Van Amersfoort Racing on Top in the Land Down Under
Last weekend, the team headed to Australia for the first round of the FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3 seasons. In a rather successful weekend full of challenging weather conditions, Van Amersfoort Racing ended up on the podium twice.
The weekend kicked off with track action on the morning of Friday, March 14. After the one and only practice session, it was time for the first Formula 3 qualifying of the season. Théophile Naël put in an incredible lap, securing P3. Santiago Ramos qualified close to the top ten in P12, while Ivan gained valuable experience in his first F3 qualifying session, finishing in P27.
Later in the day, qualifying for the Formula 2 Championship followed. Unfortunately, the session did not go as planned for either of our drivers. The track proved to be challenging after limited track time due to red flags, with Rafael Villagómez qualifying in P18 and John Bennett in P20.
In contrast to the first day, Saturday, March 15, was extremely hot, with temperatures rising to 34 degrees. In the morning, it was time for the F3 sprint race. Santiago started from pole position due to the reversed grid. The Mexican driver delivered an outstanding performance, winning the first sprint race of the season and becoming the first Mexican driver to win a race in Formula 3.
Théophile drove a solid race, scoring valuable points for the team in his first F3 race by crossing the line in P7. Ivan did his best, recovering several places and finishing in P20.
The F2 sprint race followed later that Saturday. Both Rafael and John managed to gain positions and gain experience for future races. Rafael finished in P13, just missing out on points, while John crossed the line in P18.
The weather took a dramatic turn on Sunday, March 16, with heavy rain falling throughout the day. The F3 feature race was able to take place early in the morning but was cut short after 18 laps. In a race filled with rain and safety cars, Théophile managed to hold onto third place, securing his first podium in F3—marking the team’s second podium finish of the weekend.
Santiago, after his outstanding sprint race, unfortunately lost some positions and finished in P16. Meanwhile, Ivan once again made clean progress, finishing in P19.
Due to worsening weather conditions, the F2 feature race was cancelled, and no points were awarded.
With two podium finishes and a solid points haul, it was a good first F2 and F3 weekend in the team’s fiftieth anniversary year. The team now heads to Bahrain for the second test of the season. From March 26-28, both the F2 and the F3 team will conduct another three-day test following the initial test in Barcelona and the first races in Australia. The next race on the calendar is also in Bahrain, taking place from April 11-13.
Théophile Naël - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Very good first weekend, leaving Melbourne with a trophy and many of points in the bag. We worked hard with the team and it payed off. Now it’s time to focus on Bahrain test, try to improve the car and to be even more ready for the next round."
Santiago Ramos - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Quite happy with the results during the weekend. It was a solid start for the team. We showed that we had a great pace, especially during the races. Hopefully after the test in Bahrain, we are able to recover more information, and use it for the second round weekend in Bahrain. Hopefully we can score more points for the team."
Ivan Domingues - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Difficult first weekend in the F3, still good experience and many things learned for the next events."
Rafael Villagómez - Formula 2 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Not the start we all wanted , technical issues on Friday and not having a race on Sunday it’s not ideal but that’s racing. Looking forward to 3 days of testing in Bahrain."
John Bennett - Formula 2 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Tricky weekend with car issues outside of our control, and the cancelled feature race. But it was still great to be back in the car and looking forward to Bahrain!"