Motorsport TechnologyIn the first of a series of exclusive columns during the 2026 season, we welcome aboard French-Chinese FIA Formula 3 Championship driver Enzo Deligny.
MT: Welcome Enzo! For those of our readers who may not know much about you, tell us how you first got into motorsport and your path to the FIA Formula 3 Championship?
ED: Thanks so much. Happy to be aboard! Well, my father was an amateur race car driver in China in Polo Cup, and I obviously went to see him and fell in love with it.
He started a bit late but always had a passion for the sport too. So he got me hooked early.
I guess it’s the natural progression, isn’t it? With Go-Karts. Most kids do it. For me, it started right outside the Shanghai Circuit on the Karting track.
I did Karting from five years old to 15 years of age. Then I did one year in Spanish F4, two years in Formula F3 Regional Europe and then I’m now in F3 International.
MT: Motorsport is obviously a super tough and competitive career for people to get into. You need a lot of luck, funding and family support. Tell us about that family support. You come from a French Chinese background, don’t you?
ED: Yes of course it’s hard to get the funding but we try to do our best. I’m very grateful for both my parents, they try to gather budget for this year and next year which definitely isn’t easy.
But with other sponsors we hopefully try to find enough.
It’s well documented that it’s an expensive sport and you need talent, funding and fortune. Hopefully it will play out. I take absolutely nothing for granted and am extremely grateful.
My background is mother is Chinese, my dad is French. So yes, half and half. Like Alex Albon who is Anglo-Thai.
MT: Talk to us about your big inspirations and heroes growing up. Are there and drivers you particularly look up to or aspire to be like? Are you a motorsport history buff?
ED: My inspirations? Definitely Max Verstappen. He has really revolutionised a lot of things and I like how he does it and goes about racing. He doesn’t beat about the bush and just pushes to the limit.
A lot of us young drivers, we grew up with the SIM, I think he did as well. So he drove a lot on that and was a very quick driver on the SIM before transferring. So he kind of brings some of that SIM stuff world to real life Formula One.
It’s nice to see that, and every generation gets better and better because of that.
Especially this one [generation] coming up, because we all grew up driving the SIM at home so it’s quite an advantage to drivers 20 years ago.
MT: A silly question, but surely F1 is the ultimate goal? Or are there other series you would consider, such as Formula E?
ED: Not a silly question. Of course F1 is my ultimate goal. Technically it’s the peak of racing. I think every driver wants to race in F1. But there are other series I love, of course. Once a racer, always a racer. I’m happy to be driving anywhere. Now, I’m just focused on climbing the career ladder.
MT: Let’s get down to current business! The opening round in Melbourne was a good race for you, finishing in sixth. How was the race from your perspective?
ED: Yes, thanks. It was a very good weekend overall. Melbourne was definitely a good start. A good first weekend in F3. Second and sixth.
The Sprint race was very calm unfortunately no DRS. If there was DRS it definitely would have helped me out.
For Bruno it was perfect, didn’t change anything for him. For me it definitely would have helped to get a pass. But a podium was still good.
The feature race was chaos on the outside but on my side I kept it clean which is what I wanted to do and just see where my pace was and let the opportunities come to me.
In the end it was P6 from P11, I think, so it was very good even after Saturday to get more points. A good weekend and hopefully we can continue like that.
MT: There are some particularly mega circuits on the calendar, with Monaco next, Barcelona, A1-Ring, Silverstone, Spa, Budapest Monza. They are ALL mega! Any favourites? Have you driven them all?
ED: No actually I haven’t driven them all so this is truly an exciting season coming up. I haven’t driven Monaco yet but driven everything else apart from Madrid obviously.
But I would say my favourites are Melbourne, I really like Silverstone and Budapest as well. Really flowing tracks where you have high speed corners which are really nice.
MT: Who do you view as your major competitors this season?
ED: I would say the Campos and Trident drivers who are the two best teams at the minute, although we are first in the championship. But historically they are the best, so their drivers will probably have the best package available.
MT: Thanks so much Enzo and good luck in Monaco. We look forward to talking to you after then.
ED: Thanks Motorsport Technology, I appreciate the support. See you again for another column after Monaco and catch up soon!
Fraser Masefield