Australian rising star to make FIA® Formula 3 debut at the Australian Grand Prix weekend

Rising Australian motorsport talent and 2025 GB3 Vice Champion Patrick Heuzenroeder will make his FIA® Formula 3 debut in the opening round of the 2026 Formula 1 season at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Marking a major milestone in his racing career, Patrick will take to the streets of Albert Park in front of his home crowd. He will replace injured Ernesto Riviera, racing for 2025 Formula 3 Teams’ Champions, Campos Racing. The opportunity represents a significant step forward as he joins the highly competitive FIA® Formula 3 field.

It is fitting that Heuzenroeder, mentored by fellow Australian and former Formula 1 driver, David Brabham – who will also be in the paddock – will debut in Melbourne as the Grand Prix marks the 60th anniversary of Sir Jack Brabham’s 1966 Formula 1 World Championship, the only time a driver has won the title in a car of his own construction.

Heuzenroeder has built a reputation for strong race craft and precision through his performances in the junior categories. He is signed with Campos Racing for the 2026 Euro Cup 3 season and is currently competing in the Spanish Winter Championship ahead of his main Euro Cup 3 campaign, which begins in May.

The opportunity follows a breakthrough performance at the recent three day Formula 3 Official Test in Barcelona. Drafted in only a few days’ notice and stepping into FIA® F3 machinery for the first time, Heuzenroeder not only adapted quickly but demonstrated genuine front-running pace, finishing sixth overall on the final day and consistently running inside the top group. His ability to extract performance almost immediately in one of the most competitive junior categories bodes well for his debut on home soil in Melbourne next weekend.

“I’m incredibly excited and grateful for this opportunity to make my Formula 3debut at my home Grand Prix in Melbourne,” said Heuzenroeder. “To be ableto do this as one of the few Aussies to have been in this paddock is prettyspecial. I’m ready to take on the challenge, learn as much as possible and makethe most of this.”

The Melbourne event will mark the opening round of the FIA Formula 3season, providing Heuzenroeder with the opportunity to showcase his talent on one of motorsport’s biggest stages.

The Australian Grand Prix takes place from 6–8 March.

About Patrick Heuzenroeder

Patrick Heuzenroeder from Sydney, Australia, the 2025 GB3 Vice Champion, began his motorsport journey at 13 after a visit to Sydney Motorsport Park sparked his passion for racing. After three years in karting, he progressed to Formula Ford before moving at just 16 to the UK and British F4 to pursue a career in single-seater racing when his talent was recognised after reaching the final of the Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific trials held in Sepang, Malaysia.

In 2024, Heuzenroeder stepped up to the GB3 Championship, impressing as a rookie with podiums and consistent top five finishes. He built on this momentum in 2025, with race wins and multiple podiums, first finishing 4th in the Castrol Toyota Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand before returning to GB3, with a brand-new team, Xcel Motorsport, and car, to achieve the Vice Champion result.

For 2026, Heuzenroeder has signed with Campos Racing to compete inEurocup-3, one of Europe’s leading formula 3 championships, and a recognised pathway to FIA Formula 3 and Formula 1.

The Australian driver, who boasts a solid background in junior single-seater categories, is set to further extend his European experience in the top-level Eurocup-3 international championship with the Alzira-based outfit

GriffinCore Campos Racing is pleased to announce the signing of Patrick Heuzenroeder for its line-up in the 2026 Eurocup-3 season. The arrival of the Australian driver follows the recently announced addition of Thomas Strauven, further strengthening the team’s talent roster as it sets its sights on the most ambitious objectives for the upcoming campaign.

Born in Sydney, Heuzenroeder, following in the footsteps of many fellow Antipodean drivers, moved to the United Kingdom in 2023 to compete first in British Formula 4 and then, in 2024, in the GB3 Championship. Showing a clear upward trajectory, Heuzenroeder secured the GB3 Vice Champion spot in 2025 after claiming one victory and five podium finishes. This came on the back of a strong fourth-place finish in Formula Regional Oceania, a series in which he also took one win and three third-place results. Heuzenroeder is mentored by former F1 driver and Le Mans winner, David Brabham.

Heuzenroeder is now preparing to take on a continental championship in Europe at the wheel of a latest-generation, higher-performance single-seater, the Dallara 326-Toyota, which he will race on some of the finest circuits in Europe next year. The season will get underway at Le Castellet on 2–3 May, before heading to the Algarve on 6–7 June. The championship will then visit Italy twice, first at Imola on 4–5 July and later at Monza on 1–2 August. The venue for the fifth round, scheduled for 8–9 August, has yet to be confirmed. After the summer break, the series will resume at Silverstone on 12–13 September and continue at the Hungaroring on 24–25 October. The curtain will fall on the 2026 season at its traditional finale in Barcelona, over the weekend of 7–8 November.

