2021 to become a part of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
He would then move up to single-seaters, becoming a serial winner. Having finished third in British F4, Ugochukwu won the Euro 4 Championship in 2023, dovetailing his status with second in Italian F4 and third in the F4 UAE series that year.
Ugochuwku finished 11th in FRECA in 2024, with one race win during the season, before becoming the first American to win the non-championship Macau Grand Prix in 43 years.
Ugochukwu’s maiden F3 campaign got off to a slow start, with PREMA Racing on the back foot, their new F3 car even being overweight in the early part of the season. The team even donned an all-black livery from the Red Bull Ring weekend, in a bid to get closer to the weight limits for 2025.
This would help the McLaren junior’s case, as he scored two podiums in Belgium and Hungary. However, the slow start to his season meant he only finished 15th in the standings.
“I’m really excited to be joining Campos Racing for the 2026 FIA Formula 3 season. It will be my second year in the category, so I’ll bring more experience with me. The team comes from winning the Teams’ title last season, so I know I’ll be in a very strong environment. I’m confident that together we can achieve great results in the upcoming season,” an elated Ugochukwu said, looking ahead to the upcoming campaign.
7. Freddie Slater - Trident
Freddie Slater had previously driven for AIX Racing and Hitech TGR for two rounds in the 2025 Formula 3 season. Now the British driver is set to join the powerhouse Trident — known to house the previous two driver championship winners — Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Câmara.
Having had a successful karting career, the 18-year-old driver made his debut in single-seater racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2022. His most notable championship wins are the Formula 4 UAE Championship and Italian F4 Championship, and he currently stands first in the Formula Regional European Championship.
With a great record in single-seater championships, Slater is expected to have a good season with Trident, potentially even following in the footsteps of the drivers' champions such as Gabriel Bortoleto, Leonardo Fornaroli and Rafael Câmara.
8. Matteo De Palo - Trident
Matteo De Palo had a stable karting career, notably placing fourth in the ROK Superfinal. The 17-year-old then debuted in single-seater championships in 2023, taking part in the Formula Winter Series, F4 Spanish, British and Italian Championship with Campos Racing.
He placed fifth in the Spanish F4 before jumping to the Formula Regional European Championship, where he currently stands second behind Freddie Slater.
The jump to Formula 3 is a big step for the Italian driver as he must grasp the workings of the car while remaining competitive and consistent.
9. Noah Strømsted - Trident
Stromsted began his racing career with the F4 Danish Championship, where he placed second. He then took part in various championships such as the Formula 4 Spanish, UAE and the Formula Regional European Championship. He joined the Formula 3 roster in 2024, starting his journey with Campos Racing as a fill-in driver for 2 rounds.
He officially joined the series full-time in 2025 with Trident, where he delivered a masterclass of race, placing sixth overall in the championship. He is now set to continue with the team to hopefully bring the drivers and teams' championship home in the 2026 season.
An extremely dedicated driver, he has shown impressive speed and results. The team is confident that by spending another year at Trident, Strømsted should get more comfortable with both team and format - bringing even more consistent results.
10. Jin Nakamura - Hitech TGR
Japanese driver Jin Nakamura is set to join Hitech TGR for the 2026 Formula 3 season, marking his debut in the FIA Feeder series ladder. Previously, he has taken part in the F4 Japanese Championship in 2022 and 2023 - placing fourth and second, respectively.
He also took part in multiple championships in 2024, notably placing 1st in the Super Taikyu - ST - 2 championship. As of 2025, he currently drives in the Formula Regional European Championship, sitting 11th in the standings. He also took part in Le Mans Cup - LMP3 at 25th, having participated in two rounds.
The driver has proven his versatility and has adapted well to different categories with consistent points and podiums.
11. Michael Shin - Hitech TGR
Korean driver Michael Shin debuted in 2022 in the F4 UAE and British Championship, placing 29th and 11th, respectively. In 2023, he participated in the Formula Regional Middle East Championship and GB3 Championship, placing 14th and 18th. He then took part in the Formula 3 championship for six races with PHM Racing.
