Round 9 Post-Sprint Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 3: Hello and welcome to today's FIA Formula 3 Press Conference following the Sprint Race in Madrid. Joining us today in third place, Alex Powell for PREMA Racing. In second place, also for PREMA Racing, James Wharton. And in first place, winner of the Sprint Race, Théophile Naël for Campos Racing. First of all, starting with you Théophile, congratulations. That was your third win of the 2026 season and you looked to be in full control after taking P1. How happy are you with that race and your performance today?

Théophile Naël: Yeah, extremely happy to be the first winner in Madrid. Obviously, it has been a really good race for me and a really good start. Then it was about managing the tyres. There is no degradation on the tyres, but just some overheating on the front-left. I still managed to set my fastest lap in the final two laps, so I am extremely happy. It means that I managed the tyres quite well and I think it is a good indication for tonight's race.

FIA Formula 3: You mentioned the fact that you were flying and you set the fastest lap of the race several times. You looked to be enjoying your time out there in Madrid, and you are now the first-ever Formula 3 race winner at this track. How does that feel, and what are your general feelings about this layout?

Naël: I was a bit disappointed about my qualifying yesterday, but obviously to bounce back like that today is such an incredible feeling. It is a home race for the team as well. We are close to becoming Teams' Champions, so these are some good points for them and also for me, maybe to fight for third place this weekend. I am very happy. The pace was really good, so I am looking forward to both races tonight and tomorrow morning.

FIA Formula 3: Like you said, unfortunately the points gap means there are now only very slim hopes for the Formula 3 title, but a top-three finish is still possible. This is the end of your second season in Formula 3. You came into it to win it, but how does a top-three finish sound?

Naël: It is not where I wanted to be, to be honest, but I think still being in the top three could be something very positive for the future as well. The pace has been there throughout the whole season. There have been some disappointing race weekends from my side, but overall I am extremely happy. Three pole positions in a row at the beginning of the season was spot on. Then we had some issues in some races and some penalties that I could have avoided. But I would still be extremely happy if I can be in the top three at the end of the weekend.

FIA Formula 3: Your team, Campos Racing, could be crowned Teams' Champions this evening after the Feature Race. That must bring a lot of satisfaction as well.

Naël: Yeah, let's see. It can be done tonight, so hopefully we do our best. I will do the best I can to grab some points, whether it is one or two. It could be done tonight, so I would be extremely happy for them.

FIA Formula 3: Congratulations on a great race today and best of luck for the Feature Races coming up. James, moving on to you, congratulations as well. Your second podium of 2026. You will have been hoping for one place better today in the Sprint Race, but talk us through your race this morning.

James Wharton: To be honest, it is a bit bittersweet because we were starting from pole in the first race here in Madrid, and to get that win would have been quite special. But at the same time, if you had asked me at the start of the weekend whether I would take a podium in the Sprint Race, I would have taken it. I need to be happy with the work we are doing. At the end of the day, it has not been the season that we hoped for as a team or that I hoped for as a driver. It is hard seeing people you have competed against your whole life doing well and fighting for championships, so getting these podiums when they come is very important. Apart from the start, which was not amazing, although it was not super bad, it put me on the back foot. But when you finish second on a track like this with no mistakes after the start, I have to be happy with that. You have to take those positives during a tough season.

FIA Formula 3: Turn 5 might be the best overtaking spot around the circuit. You did not quite make it stick there, but how tough is that part of the track for completing a pass?

Wharton: To be honest, it probably would have been the first overtake in Madrid ever if I had done that. It did not quite pay off, and it is obviously not easy when you are the first person to arrive there on the first lap. At the same time, I feel the races will get more and more chaotic as the season comes to an end and people are really trying to do the best they can. Starting from P12 in the Feature Race this afternoon is the next chance to get some points, so I will be the one trying to make some moves.

FIA Formula 3: Formula 3 is the first championship to race in Madrid. Was that something you had in mind starting from pole position? We did not really know what to expect because this was the first race, so was that going through your mind?

Wharton: To be honest, I really wanted to get that first win around this track. It would have been something I could take away from 2026. I did not quite get the job done, but we felt tyre degradation was going to be a big issue. We thought there would be some, but it was not as clear as we expected, so maybe I could have pushed a little more at the start of the race. The lack of knowledge was quite tough. Normally, we go into a race really understanding what happened in previous years, but today we did not have that, so we were learning during the race itself. As you saw with Théophile, he kept getting faster. At the same time, we have to take the podium today. That is all we could have done.

FIA Formula 3: Will the Feature Race be easier with the data you collected, or perhaps more difficult because of the physical challenge of having to race again?

Wharton: It is obviously going to be a very different race. Starting P12 and starting P1 make for very different races. If you ask any driver, starting in that part of the grid is always more difficult. You have to be a little more careful with the people around you. But I feel there are opportunities to be had in this Feature Race at 6 p.m., when everyone has been awake since 6 a.m. Hopefully, everyone is a little more tired and some more mistakes happen, which is what we can capitalise on today.

FIA Formula 3: We will leave it there for now. Congratulations. Alex, thank you for waiting. Your first FIA Formula 3 podium, with P3 in the Sprint Race, in only your second round in the Championship. How satisfied are you with that result today?

Alex Powell: Of course, it is super cool to be on the podium. It was unexpected. Obviously, it was very last-minute to join for the final two rounds, but we have been pretty competitive since the start of the weekend, from Free Practice. We had pretty good potential and yesterday qualifying was executed pretty well. Today it was just about staying out of trouble and learning about tyre management, which is quite new for me as well. Then it was about staying clean and making it to the end of the race.

FIA Formula 3: Monza, the last race weekend, was your first round in Formula 3. We come here to Madrid, where the Formula 3 test took place a few weeks ago. Did this weekend feel a little easier because you knew the track and how the car would behave?

Powell: For sure. I think it is helpful for me, seeing as it is new for everyone. Monza was definitely a baptism of fire. It was a weekend of firsts, so it was about learning as much as possible. This weekend, I knew there was probably going to be a bit more opportunity. I am glad we capitalised on it in the Sprint Race, but of course we have two more races to look forward to and we will try to extract a little more.

FIA Formula 3: Looking at how the Sprint Race went this morning, what are your hopes for the Feature Race, and how do you think it will unfold for you starting from P11?

Powell: I think it is going to be an interesting one. Of course, we have the information from the Sprint Race, which can help us, but at the end of the day overtaking is quite tricky around here. It is just going to be about capitalising on other people's mistakes and looking forward, trying to make every opportunity count. We will see where we end up.

FIA Formula 3: Let's see. Thank you very much.