Ernesto Rivera displayed dominance in the final laps of the F3 Feature Race to claim victory at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.
With the rest of the field suffering from tyre degradation, Rivera charged ahead to secure his second F3 victory. Hiyu Yamakoshji managed to outpace pole sitter Freddie Slater, who closed the gap to Championship rival Ugo Ugochuwku.
So far this Weekend
Formula 3 was back for the 2026 Belgium Grand Prix and it was Feddie Slater who claimed pole in a chaotic qualifying. The changeable condition in Spa ended the session early. Slater out qualifyied Tuukka Taponen and Hiyu Yamakoshji in second and third respectively.
In the Sprint Race, it was Jin Nakamura, who secured his maiden F3 victory. After a controlled race from Nakamura, it was a double podium for Rodin with Brando Badoer and Pedro Clarot claiming second and third.
Lights Out in Belgium
It was lights out on the F3 Feature Race and it was Tuukka Taponen who charged into the lead. The Ferrari Academy driver raced ahead of Hiyu Yamakoshji and Freddie Slater. However through the Kemmel Straight, Yamakoshji charged round the outside and into the lead.
After a stop on track for Yevan David, the Safety Car was brought out, neutralising all racing. Théophile Naël was brought into the pits with a broken front wing and a puncture. Further back, Matteo De Palo and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi both retired from the 15 lap race.
Free to Race
After three laps behind the Safety Car, the field was free to race again. Going into the main straight, Taponen got a brief jump on Yamakoshji, however was forced to give the place back. With six tenths departing the top three, there wasn’t any room for error as Slater began to pressure.
Badoer began to pressure Championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu for tenth, while he was closing in on Christian Ho for ninth. Ernesto Rivera began to close in on the lead from fourth, coming within four tenths of Slater as he and Taponene were noted for a racing incident.
Badoer was vocal over the radio, telling his Rodin teammate Ho to wake up, as Ugochukwu managed to pass for ninth. Slater managed to escape Rivera before passing Taponen and Tamakoshji in successive laps for the lead of the Feature Race. 18 points behind Ugochukwu, Slater was looking to claim maximum points and the lead of the Championship.
Sprint for the Flag
With just over a second separating the top four, each driver was determined to come out of Belgium on top. On Lap 9, Rivera passed Taponen for third, while the Yellow Flags made a brief appearance. One lap later and it was Rivera who was in second.
The Red Bull Junior driver was on the charge to secure his second F3 victory, following his victory in Austria. After a few laps behind Slater, Rivera made his move for the lead, diving down the inside before going over 1.2s clear. Off track, Fernando Barrichello was forced to retire, leaving only one AIX Racing car left on track.
While Slater dropped to second, Championship rival Ugochukwu dropped down to 14th and out of the points after a dip into the gravel. While still in the podium positions, Yamakoshji made his move around Slater for second as the Trident driver struggled with his tyres.
As more drivers began to struggle with their tyres, it was Enzo Deligny who gained the first penalty of the race, with five seconds for track limits. Heading into the final lap, Mattia Colnaghi began to pressure Slater for second, while Silverstone Feature Race victor, Maciej Gladysz was closing in at fifth.
Checkered Flag
As the checkered flag wove, it was Ernesto Rivera who secured another F3 victory ahead of Yamakoshji in second and Slater in third. Colnaghi and Gladysz were forced to settle for fourth and fifth respectively, while Taito Kato followed behind his ART teammate in sixth.
After a strong start to the race, Taponen finished in seventh ahead of yesterday’s victor Jin Nakamura in eighth. Alessandro Giusti and Badoer rounded out the top ten. While Ugochukwu, who finished outside of the points, retains the championship lead ahead of Slater by one point.
With only three rounds remaining in the 2026 F3 season, the Belgian Grand Prix proved crucial in the title fight. Formula 3 will return next weekend at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, where the drivers will fight it out for maximum points ahead of the summer break.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool