Mexico City – Mexico has a new young name to watch in international motorsport. Seventeen-year-old Ernesto Rivera earned his first FIA Formula 3 victory on Saturday with a composed drive in the Spielberg Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The Mexican rookie, racing for Campos Racing and supported by the Red Bull Junior Team, converted a front-row start into a landmark win in one of the most competitive feeder categories on the road to Formula 1.
Rivera did not simply inherit the result. He started from second on the grid and spent the early part of the race pressuring Australian driver James Wharton, who had started from pole. After staying close through the first half of the race, Rivera made the decisive move later in the 21-lap sprint and held on to take the checkered flag.
For a rookie driver in FIA Formula 3, that kind of victory matters. Sprint races are shorter, aggressive, and often unpredictable, especially at a circuit like the Red Bull Ring, where slipstreaming, tire management, track limits, and race restarts can quickly change the order. Rivera’s win showed speed, but also patience and control, two qualities that matter as much as raw pace in the junior ranks.
The result also carried symbolic weight. The win came at Red Bull’s home circuit in Austria, in front of the broader Red Bull racing structure, while Rivera continues to develop as part of the company’s junior driver program. For any young driver hoping to climb toward Formula 2 and eventually Formula 1, performances like this are the ones that get noticed.
Rivera was born in Mexico City in 2008 and is still in the early stages of his single-seater career. Before reaching FIA Formula 3, he built his reputation in karting, including strong results in the United States, and later moved into European junior categories. Red Bull added him to its junior program in 2024, and Campos Racing confirmed his move into FIA Formula 3 for the 2026 season.
His rise has been quick. Rivera finished fifth in the 2024 Spanish F4 Championship and fourth in the 2025 Eurocup-3 season before stepping into FIA Formula 3 with Campos. That progression places him on a demanding path, but also a familiar one for drivers hoping to reach the top levels of international racing.
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is one of the main stepping stones below Formula 2 and Formula 1. It runs on Formula 1 race weekends, giving young drivers exposure to high-pressure environments, international circuits, professional teams, and the attention of talent scouts. Success in F3 does not guarantee a future in Formula 1, but it is often where serious prospects begin to separate themselves.
For Mexican motorsport fans, Rivera’s victory comes at an interesting time. Sergio “Checo” Pérez helped build a broader Formula 1 fan base in Mexico over the past decade, and the country continues to look for its next generation of drivers. Rivera is still very young, and one win does not define a career, but Saturday’s result is the kind of performance that turns potential into momentum.
It also strengthens Campos Racing’s impressive 2026 campaign. The Spanish team has been highly competitive in the FIA Formula 3 field, and Rivera’s victory made him another Campos driver to stand on the top step this season.
For now, the takeaway is simple: Ernesto Rivera has taken his first major victory in FIA Formula 3, and he did it on one of the sport’s most visible junior stages.
Mexico’s next motorsport story may be only just beginning.
