FIA Formula 3 to hold official tests at MADRING in August, as the 2026 F3 season Finale expands with additional Feature Race

The FIA Formula 3 Championship will conduct a two-day in-season official test at the new venue MADRING on 24-25 August. F3 will also conclude its 2026 season with an expanded finale in Madrid, featuring an additional Qualifying session and a second Feature Race.

Taking place two weeks before the inaugural FORMULA 1 TAG HEUER GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2026 on 11-13 September, the F3 in-season test will provide an opportunity to validate the circuit’s sporting, operational and safety procedures under real track conditions.

In addition to this added test session, the FIA Formula 3 Championship confirm an expanded weekend format for the final round of the 2026 season, which will take place at the MADRING, in order to reach the number of Events planned originally for this year. The season finale at Madrid will include an additional Qualifying session and a second Feature Race.

The revised weekend schedule will consist of:

• Friday morning: one 45-minute Free Practice session
• Friday afternoon: two consecutive 20-minute Qualifying sessions.
• Saturday morning: Sprint Race, with the reverse-grid order determined by the results of the first Qualifying session.
• Saturday afternoon: First Feature Race, with the starting grid set by the results of the first Qualifying session.
• Sunday morning: Second and final Feature Race of the 2026 F3 season, with the grid determined by the results of the second Qualifying session.

Pole position in each Qualifying session will award 2 points, while both Feature Races will carry the standard points allocation, in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations.

Bruno Michel, FIA Formula 3 CEO said: “I’m very pleased to announce this F3 test session at the MADRING. It will be two very valuable days of testing for our teams and drivers to appraise this new challenge before the crucial final round of the 2026 season, which will be held at this new venue.

“This season will have a pretty unique conclusion with an enhanced finale, which will provide the teams and the drivers with an additional opportunity to score points, following the loss of the race weekend at Bahrain earlier this year.”

Luis García Abad, Director of the FORMULA 1 TAG HEUER GRAN PREMIO DE ESPAÑA 2026, said: “From the very beginning, we were clear that we wanted to arrive at the Grand Prix with a fully validated and tested circuit. In a completely new project such as MADRING, it was essential to check, under real competition conditions, that all elements related to safety, operations and the sporting delivery of the event would work exactly as we had planned.”

“From our very first conversations with Bruno Michel, we found Formula 3 to be completely willing to make these test days possible. Their collaboration has been outstanding and allows us to fulfil a dual objective: to carry out all the necessary checks before the Grand Prix makes its debut and, at the same time, to add major sporting appeal by incorporating an additional championship race whose outcome will be decided in Madrid.”