PREVIEW: Round 2 and the challenge of Monte Carlo

This week sees the return of FIA Formula 3 action as the paddock heads to Monte Carlo for the second round of the 2026 season.

As is usually the case, the weekend promises thrills and spills, so here is everything you need to know ahead of the action.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Uniquely in Monte Carlo, on-track action begins on Thursday, with Free Practice kicking off the weekend at 13:25 local time.

Qualifying on Friday also brings a twist, with the drivers separated into two groups based on their car numbers. Group A will take to the track at 11:05 local time and are followed by Group B at 11:29.

The driver with the fastest overall time will go from pole, with the driver topping the opposite group going from P2. The grid is then aggregated together to fill out the remaining positions, swapping back and forth between the two segments.

Saturday brings our first race of the weekend, with lights out set for 10:45 local time. Sunday’s Feature Race is an early start, scheduled for 07:45 local time in the morning.

STAT PACK

• Bruno del Pino, Taito Kato and Enzo Deligny are the only drivers to have a 100% scoring record this season ahead of Round 2
• Van Amersfoort Racing lead the Championship for the first time since they entered FIA Formula 3 back in 2022
• With Nikola Tsolov converting pole position in 2025, there continues to be a 100% win-rate from pole in the F3 Feature Race around Monaco

FROM THE GRID – Théophile Nael, Campos Racing

“For the drivers, there’s only one word that can sum Monaco up: crazy! There are a lot of tricky sections and narrow parts of the track, it’s the most difficult track in the world.

“I’d say the best place to overtake is T1, or if the driver ahead makes a mistake, T3. Qualifying is definitely the hardest part of the weekend. You have to adapt quickly coming from a green track in Free Practice, it gets three-to-four seconds quicker, so adapting is the key.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 3 Technical Director

“The layout of Monte Carlo means top-end speed is not the priority this weekend, as teams will look to maximise downforce around what is the shortest lap on the F3 calendar.

“The heaviest braking zones around the lap are into Turns 1 and 10, and these two sections of track are likely the best places to overtake too.

“It will be interesting to see which teams can hit the ground running in Free Practice but there will be plenty of time to analyse the data, with the session taking place on Thursday before Friday’s Qualifying shootout.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The compound selected for the Monaco round is the Soft. The characteristics of the street circuit, combined with the low speeds, mean that tyre degradation has little impact; this allows drivers to push for the entire race distance and defend their position, despite overtaking being particularly difficult. The frequent neutralisations at this track also help to recover performance and offer an advantage to those who can switch the tyres on quickly at the restart. Cars will be split into two groups for qualifying, the most important session of the weekend in the Principality to secure, and then maintain, a strong track position in the race.