We are now only a few weeks out from the Formula 3 season opener in Melbourne. And after encouraging results across 3 days of testing in Barcelona, the AIX drivers are feeling confident about their 2026 season.
After a couple of years in and out of Formula 3 racing, Brad Benavides returned to F3 in the last few rounds of 2025. Picking up pole positions in Monza and Spa, Benavides is heading into 2026 as the most experienced driver in the lineup. With very impressive results in pre-season testing, he is hoping to use this momentum to guide his teammates and, together, bring more consistent points finishes for the team.
“It would be more than a dream if I could continue that string of good form from last year into this year. And given the postseason tests last year and preseason now, we’re looking quite all right.” – Brad Benavides
With a good run of form in the first two rounds and the last two rounds of 2025, the UAE-based team will be hoping for a more consistent season. AIX claimed 52 points last year, and the drivers seem ready to beat that score in 2026.
“After the preseason testing, we’re feeling more ready than ever…Just having those laps on the simulator, doing the hard work within these next few weeks to prepare. And then setting a good tone in Melbourne.” – Yevan David
“To be honest, I feel like we just finished the preseason testing, and I think it was very positive. We were able to test various different scenarios, which I think is very important in F3” – Fernando Barrichello
For many teams, the drivers are put together at the beginning of the season. Only knowing each other as rivals. But for AIX, Yevan, Brad, and Fernando have been working together for years. In a way, this gives them a slight advantage over the other teams. The drivers are confident that their teamwork will allow them to grow together and improve as the season progresses.
“We’ve been driving together for so long, sometimes they share some information, and I’m like, wow, okay, so we’re actually gonna like be helping each other … I think that the environment that the team has built for us to work has been very good, and we’ve been like actually able to really help each other” – Fernando Barrichello on the team environment heading into the 2026 season.
From what we have seen from the team so far, it looks like they are confident and ready for the season to begin. But AIX will be hoping their testing results and team camaraderie hold true once the chaos of the Formula 3 season gets underway in Melbourne.
Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Limited