Adrián Campos (Team Principal of Campos Racing): “I would like to welcome Patrick to GriffinCore Campos Racing. We will do everything we can to help him adapt to the team so that he can deliver his very best from the outset. He already has experience and success in several types of single-seaters and, although the Dallara 326-Toyota will be another new car for him, I am confident that his previous seasons provide him with a very interesting and valuable foundation for Eurocup-3.”

Patrick Heuzenroeder (GriffinCore Campos Racing driver in Eurocup-3): “2025 was a break-through season for me and it was rewarding to see the interest the top teams had in me for the coming year. Accepting the offer of a seat in GriffinCore Campos Racing was an easy decision. The Team’s performance has always been impressive, and their Teams’ Championship win in FIA Formula 3 just proved what they can do. The opportunity to develop and race the Dallara 326-Toyota is something I’m really looking forward to, and the Eurocup-3 Championship is proving itself as the series to race in if you want to prepare for FIA Formula 3. I’m raring to go and my goal is the Championship win for GriffinCore Campos Racing.”

Patrick Heuzenroeder crowned Vice Champion in thrilling GB3 Season Finale at Monza

Australian racing talent Patrick Heuzenroeder delivered in a dramatic final round of the 2025 GB3 Championship at the iconic Autodromo Nazionale Monza, securing the Vice Champion title after a weekend of intense competition, and high-stakes and high speed racing.

Heading into the season finale at the famous Temple of Speed, Heuzenroeder held a 33 point lead over 3rd placed competitor meaning it was all to play for on his first visit to the famous circuit at Monza having had his lead dramatically narrowed following two unfortunate DNFs in which he was an innocent victim in the prior two rounds.

After strong official practice performances on Friday, Heuzenroeder held provisional pole in Qualifying 1 until the final lap, narrowly missing out on pole position by only 0.003 seconds – an incredibly close margin across the 5km plus track. Qualifying 2 saw some traffic but another strong performance with P3, again only 0.002 seconds off P2 – a testament to his technical precision and pace around the high speed Monza track.

In Race 1, Heuzenroeder started from P2 and immediately began applying pressure on the race leader which he continued to apply throughout the race. But with passing being so difficult as the cars reached maximum speed on the long Monza straights, despite his fast pace, he could only cross the line in second place, extending his lead in the championship points to 38.

Sunday morning’s Race 2 proved more challenging. Starting from P3, Heuzenroeder’s hopes were yet again to take a hit, dashed on the opening lap after a yet another racing incident forced him into a third DNF in three rounds, intensifying the fight for the runner-up spot in the championship between three drivers heading into the final race, his lead reduced to a 14 point gap between 2nd and 4th in the Championship standings.

With everything on the line, the reverse-grid Race 3 set the stage for one of the most exciting drives of the season. Lining up P10, and with both championship contenders starting ahead of him, Heuzenroeder needed a P5 to be sure of securing Vice Champion for 2025. A less than ideal get away and some first corner action saw Heuzenroeder pushed wide and dropping briefly to P14 after just two laps, whilst his championship rivals each took their turn leading the race. Undeterred, Patrick launched a stunning comeback, carving his way through the field with impressive overtakes, particularly the high speed passes in the famous and daunting 2nd Lesmo and Ascari curves. Setting multiple fastest laps along the way, he made up an amazing 9 places, ultimately to cross the line in P5.

With his rivals only able to secure P2 and P3 respectively in the race, Heuzenroeder secured enough points to be officially crowned the 2025 GB3 Vice Champion – a remarkable achievement after a year of impressive consistency and hard work. The achievement is all the more impressive given his team, Xcel Motorsport, is a brand new team to the Championship, able to take it to Championship rivals who between them have won every GB3 Championship over the past 6 years, and securing a P3 in the Teams’ Championship fight.

“It was an absolutely rollercoaster weekend,” said Heuzenroeder. “Qualifying was insanely close, and Race 1 felt great to be fighting at the front with real pace and a solid drive for P2. Race 2 was really tough to take, but I knew I had to get back up and give everything in the final race. My drive back up to P5 following the difficult first laps in Race 3 is one of the most rewarding races of my career – I delivered under pressure and am very happy with that performance. Such huge thanks to my team, my mentor David Brabham, my family and everyone who’s supported me this season.”

