Feeder Series Preview: Monaco
- DIVEBOMB Motorsport
- 6 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Written by Trisha Lynnette and Morgan Holiday
Formula 2 continues its 2026 campaign while Formula 3 makes its long-awaited return from a lengthy break, and Monaco provides the perfect backdrop for both. With championship battles heating up and young talent hungry to impress in front of the Formula 1 paddock, the streets of Monte Carlo are set to deliver.
DIVEBOMB brings you all the important pointers ahead of the Monaco round.
Formula 3
The thrilling Formula 3 championship is back again after a long break. We find ourselves at the track in Monaco this weekend, one of the most prestigious and renowned circuits in the world. The second race of what is a nine-round season, Monaco is a legendary track for all series alike. Although it is known for its luxury and global audience, it is also known for displaying the strategic and tactical racing of racing drivers.
Melbourne’s opening round of the 2026 season was action from the get-go. Campos Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu moved into the championship lead with his Feature Race win at Albert Park, while Van Amersfoort Racing’s Bruno Del Pino won the Sprint Race to prove himself a championship contender.
Ugochukwu is leading the championship with 25 points, while Freddie Slater of Trident is tied on second with Del Pino on 18 points each. ART Grand Prix’s Taito Kato is fourth with 16 points. Van Amersfoort Racing lead the teams’ standings with 30 points, with Campos Racing second with 27 points and ART Grand Prix third with 26 points. Trident is fourth with 20 points.
Coming to the Monegasque circuit, the 2.073 miles (3.337 km) circuit's narrow layout and barriers pose a great challenge to the drivers. Located at the harbour area of Monte Carlo, the track has only one DRS zone, located on the main straight.
This circuit hosts the famous and rich, roaring with not just the engines of the cars, but with the horns of the luxurious boats surrounding the coast. The Monaco circuit is known to test a driver for great technicality and strategy.
Teams have to focus on maximising downforce while increasing the level of grip to ace the circuit. This circuit will place less demand on the brakes, with the track layout dominated by low-speed corners. It’s possible to overtake around this circuit in an F3 car because F3 cars are smaller than an F2 or an F1 car.
Free Practice at 13:25 CEST (11:25 GMT) on Thursday is very important for the rookies as it will give them a feeling of the circuit, understanding the strategy they have to apply in the race. That will help them know when to push and when to hold back.
Pirelli has brought the soft tyre compounds to Monaco and degradation is expected to be low. This is due to Monaco having the lowest average speed for the season. Last time in Monaco, graining was prevalent on the rear and front axle of the tyre after a few laps but this was manageable and similar conditions should be seen this year.
Qualifying for F3 has proven to set the pace of the race, and it may do the exact same in Monaco this week. Qualifying is split into two sessions, with the drivers divided on the basis of even and odd numbers. Group A heads out on track at 11:05 CEST (9:05 GMT) and Group B will head out at 11:29 CEST (9:29 GMT).
This format is adopted due to the narrow nature of the track which does not allow drivers to provide space for the faster cars behind them. The driver that ultimately secures the fastest time out of the two groups receives the much coveted pole position, while the fastest driver from the other group gets a front row seat at P2. This is the same pattern that is used for the rest of the grid.
Nikola Tsolov took pole position for Campos and won the Feature Race here last year while Martinius Stenshorne claimed the Sprint Race win. Both have since left the F3 grid, giving a new name the opportunity to make their mark on the streets of Monaco.
The drivers must prove not just their pace in Monaco but also how they approach a crucial track on the calendar. The series features a range of rookies, including several making their first visit to Monte Carlo, one can expect a good amount of action on track and changes in the standings as well.
The Sprint Race will take place on Saturday at 10:45 CEST (8:45 GMT).
The Feature Race will take place on Sunday at 07:45 CEST (5:45 GMT).
Formula 2
Fresh off the back of two brand new rounds in Miami and Montréal, F2 returns to a more familiar track in the streets of Monaco.
Monaco will be the fourth of 14 rounds in the 2026 championship, and as always it’s set to be one of the most tense and entertaining rounds of the year. This 19 corner, 2.073 miles (3.337 km) layout is known for its unforgiving nature and tight competition.
Qualifying will be key for the 22 drivers, as starting position means more at Monaco than it does at any other track on the calendar due to how hard it is to overtake on the street circuit. As usual, the qualifying format will be different from F2’s standard operating procedure. Instead of having 30 minutes for all 22 drivers to qualify, the grid will be split into two groups and each group will have 16 minutes to set their fastest lap time.
At the end of both groups, the fastest driver of the day secures pole position, and the fastest driver in the slower group claims second place. From there, the rest of the grid is set up, with the second-fastest driver from the pole group going third, and the second-fastest from the second group going fourth, and so on and so forth.
All eyes will be on the fastest driver in qualifying, though the driver that secures 10th place will have the key starting position for the reverse grid Sprint Race.
In F2’s last trip to Monaco, it was Rodin Motorsport rookie Alex Dunne who grabbed the coveted pole position over Victor Martins. Kush Maini, who qualified tenth and started on reverse grid pole for the Sprint, led the way and secured the race win in typical Monaco fashion.
But in the Feature, a shocking first lap incident saw seven drivers out at the first corner when polesitter Dunne collided with Martins. The pileup caused chaos of epic proportions, and allowed for a new race leader to emerge.
Pit stop strategy, which brought American driver Jak Crawford to the Feature Race win last year, is key in Monaco, as the easiest way to overtake another driver around Monaco is in the pits. Drivers will be hoping for alternate strategies and well-timed Safety Cars this time around.
Coming into the fourth round of the championship, Gabriele Minì leads the title fight by an impressive 21 points over Rafael Câmara. But behind the leader, the drivers in second through seventh place are separated by just six points. Success in Monaco is more meaningful than maybe any other circuit on the calendar due to its historical nature, and drivers will be aiming for a chance to stand on the podium in this incredible city.
The weekend will begin on Thursday for the F2 drivers, with Free Practice taking place at 15:00 CET. They’ll qualify Monaco-style on Friday, with Group A going out at 15:10 CET and Group B following at
15:34 CET.
The Sprint Race will follow on Saturday at 14:15 CET, where all eyes will be on the driver who qualified 10th on Saturday. Finally, the Feature Race will take place Sunday morning at 9:25 CET.