In the next few years, the 21-year-old driver participated in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship and Euroformula Open Championship, where he placed second in the championship. He is now set to race with Hitech TGR, making a comeback to the series after three years.
Shin has shown real determination and strong results over the past few years, and is set to continue his development as he joins the F3 grid full-time.
Read a past interview with Shin on the DIVEBOMB website by clicking here.
12. Fionn McLaughlin - Hitech
Hitech made a massive signing to round out their Formula 3 roster for 2026, bringing onboard talented Irish youngster and Red Bull junior Fionn McLaughlin onto their line-up for 2026.
The Magherafelt native has experienced a stellar 2025, being crowned the British F4 champion recently. McLaughlin began his karting journey in 2016, winning regular karting series along the way. Finishing sixth in the CIK-FIA European Championship in 2024, he made the move up to single-seaters in 2025.
McLaughlin only has two championships and less than a year of single-seater racing experience under his belt, but has shown plenty of talent already. He finished third in the Formula Winter Series earlier, before taking five victories on his way to the British F4 title.
The Northern Irish racer won a shootout in Jerez among 11 invited drivers, involving driving F4 and GP3 cars around the circuit. Following the event, McLaughlin was selected to be on the Red Bull Junior Team in August 2024.
“I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve achieved this year – it’s already been a whirlwind journey from karting to single-seaters, and now stepping up to FIA Formula 3 with Hitech is a dream come true. I want to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, especially Hitech and the Red Bull Junior Team, for their trust and belief in my potential,” he said.
13. Alessandro Giusti - MP Motorsport
Giusti began his racing career in the 2021 French F4 Championship, where he placed sixth. In 2022, he won the French F4 Championship. He then took part in the Formula Regional European Championship in 2023 and 2024, where he placed sixth and fourth, respectively.
He joined the Formula 3 grid in 2025 with MP Motorsport, placing 10th overall. This enabled him to continue with MP Motorsport in the upcoming year.
Throughout the 2025 season, Giusti was able to build a good rapport with the team, making it easy for both to continue into the 2026 season with the expectations of better results.
The team has built a strong foundation with the French driver and is looking to retain its position within the top ranks of the teams' championship.
14. Tuukka Taponen - MP Motorsport
Taponen had a stellar rookie year in Formula 3 with three podiums and placed an overall ninth in the championship. Before this, the Finnish driver took part in the 2023 Formula 4 UAE Championship, where he placed 2nd. He also placed first in the 2024 Formula Regional Middle East Championship and placed 3rd in the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship.
He also has a great karting career record, placing within the top three regularly in multiple karting championships across Finland and Europe. While he competed in two races for ART Grand Prix in the 2024 F3 season, he officially joined the grid in 2025 with the French team.
Having garnered a good result and proving himself to be a strong contender on the field, Taponen will make his return in 2026 with MP Motorsport.
15. Mattia Colnaghi - MP Motorsport
Colnaghi began his karting career in 2020, swiftly climbing up to the CIK-FIA karting championships in 2022. After placing sixth in the CIK FIA World Championship in 2023, he made his debut in the Formula Winter Series in 2024 with none other than MP Motorsport.
Ever since his debut in single-seater racing, Colnaghi has stayed with MP Motorsport through championships such as the F4 Spanish Championship and Eurocup-3 where he took the ultimate win. He even took part in the Eurocup-3 as well as the Spanish Winter Championshi,p where he placed second.
With an amazing record behind him alongside MP Motorsport, the F3 team was able to recognise his talent and decided to set his future with them in stone.
16. Jesse Carrasquedo Jr. - Van Amersfoort Racing
Carrasquedo Jr had previously competed in two Feature Race rounds this year for Hitech TGR with a best result of 13th at the Spielberg round.
