Tuukka Taponen (MP Motorsport) led every lap of Feature Race 2 for his maiden F3 win, while Ugo Ugochukwu (Campos Racing) finished second to become the 2026 Drivers’ Champion — the first F3 champion from the United States.
How it was won
Taponen started from pole and held Ugochukwu through DRS range for most of the 19-lap finale. A late Safety Car set up a one-lap sprint; Taponen restarted cleanly and won by about 1.4s. Pedro Clerot (Rodin Motorsport) completed the podium.
Title rival Freddie Slater (TRIDENT) finished eighth after starting the day level on points with Ugochukwu. Final tally: Ugochukwu 159, Slater 145, Taponen 109, Taito Kato 105.
Results snapshot
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tuukka Taponen | MP Motorsport |
| 2 | Ugo Ugochukwu | Campos Racing |
| 3 | Pedro Clerot | Rodin Motorsport |
| 4 | Taito Kato | ART Grand Prix |
| 5 | Mattia Colnaghi | MP Motorsport |
| 6 | Alessandro Giusti | MP Motorsport |
| 7 | Enzo Deligny | Van Amersfoort Racing |
| 8 | Freddie Slater | TRIDENT |
| 9 | Ernesto Rivera | Campos Racing |
| 10 | Yevan David | AIX Racing |
Teams: Campos sealed the teams’ title on 334 points.
Purse
Not published for F3 race winners in sources reviewed; omitted. F3 noted prize money for top graduates to F2.
History & significance
Madrid closed the 2026 F3 season on F1’s new Spanish venue. Ugochukwu’s late-season charge overturned Slater; Taponen became the first Finnish F3 race winner in the modern championship era per series coverage.
What’s next
The 2026 F3 campaign is complete. Graduates move toward FIA Formula 2 in 2027.