Formula 3 at the Red Bull Ring: where future F1 drivers learn

Every Formula 1 weekend in Europe has a supporting cast, and Formula 3 is one of its most interesting parts. In July 2022 the FIA Formula 3 Championship raced at the Red Bull Ring alongside the Austrian Grand Prix. Photos from the sprint race are in the F3 Austria gallery, taken from the fans' grandstands.

The ladder to F1

The road to Formula 1 usually runs through junior categories. Formula 3 is the step before Formula 2, which is the last step before F1. The cars are identical for every team, so results depend on drivers and engineers rather than budgets, and the field is full of young drivers backed by F1 teams' academies.

Two races, one weekend

F3 runs a shorter sprint race on Saturday and a longer feature race on Sunday. At the Red Bull Ring in 2022, the sprint went to Jak Crawford of Prema Racing, with Caio Collet second and Franco Colapinto third. Isack Hadjar of Hitech won the feature race the next day.

Names to remember

Looking back at that podium is a good illustration of what F3 is for. Franco Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut in 2024, and Isack Hadjar followed in 2025. Watching F3 is a chance to see drivers before most fans know their names.

Close racing

With identical cars and around thirty drivers, F3 races are often closer and more chaotic than F1. The Red Bull Ring, with its short lap and heavy braking zones, suits that kind of racing: there is always a chance to make a move into turns three and four.

See the F3 photos, plus Formula 1 and the Porsche Supercup from the same weekend.