Formula 3 Monza preview: Split Qualifying and new DRS Zone add intrigue to title fight

Slater and Ugochukwu arrive separated by eight points

The 2026 FIA Formula 3 Championship fight moves to Monza this weekend for its penultimate round, with Freddie Slater leading Ugo Ugochukwu by just eight points. Neither driver can secure the title in Italy, with the season finale in Madrid set to feature two Feature Races, but both will be focused on building momentum before the decisive final round.

Ugochukwu arrives with encouragement from the recent Madring test, where he was fastest overall across the two-day event. Both title contenders topped two sessions apiece, suggesting the balance of the fight remains finely poised. The previous Madring test will therefore provide an important reference point as attention turns to Monza.

Split qualifying puts track position under pressure

Qualifying will be divided into Group A and Group B, as it was at Monte Carlo earlier this season. The 30-car field will be split into two groups of 15 according to odd and even numbers, with the running order decided by a random draw before Friday’s session.

Monza’s many straight-line sections will make the slipstream valuable on flying laps, but the reduced number of cars on track will not eliminate the fight for the best track position. The key question is whether pole position will carry the importance traditionally associated with it.

Pole has not delivered a Monza Feature Race win

Since the first FIA F3 race at Monza in 2019, no polesitter has converted first place on the grid into Feature Race victory. Fourth is the most successful starting position, producing three winners.

Leonardo Fornaroli’s second-place finish at Monza in 2024 is the best result recorded by a polesitter. Brad Benavides, who finished fourth in 2025, and Liam Lawson, who finished seventh in 2020, are the only other polesitters to score points in the Feature Race at the circuit. The record underlines that a front-row start is useful, but hardly decisive, around Monza.

New DRS zone expands the overtaking options

An additional DRS zone has been introduced between Turns 10 and 11. The run toward the final corner and Parabolica will now offer another opportunity to attack into the right-hand sweep.

Fornaroli demonstrated the potential for a decisive move there when a final-lap overtake at the last corner secured his 2024 Championship crown. The new zone could encourage more drivers to shape a pass before the final turn, while the DRS zone on the main straight provides an immediate chance to respond into Turn 1.

Title contenders seek momentum, not coronation

Monza has hosted major F3 title drama, including Victor Martins’ 2022 triumph and Fornaroli’s late 2024 pass. This time, no champion will be crowned in Italy. Campos and TRIDENT have both won the Monza Feature Race recently, with Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak winning for Campos last year and Sami Meguetounif taking 2024 honours for TRIDENT.

For Slater and Ugochukwu, the objective is clear: leave Monza with the strongest possible result and carry that advantage into the Madrid decider.