Ugo Ugochukwu finishes Madring test fastest for Campos Racing

Ugo Ugochukwu finished the Madring test with the quickest time of all, setting a 1:49.034 to lead the field on the second and final day of in-season testing.

The Campos Racing driver topped the times by two-tenths of a second in the morning segment, while in the afternoon, Championship rival and current points leader Freddie Slater was quickest for TRIDENT.

MORNING

The session began with everyone eager to get some qualifying running under their belts but an early Red Flag was thrown after a spin for Fernando Barrichello at Turn 8. The AIX Racing driver recovered to the pit lane without damage and the session quickly resumed.

Campos teammates Théophile Nael and Ernesto Rivera then took turns at the top of the timing screens, the latter setting the fastest time of the test up to that point with a 1:50.108.

Taito Kato beat that effort before the opening hour was complete, logging a 1:49.673, which was then shaded by Yevan David for AIX with a 1:49.561 before the second Red Flag of the day was shown, with the Sri Lankan driver stopped on track, though he was able to recover to the pit lane.

The action resumed but was then stopped just as quickly after Woohyun Shin found the barriers at Turn 5 in the Hitech.

After his car was recovered, the morning session resumed with just over an hour to go and the improvements began to flow.

Ugochukwu laid down the quickest time of the test with 45 minutes to go, 1:49.034 putting him half a second clear of the pack.

Further improvements from several drivers followed before a Red Flag with just over 20 minutes to go, this time after Hiyu Yamakoshi found the barriers at Turn 11 having just gone second quickest to the Campos.

There was one final green flag stint, but nobody could better Ugochukwu’s effort. Yamakoshi followed in second ahead of Enzo Deligny for Van Amersfoort Racing, with Rivera and MP Motorsport’s Tuukka Taponen completing the top five.

AFTERNOON

Ugochukwu headed back out with several others in the early minutes of the afternoon and the American set a 1:49.790 to lead the pack. But a Red Flag then arrived as Fionn McLaughlin found the barriers at Turn 14 in the Hitech.

He was OK and his car was cleared, and the session resumed with two and a half hours to go.

Race runs were the focus in comparison to the morning session, and while there were several personal bests, there was no real movement at the top of the times as mileage was accumulated.

The Red Flag came with an hour gone, as TRIDENT's Matteo De Palo stopped on track. His car was quickly recovered, and the session resumed with an hour and 45 minutes of the test remaining.

But another quickfire Red Flag arrived as Mattia Colnaghi lost his front wing at Turn 7. All cars returned to the pit lane and action resumed, though another Red Flag arrived once again shortly afterwards.

A spin for Nicola Lacorte at Turn 14 and slight contact with the barriers brought a stoppage to the session, but the DAMS Lucas Oil driver was able to recover to the pit lane.

Running got back underway and as the clock ticked into the final 45 minutes there was movement at the top. Slater displaced title rival Ugochukwu at the top of the timing pages with a 1:49.685, just before another Red Flag was waved.

This time it was Kanato Le of ART Grand Prix who caused the stoppage at Turn 7 after contact with the barriers.

The session resumed with 25 minutes to go but there was one final Red Flag as Fernando Barrichello found the barriers at Turn 3. He was OK but the session was not resumed, leaving Slater fastest in the afternoon from Ugochukwu and Nael.

David was fourth for AIX ahead of Rivera, who ensured all three Campos’ were inside the top five. Pedro Clerot was sixth for Rodin Motorsport ahead of Deligny, Brando Badoer, Noah Stromsted and De Palo of TRIDENT, who completed the top 10.

FIA Formula 3 returns to racing action at Monza on September 4-6 for the penultimate round of the 2026 campaign.

2026 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP – MADRID IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 2 – MORNING SESSION

2026 FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP – MADRID IN-SEASON TEST, DAY 2 – AFTERNOON SESSION