Tag: DAMS Lucas Oil

  • F2 – RND 11 – Day 2 & 3

    Sprint Race-

    Miyata had a great start and took the lead before Turn 1 ahead of Fittipaldi. Noel Leon held on to P3 ahead of van Hoepen who, alongside Gabriele Mini and Mari Boya, started on the soft tyres, while the rest chose Hards.

    There were plenty of battles, as Rafael Camara overtook Dino Beganovic for seventh at Turn 5 while Alexander Dunne dived to the inside of Roman Bilinski for P8 at Turn 8.

    The Safety Car was called upon at the end of the lap. Kush Maini and Nico Varrone had contact at Turn 7 which sent the Van Amersfoort Racing driver spinning into the barrier.

    Elsewhere, Sebastian Montoya and John Bennett collided at the opening corner. Both drivers came back into the pitlane, and while the former continued on, the latter retired with damage.

    Racing resumed on Lap 5 of 23, with Dunne looking to make a move. The Rodin Motorsport driver went to the outside of Camara at Turn 5, but his Invicta Racing rival held on.

    The Irishman tried the same move on the next lap but again found the door shut.

    Further ahead, van Hoepen was keen to make his tyre advantage count, and the Trident driver dived to the inside of Leon at Turn 13 but could not make it stick.

    Van Hoepen then dived to the inside of Leon at the Turn 5 chicane on Lap 9. The Campos driver reclaimed the position at Turn 8, but having gone off track, he was told to give the place back to the Trident a couple of laps later.

    Leon was struggling and his teammate Tsolov tried to take advantage with a move past at Turn 1 on Lap 13. He held him off, but their fighting was bringing Martinius Stenshorne, Camara, Dunne and Boya into the mix.

    Fittipaldi had closed to within 1.1s of Miyata, but van Hoepen was almost half a second quicker, as he set the fastest lap of the race.

    Tsolov, having been on the radio calling for Campos to let him go and catch van Hoepen, tried a move at Turn 5. But as he went off the track to get ahead, the Bulgarian gave Leon back the place.

    Unfortunately for the Red Bull Junior, his day was over a few corners later. A slight brush with the wall at Turn 20 spun him into a stoppage, bringing out the Safety Car.

    With Tsolov’s car cleared, Miyata led the field to green on Lap 18, with van Hoepen immediately putting Fittipaldi under pressure.

    The Hitech driver was in good form, having pulled out of a 1.3s lead and set the fastest lap of the race.

    Van Hoepen had DRS and was within 0.3s of Fittipaldi on Lap 20, but the Brazilian was doing well to hold on to P2.
    Miyata however was in a league of his own, driving away from the rest to win by 2.6s – giving Hitech their first victory since the 2025 Baku Sprint Race.

    Feature Race-

    It was a great start from pole for Beganovic, while Dunne retained P2 ahead of Rafael Camara, despite locking up into Turn 1.

    Behind them, Nikola Tsolov, who was the lead driver to start on the hard tyre, was sitting in fifth but coming under pressure from Roman Bilinski.

    The Safety Car was signalled with Kush Maini in the barrier at Turn 8 after a collision with Cian Shields. The AIX Racing driver was given a 10 second time penalty for his part in the incident.

    Racing resumed on Lap 7 with Trident bringing Laurens van Hoepen into the pitlane from P8. Mari Boya and Van Amersfoort Racing duo Nico Varrone and Rafael Villagomez also came in for their mandatory stop.

    Noel Leon then got past Bilinski for P6 at Turn 1, while Gabriele Mini dived to the inside of teammate Oliver Goethe for ninth at Turn 13.

    The Italian attempted the same move on Miyata on Lap 10 but ran too deep, allowing the Hitech driver to retain eighth.

    At the end of the next lap, Leon was the first of the front runners to come into the pitlane. He put on the hard tyre and lost out to Boya, who was flying on the softs, at the exit.
    The Mexican driver then went side-by-side with John Bennett through La Monumental but kept the position.

    Stenshorne and Tsolov were in from P4 and P5 on Lap 14, and while the Rodin driver stayed ahead, the Bulgarian lost out to Boya, although he was able to fire up his soft tyres to overcut Camara.

    Oliver Goethe was next to pit from P8 and came out right in front of Boya and Tsolov, just as they were fighting for position. As they went three-wide into Turn 5, the Campos driver ran off track, but as he filtered out, he lost the place to Camara.

    Boya then made his way past the MP driver at La Monumental, with Camara now sizing up a move on Goethe.
    The two went side-by-side through Turn 1 at the start of Lap 18 but Goethe wound up in the barrier at the exit of Turn 2. This brought out the Safety Car while Camara was give a 10 second time penalty.

    At the same time, Bennett pulled over to the side of the road with an issue with the marshals also having to clear his Trident.

    This stoppage allowed the drivers who had not pitted to come in for their mandatory stop, all gaining an advantage and making up the top six positions ahead of Stenshorne.

