Ernesto Rivera turned Spielberg’s reverse-grid Sprint into a Campos Racing statement by taking his first FIA Formula 3 victory at the Red Bull Ring.
The Mexican Red Bull Junior started second, shadowed reverse-grid polesitter James Wharton through the opening phase, then completed the decisive move with DRS into Turn 4 on lap 14. FIA Formula 3 confirmed Rivera had converted P2 on the grid into victory after a race shaped by an early Safety Car, a Virtual Safety Car and late podium volatility.
Campos Depth Becomes The Story
Pedro Clerot and Jin Nakamura both passed Wharton on the final lap to complete the podium, leaving the PREMA driver fourth after leading much of the race.
Rivera’s win matters beyond the trophy. F3 reported that all three Campos drivers have now won in 2026, while Ugo Ugochukwu extended his championship lead to 59 points, seven clear of team-mate Theophile Nael. Campos also moved to 137 points in the teams’ table, 36 ahead of Van Amersfoort Racing.
That makes the result more than a reverse-grid opportunist’s win. It puts a third Campos name on the top step and gives the Spanish squad another pressure point against its nearest title rival.
It sharpens Sunday’s Feature Race, where Hiyu Yamakoshi starts from pole after the Japanese driver’s Austrian junior-category qualifying breakthrough set the tone for a volatile Red Bull Ring weekend.
