Key takeaways from Formula 3’s Hungaroring weekend
Slater and Ugochukwu turn the title fight
Round 7 in Budapest reshaped the Formula 3 championship and delivered a Feature Race worthy of the occasion. Freddie Slater and Ugo Ugochukwu arrived at the Hungaroring separated by a single point, with the championship lead at stake before the summer break.
Slater had the stronger start to the weekend, qualifying second while Ugochukwu lined up sixth. The American appeared to recover ground in the Sprint, climbing into the top five as Slater slipped to ninth. However, a five-second penalty and severe tyre degradation dropped Ugochukwu to 17th. Slater’s 10th-place finish left the pair level on points.
Sunday produced the decisive contest. Slater inherited the lead after Tuukka Taponen pitted with a puncture, while Ugochukwu climbed to second with a striking double overtake on Brando Badoer and Mattia Colnaghi. The rivals then spent the final half of the race locked together, but Slater repeatedly found enough pace and control to keep his challenger behind.
The result was Slater’s first Formula 3 victory and a championship lead heading into the final two rounds. Ugochukwu’s podium ended a run of three races without points, but it was also the first weekend this season in which he left behind in the Drivers’ Standings. The full report on Slater’s maiden victory captures the significance of that breakthrough.
MP Motorsport’s revival gathers momentum
MP Motorsport’s season had been difficult after five rounds, with the team holding 32 points. That total grew by 70 across Spa-Francorchamps and Budapest. Colnaghi’s four consecutive fourth-place finishes and Taponen’s first F3 pole position underlined a clear return to form.
Taponen could have challenged for victory without the puncture caused by his collision with Slater, while Alessandro Giusti also showed competitive pace. With Monza and Madrid still ahead—and an additional race in Madrid—MP has a genuine opportunity to extend its resurgence.
PREMA’s race pace remains its weapon
PREMA Racing endured a difficult qualifying session, with James Wharton 15th, Louis Sharp 19th and José Garfias 22nd. Its race execution told a different story: Wharton finished eighth in the Sprint, while Sharp and Garfias also made progress.
In the Feature Race, Wharton climbed to ninth, Sharp to 10th and Garfias to 13th. At a circuit where overtaking is difficult, that recovery reinforced PREMA’s view that its race pace is strong. The unresolved weakness remains qualifying performance, which the team will want to address before Monza and Madrid.
Yamakoshi earns a standout mention
Hiyu Yamakoshi’s Feature Race drive deserves particular recognition. After an issue in qualifying left him 30th—and a subsequent disqualification for a parc fermé breach—he faced an enormous task. Despite the limited full-racing laps created by Safety Car stoppages, the VAR driver climbed from last to 10th. It yielded only one point, but the recovery was one of Budapest’s most impressive performances.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.