Theophile Nael delivered a commanding performance to win the Formula 3 Sprint Race in Madrid, Spain, on Saturday (22/3/2026). The Campos driver led from start to finish, crossing the line 8.9 seconds ahead of Prema's James Wharton, with Wharton's teammate Alex Powell completing the podium in third.
The race was intense from the start. Wharton, who started from pole, was initially passed by Nael, but briefly regained the lead before being deemed to have cut the corner and was forced to hand the position back to Nael. From then on, the Frenchman was untouchable and steadily pulled away.
Further back, the battle for positions was fierce. Ugo Ugochukwu, who started ninth, had to settle for eighth, but the result was enough to close the gap to championship leader Freddie Slater, who finished 18th. The gap between the two is now just 12 points with two races remaining.
The race also saw an incident. Enzo Deligny (Trident) received a 10-second penalty for cutting the corner and gaining an advantage. The penalty dropped him from seventh to outside the points, promoting Ugochukwu to eighth.
Despite limited overtaking, the Sprint Race was a showcase for Nael's dominance. He finished well clear of Wharton and Powell. For Powell, it was his first podium in Formula 3, following his debut at Monza last weekend.
With this result, the title fight intensifies. Slater still leads the standings, but Ugochukwu is closing in. The Feature Race takes place later today, and it's an opportunity for rivals to turn the tables. Will Slater bounce back, or will Ugochukwu apply more pressure? We'll find out on track.
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Theophile Nael dominated the first-ever F3 race at Madring, but minimal overtaking raises concerns for the F1 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
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