Matteo De Palo returns to MP Motorsport for 2027 F3 campaign

Matteo De Palo will remain with MP Motorsport for the 2027 FIA Formula 3 season, returning for a second campaign after finishing 24th in the Drivers’ Championship as a rookie.

The Italian’s strongest result in that first F3 season was fourth place in the Silverstone Sprint Race. He arrives with prior success in the Formula Regional European Championship, where he finished runner-up before 2025, recording four victories and 11 podiums.

De Palo targets a continuation of MP’s late-season form

De Palo said the team’s competitiveness in the second half of the 2026 season helped convince him to return. MP ended the year with a victory, and the driver hopes to contribute to maintaining that level next season.

He also pointed to the team’s engineering group, which he described as having an Italian character despite MP being a Dutch outfit. Its welcoming environment, he added, should help him settle in quickly.

The new deal gives De Palo another year to build on the experience gained in his rookie campaign. His F3 story has already included a first victory in the series, alongside the Silverstone Sprint result recorded in his first season.

MP expects experience to support its progress

Team principal Sander Dorsman welcomed De Palo to the squad, noting that MP had previously raced against him in Spanish F4 and the Formula Regional European Championship. Dorsman described him as a consistently tough competitor and said he expects the Italian to put his F3 experience to use as the team looks to continue its progress in the championship.

That familiarity gives MP a returning driver who already knows the team’s environment and arrives with experience from both F3 and the categories below it. De Palo’s task in 2027 will be to turn that foundation into stronger championship results, while MP aims to carry its late-season momentum into another campaign.

MP’s plans across the junior categories are also taking shape, including its 2027 Formula 2 signing.