Freddie Slater delivers first F3 pole as TRIDENT strikes at Silverstone
Freddie Slater produced the lap that mattered at Silverstone, claiming his maiden Aramco Pole Position Award in the Championship and giving TRIDENT its first pole of the 2026 season. In a qualifying session shaped by track limits, rapid late improvements and heavy pressure at the sharp end of the title fight, Slaterâs final effort of 1:45.620 proved decisive on home soil.
Slater converts pace into pole
Slater had already shown strong pace earlier in the weekend, and his qualifying performance built naturally on that momentum after TRIDENT led the way in Free Practice. For more on that opening statement, read our report on Freddie Slater setting the Silverstone Free Practice pace for TRIDENT.
Once the tyre preparation phase was complete, PREMA Racing initially controlled the timing screens with an early 1-2-3 headed by José Garfias. But the balance quickly shifted as the TRIDENT pair of Slater and Matteo de Palo moved into contention following a string of improvements across the field.
De Palo briefly held the benchmark with a 1:46.383 after Slater lost a lap for exceeding track limits at Copse. Ernesto Rivera sat just 0.096s adrift in second, underlining how compressed the order had become even before the final runs.
Track limits hit the title contenders
After a short spell in the pit lane, De Palo improved again to a 1:46.334, only for Rivera to edge ahead by 0.031s. Maciej Gladysz then lowered the target to 1:46.293, before Slater responded by just 0.061s to move into provisional P1.
The championship picture added another layer of tension. Ugo Ugochukwu and Theophile Nael both lost times for track limits breaches, leaving them near the back before their final attempts. Nael, who had been down in P29 ahead of the last run, responded superbly under pressure.
Final laps decide the front row
As the decisive laps unfolded, De Palo went purple in Sector 1, but Slater delivered a session-best middle sector. Nael crossed the line first to take provisional pole, only for Slater to complete a cleaner, faster lap and secure top spot.
Nael held second, while Louis Sharp took third for PREMA Racing. Rivera improved late to fourth, ahead of De Palo in fifth. Fionn McLaughlin achieved his best F3 qualifying result so far in sixth, followed by Noah Stromsted, Gladysz, James Wharton and Alessandro Giusti.
Yevan David placed 11th for AIX Racing, while Ugochukwu managed only 12th on his final attempt, making the reverse-grid positions by just 0.066s. That result gives the Championship leader reverse-grid pole for Saturdayâs Sprint Race, scheduled for 09:35 local time.
Simone Scanu
Il est ingénieur logiciel et passionné de Formule 1 et de sport automobile. Il a cofondé Formula Live Pulse afin de rendre les données télémétriques en direct et les informations sur les courses accessibles, visuelles et faciles à suivre.