Campos Racing and its drivers defend championship leads at the Red Bull Ring
The 2026 FIA Formula 3 season is entering a crucial phase during these summer weeks, with four championship rounds taking place in the space of just one month. The action resumes at the Red Bull Ring this weekend before heading almost immediately to Silverstone (4-5 July), Spa-Francorchamps (18-19 July) and the Hungaroring (25-27 July). After that, only Monza and Madring will remain on the calendar. June and, above all, July are set to play a decisive role in shaping the battles for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ titles.
Among the leading contenders are undoubtedly Campos Racing and its drivers. Ugo Ugochukwu and Théophile Naël arrive in Austria occupying first and second places respectively in the overall standings. The American has amassed 58 points compared to the Frenchman’s 52. Ugochukwu has led the championship since the opening round of the season in Melbourne, where he claimed victory in the feature race, which awards the highest number of points. In Monaco, despite narrowly missing out on a podium finish, he secured an excellent haul of points with fourth and sixth-place finishes, in addition to setting the fastest lap, before taking third place in Barcelona. Naël has proven to be the fastest driver over a single lap during the opening third of the season, as demonstrated by the three pole positions secured by the Frenchman in Australia, Monaco and Spain. A penalty denied him a podium result at Albert Park, but he bounced back with second place in the Principality before taking the next step at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he claimed his maiden FIA Formula 3 victory.
After missing the opening round through injury, Ernesto Rivera has impressed on his arrival in the championship. The Mexican driver, who competes under the colours of the Red Bull Junior Team, finished fifth in Monaco in his very first appearance both at the circuit and in the category. Rivera then proved in Barcelona that his Monaco performance was no coincidence, taking seventh place in Sunday’s feature race and moving up to eleventh in the standings despite the disadvantage of having contested one fewer event than his rivals.
In the Teams’ Championship, Campos Racing leads the way with 126 points to its name. The Red Bull Ring is traditionally one of the most challenging weekends of the season. At 4.326 kilometres in length, it is the shortest circuit on the calendar, features the fewest corners with just ten, and produces the shortest lap times. The consequence is that the margins are incredibly small, with just a few tenths of a second often making the difference between several positions on the grid. The first sector climbs steadily uphill, while the second sector drops sharply downhill before drivers reach the more technical final sector.
Free practice will take place on Friday at 09:55, with qualifying scheduled for 15:00 later that afternoon. The Sprint Race is due to start on Saturday at 10:05, while Sunday’s Feature Race will get underway at 09:40. All times are CET.
Adrián Campos (Team Principal of Campos Racing): "We arrive at the Red Bull Ring leading both championships and that is a reflection of the excellent work our drivers and the entire team have been doing since the beginning of the season. Ugo and Théophile have shown they can be extremely competitive at every type of circuit, while Ernesto has done a fantastic job adapting to the category despite joining the championship later than his rivals. We know the Red Bull Ring is one of the most demanding venues for teams because the margins are usually extremely small and every detail matters. Our objective is to continue working with the same approach that has brought us to this position, maximise the potential of our three cars and keep scoring valuable points for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships."
