The F3 Feature Race at Silverstone produced one of the biggest post-race twists of the 2026 season. What initially looked like a maiden victory for Matteo De Palo gradually unravelled through a series of steward decisions and hours later a technical disqualification.
Ernesto Rivera was first to lose his podium after receiving a five-second penalty for weaving, before post-race scrutineering found De Palo’s TRIDENT did not comply with the FIA Formula 3 Technical Regulations.
The changes ultimately promoted ART Grand Prix’s Maciej Gładysz to his maiden F3 victory, with Freddie Slater inheriting second and championship leader Ugo Ugochukwu completing the podium.
Rivera penalty reshuffles the podium
The first post-race change came after Ernesto Rivera received a five-second time penalty for weaving after the bridge between Turns 14 and 15 during the F3 Feature Race at Silverstone.
The FIA Race Director had reminded drivers before the race that weaving was prohibited in that section of the circuit. After reviewing video evidence and hearing from both the driver and the team, the Stewards concluded the rule had been breached. Therefore, applying the standard five-second penalty.
The sanction dropped the Campos Racing driver off the podium after what had initially been an impressive recovery drive.
Rivera had fought back after dropping to seventh during the opening laps as he managed his tyres through the first half of the race.
“I struggled a lot with the tyres,” he explained afterwards. “Mid-race onwards, I started to pick up the pace a little bit. I saw I had some more tyres than the others.”
That recovery allowed him to fight for second during the dramatic final-lap restart, describing the closing stages as “so fun” with “the adrenaline… so high.”
However, the post-race penalty ultimately denied him the podium finish from the F3 Feature Race at Silverstone
James Wharton and Alessandro Giusti also received five-second penalties for the same infringement. While Nandhuvad Bhirombhakdi was penalised for exceeding track limits on five occasions.
De Palo delivers breakthrough drive
Before the post-race drama unfolded, Silverstone had looked like the weekend where everything finally came together for Matteo De Palo.
Having shown encouraging pace throughout the weekend, the Italian converted momentum into a superb Feature Race drive. A strong launch immediately moved him into contention. However it were decisive overtakes on Louis Sharp, Théophile Naël, and then Slater that put him into the lead during the opening stages.
Speaking before his disqualification was confirmed, De Palo admitted he knew early on that he had the pace to fight for victory.
“I did a really good start. I got P4 after three corners,” he explained. “I saw really soon that my pace was there.”
Once in clean air, his focus quickly shifted from attacking to managing rapidly degrading front tyres.
“It was quite unexpected, the degradation in the front,” he said. “My team told me, ‘Everyone is in the same condition, so keep focused on your job.’”
The race remained anything but straightforward.
Slater fought back to briefly retake the lead before De Palo reclaimed the position. Yet the late Safety Car erased his advantage and set up a one-lap sprint to the finish.
Despite multiple lock-ups and immense pressure into the final corners, De Palo crossed the line first. Italian immediately celebrated what appeared to be his maiden Formula 3 victory.
“It feels amazing,” he reflected afterwards. “It hasn’t been a really easy start of the season for us. We had a lot of issues that didn’t allow us to show our potential and our pace. Here in Silverstone everything went… normal.”
Unfortunately for the TRIDENT driver, the celebrations would not last as several hours later the results changed again.
FIA technical inspection changes the result
Following post-race scrutineering, FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer reported that De Palo’s car did not comply with Article 3.4.1 of the 2026 FIA Formula 3 Technical Regulations regarding the minimum diffuser height.
The diffuser measured 3mm below the minimum height on the right-hand side and 1mm below on the left. After reviewing the findings, the Stewards concluded the car was in breach of the regulations and disqualified De Palo from the race.
That decision promoted Maciej Gładysz from second to victory. Handing the ART Grand Prix driver both his maiden Formula 3 podium and maiden Formula 3 win.
Ironically, speaking before the revised classification, Gładysz admitted he did not even realise he had initially finished on the podium.
“I didn’t expect to be on the podium today,” he said. “After the race, I didn’t know I was on the podium, so I drove to another pit lane.”
By the end of the day, that unexpected podium had become his first F3 victory.
Championship battle heads to Spa
The revised result strengthens Ugo Ugochukwu’s position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. As another podium finish, Ugo now has a total of 104 points, while Slater also adds valuable points by inheriting second place.
For Gładysz, Silverstone becomes a landmark weekend. With what initially appeared to be a maiden podium ultimately turning into his first F3 victory.
For De Palo, meanwhile, it was a heartbreaking end to what had been his strongest weekend of the season. After finally demonstrating the pace that both he and TRIDENT believed they had throughout the opening rounds, the Italian leaves Silverstone without a result after his car was found to be outside the technical regulations.
Attention now turns to Spa-Francorchamps on 17-19 July, where the championship battle resumes after one of the most dramatic post-race conclusions of the 2026 Formula 3 season. Heading to Belgium, De Palo and Rivera will aim to replicate their results, hopefully without any post-race surprises.
Feature Image Courtesy F3