Formula 3 is back! Three months after it went racing for the first time in 2026 back in Melbourne, Australia, the series returned for round two around the treacherous and infamous streets of Monte Carlo. All thirty drivers were immediately put to the test. Across the weekend, we saw feats of endurance, moments of calamity and a number of new faces on the podium too. Here are The Paddock Chronicle’s Key Takeaways from Formula 3 in Monaco.
New Talent Emerges
Formula 3’s first flurry since Australia may have resulted in a number of DNFs during its Sprint Race in Monaco, but it also gave us a possible glimpse into the future of motorsport. Positioned on reverse grid pole, Japan’s Hiyu Yamakoshi led from lights to flag. The Japanese driver didn’t put a foot wrong for the entire race. After a very lacklustre opening round in Australia where he finished in P20 and P11, Yamakoshi put in a sublime measured performance to hang onto the lead all the way until the end. In doing so, he becomes the first Japanese driver to win a race in Formula 3 since Ayumu Iwasa managed to achieve this back in Hungary in 2021. But the victory would be short lived.
Elsewhere, Gerard Xie made history for China as he became the first Chinese driver to stand on the podium in Formula 3 when he finished in second. He went on to finish Sunday’s Feature Race in P9. Finally, Jin Nakamura, also hailing from Japan, finished in a respectable P8 (later P7) as he continues in his rookie Formula 3 season.
Post Sprint Race Drama
However, all that hard work would come undone for Yamakoshi post race. Twelve hours after the conclusion of the Sprint Race, it was revealed that the front push rod LH – CPL was mounted on the right-hand side of the car, and front push rod RH – CPL was mounted on the left-hand side of the car.
This constituted a breach of Article 1.5.3 and Article 17.1 of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Technical Regulations. Yamakoshi was therefore disqualified from the Sprint Race. Xie was promoted into the race win, now taking China’s first podium and win in Formula 3. Del Pino moved into P2 and Pedro Clerot moved into P3. Despite this, Yamakoshi’s Sprint Race drive was a testament to his skill behind the wheel of a single seater. It remains a performance worth praising.
Championship Fight Intensifies
Consistency is key for success in motorsport. From what we’ve seen so far this season in Formula 3, Spain’s Bruno Del Pino appears to be the biggest threat that his rivals on the grid will have to face as they battle for the title. A win and a fourth place in Melbourne were followed up with a second place finish and a sixth place finish in Monaco. He leaves the principality as the only driver in the top four to not have finished outside the points so far this season.
Ugo Ugochukwu, Freddie Slater and Brando Badoer have all already had flashes of brilliance so far this season. This was further on display in Monaco. Slater finished in third place in the Feature Race with Ugochukwu in fourth. Badoer was in first though with a dominant win after stealing the lead from Pole sitter Naël at the start.
But each will need to up their game if they want to prevent Del Pino from charging away.
Rebound for Naël in Monaco
It was fourth time’s the charm for Naël in Formula 3 this season. Following three pointless races, Naël not not only finished Monaco’s Feature Race in the points but on the podium too as he finished in second place. While he will have been annoyed at losing Pole Position immediately to Badoer, P2 in the race will still be a welcome result after his disappointing start to the season. His one and only points scoring race result puts him in fifth overall in the Championship.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Alessandro Giusti, Pedro Clerot and Noah Strømsted had great weekends in Monaco. All three scored points in both races and each with a top five finish too. Kanato Lee and Ernesto Rivera had mixed weekends. They had one point scoring finish each. This was paired with a non points scoring result for the former and a DNF for the latter. South Korea’s Michael Shin had a Feature Race to forget. He amassed penalties galore for a variety of reasons that put him firmly at the back of the pack. Taito Kato and Enzo Deligny had bad weekends too as both had pointless results. It was tough for them after double points finishes in Australia.
Finishing is its own reward in Monaco
From the very start of the weekend, Monaco bit back at the drivers attempting to rule it by claiming them for its own left, right and centre. James Wharton crashed hard in the swimming pool section of the track during Practice.
During the Sprint Race, Badoer and Benavides didn’t even make it past lap one before crashing out down at Mirabeau. Such was the incident for the latter that he was withdrawn from Sunday’s Feature Race. It wasn’t long before Ho, Rivera and Taponen followed suit too. Taponen continued to have a weekend to forget in Monaco as he crashed out of the Feature Race too. Fernando Barrichello followed suit after a light touch with the barriers damaged his suspension and put him out of the race.
Monaco is one of the races that every driver wants to win. But to finish first, as the saying goes, first you must finish.
Final Thought from Monaco
Ugo Ugochukwu still leads the Championship as Formula 3 leaves Monaco. Less than ten points behind him though is Bruno Del Pino with Freddie Slater only one point behind him. With races on the Formula 3 calendar coming thick and fast now, consistency and an ability to perform under pressure will be key for all three. If they’re not able, there are a plethora of drivers not far behind that will be more than happy to wrestle the Championship podium places away from all of them. Formula 3 is just getting started.
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