Heuzenroeder ends the 2025 GB3 season with a win and 4 podiums to his name, demonstrating consistency and impressive race craft, and earning a reputation for being a fierce competitor – he is one to watch.tps://www.gb-3.net

About Patrick Heuzenroeder

Patrick is a 19-year-old Australian racing driver currently battling for the lead in the British GB3 Championship after finishing 4th in the 2025 Toyota Formula Regional Championship in New Zealand and competing in 2024 in the British formula 3 series, GB3. Patrick is mentored by ex-F1 driver and 3x winner of Le Mans 24 Hour, David, Brabham, son of Sir Jack Brabham 3x F1 World Champion.

Patrick embarked on his motorsport career at 13-years-old after a chance visit to Sydney’s Eastern Creek go-kart circuit ignited his passion for racing. After kart racing in Australia for the following three years, Patrick made the jump to cars and circuit racing, competing in the 2022 NSW Formula Ford Championship where he was third overall in the standings before departing for the UK after his skill was recognised by Ferrari when Patrick earned a top six finals place from 24 competitors in the 2022 Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific trials.

2023 brought a season in British Formula 4 where the highlight of multiple top ten finishes in a competitive field of more than 20 drivers was an impressive third place at the demanding Snetterton track in Norfolk. For 2024 he moved up a gear and into GB3, Britain’s top single seater series, where he once again established himself as a regular points scorer and top five finisher.

Most recently in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand Heuzenroeder has showed he can compete with the best from F2, F3, Indy Next and V8 Supercars, finishing in fourth place in the Championship with nine top 5 finishes and four podiums.

Some bold racing and some great overtaking at the Donington Park GP Circuit in Round 7 of the GB3 Championship saw Pat Heuzenroeder extend his 2nd place lead in the Championship over the weekend, but his chance of an overall Championship win evaporated with another reverse grid DNF when the victim of two other cars coming together!

Heuzenroeder once again demonstrated his racing instincts to continue his string of top echelon finishes, this time around finishing P4 in Race 1 and P4 in Race 2 (after starting in 8th position) and a DNF in Race 3, the reverse grid race which saw him starting in P9.

With some mixed and wild weather over the official practice day leading up to the race, and gale force winds during qualifying and Race 1, qualifying was a mixed bag, with a P4 for Qualifying 1, but only P8 in Qualifying 2 which saw a wet track, not to the liking of the set up of Heuzenroeder’s Tatuus machinery.

Race 1, which was dry, saw a great overtake on the fourth placed driver in the Championship, a solid haul of points., extending his lead on third placed drivers in the Championship by 8 points.
In Race 2, starting 8th Heuzenroeder executed a strong pass into turn 1 on lap 3 before setting off after the leaders, with a further impressive overtaking into the old hairpin, to gain 4th position, and then managing to hold off a DRS assisted chasing pack into a strong headwind down the main straight. With another P4 to his name after starting P8, Heuzenroeder gained a further 10 points over 3rd place.
Race 3, the reverse grid race, which sees the top 12 reversed, saw Heuzenroeder start P9 but two competing cars coming together in the old chicane saw one catapulted into the side of his car and a DNF. The second DNF in a reverse grid race through no fault of his own in two rounds!

Pat: “Another weekend of some good points, but very frustrating to again suffer the result of other driver’s actions which has let first place in the Championship fall out of my grasp. The whole team has worked incredibly hard and we never lost hope so that’s tough to take” said Pat. “Still to extend my 2nd place lead in the Championship is a good position to be in and I’m looking forward to Monza, which will be my first time racing at that legendary track.”

Next up in GB3 — the UK’s premier single-seater series — Round 8 at the legendary Monza Circuit, set for October 17-19.
About the GB3 Championship. For more information on the GB3 Championship, the UK’s leading single seater Championship: https://www.gb-3.net

About Patrick Heuzenroeder

Patrick is a 19-year-old Australian racing driver currently battling for the lead in the British GB3 Championship after finishing 4th in the 2025 Toyota Formula Regional Championship in New Zealand and competing in 2024 in the British formula 3 series, GB3. Patrick is mentored by ex-F1 driver and 3x winner of Le Mans 24 Hour, David, Brabham, son of Sir Jack Brabham 3x F1 World Champion.