The Mexican’s main campaign in 2025 was taking part in his second season of Eurocup-3 for Campos, winning twice and finishing fifth in the standings, his best championship result in single-seater racing. The 18-year-old previously drove four races for Van Amersfoort Racing in Formula Regional at two rounds in 2024.
17. Hiyu Yamakoshi - Van Amersfoort Racing
Yamakoshi, from Tokyo in Japan, will be in his third season with Van Amersfoort Racing, competing in F4 with them in 2024 and in Formula Regional in 2025 with the Dutch outfit.
He is currently eighth in the standings in the latter, having taken two podiums in his first season at the Formula Regional level. His Italian F4 results were impressive, finishing third in the standings behind Jack Beeton and Freddie Slater last year.
18. Bruno del Pino - Van Amersfoort Racing
A returning driver to the Formula 3 grid in 2026, del Pino took four points finishes last year, driving for another Dutch team in MP Motorsport.
These results included a second-place finish in the Sprint Race at Imola, his sole podium finish in his rookie season. The 19-year-old is the only Spaniard on the grid at the moment, and the only driver with two home races on the 2026 calendar.
19. Pedro Clerot - Rodin Motorsport
Brazilian driver Pedro Clerot makes the step up to F3 for 2026 with Rodin. In 2025, Clerot has taken two victories in the current Formula Regional campaign, and is currently fourth in the drivers’ standings with one round to go in the season. Clerot also has six podium finishes in his two seasons of Formula Regional on top of his two victories.
He will be the only rookie driver in Rodin’s driver lineup, joining Brando Badoer and Christian Ho, the latter of whom he raced against in Spanish F4 in 2023.
20. Brando Badoer - Rodin Motorsport
Backed by the McLaren Driver Development Programme, Badoer spent his first F3 season in 2025 with Prema, scoring 13 points and finishing 25th in the drivers’ standings, finishing the season with three points finishes in the final five races, including a seventh in the Feature Race in Hungary.
2026 will be his first season with the Rodin Motorsport team, a team that won races previously with Callum Voisin and Roman Bilinski.
21. Christian Ho - Rodin Motorsport
Singaporean racer Christian Ho scored 17 points in his rookie season of Formula 3 in 2025, driving for DAMS and previously won the Eurocup-3 championship in 2024 and finished runner-up to Theophile Naël, driving for Campos in both seasons.
The 18-year-old is the first F3 driver from Singapore, being one of three drivers on the 2026 grid to be their nation’s sole representative in the series’ history (the other two being Yevan David from Sri Lanka and Michael Shin from South Korea)
22. Enzo Deligny - PREMA Racing
Deligny is the only Prema Racing driver confirmed for their F3 program in 2026, and his promotion to F3 comes after a solid campaign in Formula Regional, where he is currently third in the drivers’ standings.
He will be one of the youngest drivers on the grid, being 17 when the season starts in Australia, and represents France, but can also represent China under dual nationality.
23. Maciej Gładysz - ART Grand Prix
ART Grand Prix announced their first driver for 2026, with Polish racer Maciej Gładysz stepping up to race for the French outfit for the upcoming F3 campaign.
Only 17 at the time of his announcement, Gładysz has already built up a strong junior career, winning multiple karting championships before his step up to single-seaters in 2024, taking part in the Formula Winter Series for MP Motorsport and finishing third.
The Pole then took part in Spanish F4 in 2024, backing up his earlier performance by finishing third once again. He then won the Eurocup-3 Spanish Winter Championship in 2025, stepping up to Eurocup-3. Gładysz currently sits ninth in the standings, with two races to go.
Gładysz follows in the footsteps of Rodin Motorsport’s Roman Bilinski, flying the Polish flag high on the F3 grid, as he aims to further his motorsport career with a solid campaign in the series.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and proud to make my F3 debut with such a successful squad. I immediately felt at home in the team and can’t wait to start this new chapter of my career. I’ve learned a lot in 2025 and shown that I have the speed to make that next step for 2026,” Gładysz said on his announcement.
