A good start to the season for the Audi Academy drivers

The start of the 2026 season is looking promising for the young prospects supported by Audi. They are respectively competing in Formula 3 and F1 Academy, Freddie Slater and Emma Felbermayr both made a strong impression during their first appearances of the year, immediately displaying a promising level of performance.

For Freddie Slater, the transition from Formula Regional European Championship—which he won in 2025—to Formula 3 was seamless. From qualifying in Melbourne, the Briton impressed with the third fastest time, less than a tenth of a second off pole position. Despite a disrupted sprint race, he remained solid, starting from tenth place—the top twelve being reversed for the first race of the weekend—and gained a position before the race was prematurely red-flagged. In the feature race, he quickly established himself at the front, battling for the lead with Ugo Ugochukwu until the final lap, ultimately unable to overtake the American driver.

Emma Felbermayr, for her part, made a perfect start to her second season in the F1 Academy in Shanghai. Qualifying third, she converted this strong start into concrete results. After a sprint race where she started sixth – the top eight being reversed – she climbed to third place and secured her first podium finish. For the feature race, she therefore started on the second row. Staying with the leading group, she took advantage of a safety car restart to seize the lead before winning convincingly. These two podium finishes put her at the top of the championship standings with 31 points.

"We look forward to seeing how they continue to progress."

"Freddie and Emma have both had a great start to the season.", emphasizes Allan McNish, head of Audi's development program. “Freddie brilliantly managed his first Formula 3 race, securing a podium finish, while Emma made real progress in her second year at the F1 Academy, with a resounding victory and a podium finish.” He also adds: “With a break in the calendar, this is the perfect opportunity to refocus on training and preparation to continue this momentum. Both drivers have shown speed, hard work, and dedication, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to progress in the next stages of their season.”

With these results, the two young drivers are already laying the foundations for an ambitious season. In championships renowned for their competitiveness, this successful start confirms the relevance of Audi's training program and suggests promising potential for the rest of the year. With the cancellation of the Middle Eastern rounds, Formula 3 will not resume racing until Monaco from June 4th to 7th, while the F1 Academy continues to support Formula 1 and now the... F2 in Montreal from May 22nd to 24th.

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