Defending the Crown: Campos Racing Season Preview

Reigning Champions Campos Racing enter the new campaign with raised expectations following their title success in 2025.

The Spanish outfit have enlisted a brand-new line-up as they look to retain their crown this year, with Ugo Ugochukwu and Théophile Nael returning for a second year in FIA Formula 3. They will be joined by rookie Ernesto Rivera.

Let’s take a look at how Campos might fare in 2026 as they enter the season as the team to beat and the target on their back.

Ambitions of going back-to-back

2025’s title success will raise expectations going into the new season, but Campos Racing have never looked stronger in F3.

The team enjoyed an early win last season in Round 2 and the Sprint Race of Sakhir, but it was a particularly impressive middle-phase of the campaign that laid the groundwork for their Teams’ title.

Between that Bahrain win and the final victory of the season in the Monza Feature Race, there were just six F3 podiums that did not feature a Campos driver, a span of 17 races.

For this season, getting up and running as early as possible will alleviate some of the pressure internally and place that on their rivals as they look to keep pace.

Excitement in the garage

The team’s new line-up promises a great deal, with both Ugochukwu and Nael achieving podiums in their rookie seasons last time around, and Rivera entering F3 fresh from a top five finish in the Eurocup-3 series.

The former enjoyed a late-season turnaround in form after a tough start to life in Formula 3. The American secured five top 10 finishes in the final eight races, including two P2 finishes in the Spa and Budapest Sprint Races.

His upturn in form bodes well as he joins the Champion team in 2026 for another attempt on the F3 Drivers’ title. Ahead of the new F3 season, he is racing in the Formula Regional Oceania Trophy and after two wins in the opening two rounds, he leads the way in that series.

Teammate Nael has enjoyed his own stellar end to 2025, victorious around Macau in a thrilling race, beating many of his 2026 F3 rivals. He too achieved two runner-up finishes in 2025 and another P3 in his maiden Feature Race back in Melbourne.

Finishing eighth overall in the Championship, Nael is one of the highest-ranked returning driver from last season and carries a great deal of expectation to take another step forward that his recent results have suggested he’s more than capable of.

Finally, rookie Rivera has been impressing in the junior formula on his way up the rankings to Formula 3. Last year, the Mexican raced with Campos in the Eurocup-3 series and earned three race wins and another four podiums en route to P4 in the Standings.

He also impressed in the post-season tests in F3 machinery last year, building up plenty of experience at the wheel of a new car and achieving eye-catching times whilst doing so. It will be exciting to see what he and Campos can achieve together this season.