Patrick embarked on his motorsport career at 13-years-old after a chance visit to Sydney’s Eastern Creek go-kart circuit ignited his passion for racing. After kart racing in Australia for the following three years, Patrick made the jump to cars and circuit racing, competing in the 2022 NSW Formula Ford Championship where he was third overall in the standings before departing for the UK after his skill was recognised by Ferrari when Patrick earned a top six finals place from 24 competitors in the 2022 Ferrari Driver Academy Asia Pacific trials.

2023 brought a season in British Formula 4 where the highlight of multiple top ten finishes in a competitive field of more than 20 drivers was an impressive third place at the demanding Snetterton track in Norfolk. For 2024 he moved up a gear and into GB3, Britain’s top single seater series, where he once again established himself as a regular points scorer and top five finisher.

Most recently in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship in New Zealand Heuzenroeder has showed he can compete with the best from F2, F3, Indy Next and V8 Supercars, finishing in fourth place in the Championship with nine top 5 finishes and four podiums.

Australian driver Pat Heuzenroeder delivered another consistent showing in Round 6 of the GB3 Championship, securing valuable points to retain second place in the championship standings with just two rounds remaining.

Qualifying saw Heuzenroeder demonstrate pace and consistency, taking P4 in both Q1 and Q2.

In Race 1, he converted his starting spot into a solid P4 finish, resisting pressure to bring home important points.

Race 2 once again tested his race craft, with Heuzenroeder showcasing sharp defensive skills to fend off challengers and hold P4 all the way to the chequered flag.

Starting P9 in the reverse grid Race 3, Heuzenroeder launched off the line with a superb getaway, climbing to P6 within the opening laps. Unfortunately, contact from behind forced his first DNF of the season, cutting short what promised to be another strong result.

Despite the setback, Heuzenroeder remains firmly second in the championship, a testament to his consistent front-running pace across the year and teamwork with the Xcel Motorsport team.

Speaking after the weekend, Heuzenroeder said:
“Overall, I’m happy with the points we scored. We showed good pace and defended strongly when it mattered. Race 3 was a disappointing finish, but that’s racing. The important thing is we’re still second in the championship, and I’m really motivated to finish the season strongly.”

With two rounds remaining, Heuzenroeder heads into the closing stages of the GB3 Championship in a commanding position, determined to continue his impressive campaign.

Next up in GB3 — the UK’s premier single-seater series — is Round 7 at the Donington GP Circuit, set for August 22–24.

An impressive 2nd place and another demonstration of his highly developed racing instincts saw Pat Heuzenroeder deliver another strong performance this weekend during Round 5 of the highly competitive GB3 Championship at the iconic Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

With every race this season finished inside the top 12 — and seven of those inside the top six — Heuzenroeder holds firm in second place in the overall Championship standings. His consistency, race intelligence, and ability to make the most of every opportunity have been key, as again displayed this weekend, helping new team Xcel Motorsport make its mark in its debut GB3 season.

Qualifying on Saturday set the tone for a strong weekend. Despite the very strong pace of the more established teams, Pat delivered when it mattered — taking P5 in Qualifying 1 and delivering a final under pressure lap in Qualifying 2 to secure P4 on the grid.

Race 1 saw Heuzenroeder start from P5. A clean getaway gave him the chance to showcase his defensive driving against cars in the field that simply had more pace and, in a race that demanded both resilience and precision, he held on to finish P6, earning valuable points in the process.

In Race 2 on Sunday morning, Pat took things up a notch. Demonstrating his trademark racecraft and composure in wheel-to-wheel battles, he climbed to an excellent second-place finish — his fourth podium of the season and a major boost for both his Championship hopes and for Xcel Motorsport.

Starting P9 in the reverse grid Race 3, Heuzenroeder made a fast start, charging up to P5 and looking well on course for another podium. Unfortunately, failure by another car to leave racing room on the famous Hamilton straight exit forced him onto the escape road, costing eleven positions. Undeterred, he launched a fightback, with a series of aggressive overtakes—including several double passes in single corners, reminiscent of his Spa Race 3 performance, to recover to P11 before a steering issue limited further progress, finishing P12.

“I’m really proud of the weekend’s performance,” said Pat. “The team has been working incredibly hard to take the fight to the established teams. This weekend we showed real improvement and there should be more to come. There’s a real fighting spirit in the garage, and I’m heading into the next rounds feeling confident and motivated.”

With three rounds remaining, Heuzenroeder currently sits second in the GB3 Championship standings, remaining firmly in the hunt for the title.

Next up in GB3 — the UK’s premier single-seater series — is Round 6 at the legendary Brands Hatch GP Circuit, set for August 22–24.