The battle for the FIA F3 titles will be decided at Madring

Almost six months after the current FIA Formula 3 campaign got underway in Melbourne, Madrid will bring the curtain down on an exciting season in which Campos Racing and its drivers are aiming for the very best at home. The Alzira-based outfit is looking to retain the Teams' Championship title it secured in 2025 and also has all three of its drivers, Ugo Ugochukwu, Ernesto Rivera and Théophile Naël, mathematically in contention for the Drivers' Championship with three races remaining.

Let us recap how the championship reaches Madring, the new venue for the Spanish Grand Prix and the circuit that takes over from Jarama, which hosted the Spanish Grand Prix until 1981 before the event moved first to Jerez and subsequently to Barcelona. In the Teams' Championship, Campos Racing has 277 points, giving it a 64-point advantage over its closest rival. With 150 points available this weekend, the title will mathematically go the way of Campos Racing if the team scores at least 87 points, regardless of what its rivals achieve. However, given the added challenge of a circuit making its debut on the calendar and its particular characteristics as a street venue, nothing can be taken for granted.

The situation is considerably tighter in the Drivers' Championship. As mentioned, all three Campos Racing drivers still have mathematical chances, although Ugochukwu is undoubtedly the main challenger to championship leader Freddie Slater. The American is second in the standings on 126 points, just 15 points off the lead, with 67 points still available. Ugochukwu won Sunday's race in Melbourne before taking victory in the Saturday Sprint Race at Silverstone. The American also has four further podium finishes to his name: runner-up results at the Red Bull Ring and Hungaroring, plus third places in Barcelona and Silverstone. In short, Ugochukwu will become champion if he scores 16 points more than Slater in Madrid.

As for Rivera and Naël, their mathematical chances are considerably more remote. Rivera, the Mexican member of the Red Bull Junior Team, is third on 76 points, just one point ahead of his French team-mate. Rivera, who missed the Australian round due to injury, has two wins to his name, in Spielberg and at Spa-Francorchamps. Interestingly, Naël has also taken two victories, in Barcelona and at the Hungaroring. Although their chances in the Drivers' Championship are slim, they complete the select group of four title contenders alongside Slater and Ugochukwu.

At the end of August, FIA Formula 3 held two days of testing at the new Madring circuit, providing the teams and drivers with their first opportunity to get to grips with its surface, with Ugochukwu setting the benchmark time across the combined results. Rivera and Naël were also among the frontrunners during the test and, since then, have been working with their engineers in the simulator to arrive at this final and decisive round as well prepared as possible.

Located in the IFEMA-Valdebebas area, Madring is 5.419 kilometres long. Despite the pre-event test, there are still unknowns regarding the exact levels of tyre degradation and wear, the evolution of the track surface and a host of other details that will only become clear over the course of the weekend. What is already evident is that its most iconic corner, La Monumental, places loads on the tyres comparable to those seen at Spa-Francorchamps, owing to its more than 500-metre length and over 20 degrees of banking. With 22 corners in total and the proximity of the walls that is characteristic of almost any street circuit, qualifying position will be one of the key areas of focus, particularly with two qualifying sessions scheduled.

The drivers will take to the track for Free Practice at 09:55. As previously reported, two qualifying sessions are scheduled for 18:25 and 18:55, determining the grids for the two Feature Races across the weekend. Saturday will see the Sprint Race take place at 11:05, while the first Feature Race will follow that afternoon at 18:00. The season will come to an end on Sunday with the second Feature Race, starting at 09:45. All times are local.

Adrián Campos (Team Principal of Campos Racing): “We arrive in Madrid facing the final and most important challenge of the season, and we are fully aware of everything that is at stake. The August test was positive and allowed us to start getting to know a new circuit for everyone, but now it is time to put all the work we have done since then into practice. On a street circuit where there are still many unknowns, it will be crucial to remain focused, avoid mistakes and make the most of every opportunity. Our three drivers have shown throughout the season that they have the speed and ability to fight for strong results, and the whole team has worked extremely hard to be ready for this final round. We have full confidence in them, but we also know that it will be a long and demanding weekend in which we will have to get everything right from the very beginning. We approach Madrid with ambition, but also with the utmost caution and respect for a circuit that will be new to everyone.”