    Racing resumed on Lap 22 of 32 as Beganovic started to pull away from Dunne. Mini made a move past Stenshorne for seventh, once again at his favoured Turn 15.

    Camara was keen to get a move on and went past Boya with the help of DRS into Turn 5, while Tsolov followed him through on the next lap.

    The race was now running to time and with just under seven minutes, Dunne brought the gap to Beganovic down to one second, but the Swede responded with the fastest lap to extend the lead to 2.2s.

    Further behind them, Fittipaldi was holding on to P4 as Duerksen put him under pressure. The Paraguayan tried a move at Turn 15, but the AIX driver held on.

    Tsolov then lost P10 to Bilinski, with the DAMS driver using the DRS to get ahead into Turn 5. Duerksen’s pressure on Fittipaldi finally told with Invicta making a neat move on the brakes into Turn 13.

    Tsolov’s day was going from bad to worse as he lost more places to Boya, Leon, van Hoepen and Montoya all overtaking him on the penultimate lap.

    But out in front, Beganovic was in supreme form, winning for the first time this season. Dunne was second ahead of Miyata.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/DdOWxs5lO7Z/?stkn=ODc1MmZmemV3MXh5

  • F2 – RND 11 – Day 1

    Practice-

    Campos Racing’s Nikola Tsolov made a strong start to his Madrid weekend by topping the timesheets in Free Practice.

    The Championship leader set the pace with a 1:47.059 to lead Van Amersfoort Racing duo Nico Varrone and Rafael Villagomez.

    Tsolov was the early pacesetter on 1:50.065, but he soon found himself in P2 with Invicta Racing’s Joshua Duerksen going quickest by over six-tenths.

    Kush Maini then took over at the top with a 1:49.120, but soon after his ART Grand Prix teammate Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak found the barrier at the exit of Turn 19.

    The Thai driver was out of the car and ok. With the track cleared, running resumed with over six minutes to go after the session was extended.

    Alexander Dunne went to P1 on a 1:48.286 with Dino Beganovic following him across the line to go P2.
    The DAMS Lucas Oil driver was just 0.033s off the leading time.

    Moments later, Tsolov returned to the top with a 1:48.245, before improving to a 1:47.059 on his next lap, with Nico Varrone 0.110s behind.

    Maini briefly went quickest at the chequered flag but lost his time for exceeding track limits, just as Laurens van Hoepen found the barrier at Turn 13, bringing out the yellow flags at the session’s end.

    Tsolov finished in P1 ahead of VAR duo of Varrone and Rafael Villagomez.

    Qualifying-

    Dino Beganovic was in superb form to earn the Aramco Pole Position Award, his first since the opening round of the 2026 campaign.

    The DAMS Lucas Oil driver was a consistent presence at the top of the times, delivering a 1:44.331 to take the first ever FIA Formula 2 pole in Madrid. He beat Alexander Dunne and Rafael Camara to top spot.

    On the first set of push laps, ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini suffered a spin ahead of Turn 15 and hit the wall to bring out the Red Flags.

    In a separate incident, Sebastian Montoya tagged the barriers in his PREMA Racing car to sustain suspension damage. Maini was out of his car and OK while the Colombian recovered to pit lane entry.

    The session resumed with 23 minutes remaining, and everyone eager to record a banker lap.

    Nikola Tsolov was the early pacesetter, going quickest on a 1:46.328 for Campos Racing, with Dunne P2 for Rodin Motorsport, 0.002s down on the leading effort.

    The second Red Flag arrived as Nico Varrone found the barrier at Turn 18 in the Van Amersfoort Racing. He was out of the car and OK, but everyone else returned to the pit lane while his car was recovered.

    Running resumed with 18 minutes left on the clock and once again, there was a rush to get another lap in.

    Dunne took top spot by almost a full second as the track continued to improve. Trident’s Laurens van Hoepen went up to P2 nearly eight tenths off top spot.

    Beganovic then delivered a 1:45.182 to secure P1 by 0.2s over Dunne, with teammate Roman Bilinski going third fastest with little over 11 minutes remaining.

    The Swede found another chunk of time with eight minutes to go, setting a 1:44.578 to extend his advantage to eight-tenths of a second over his closest challenger in Dunne.

    A third Red Flag arrived with just over five minutes remaining, with John Bennett in the barriers. The Trident driver was OK, but his car needed clearing from Turn 11.

    Running resumed once more with 05:28 on the clock and time for one last run.
    Personal best sectors were flying in, and Dunne pipped Beganovic to take top spot briefly until the Swede finished his latest lap, lowering the time to be a 1:44.331.

    Despite a big oversteer moment at the final corner, Invicta Racing’s Camara jumped up to third having been outside the top 10 prior to crossing the line.

  • DAMS completes F3 grid

    DAMS Lucas Oil have signed Gerrard Xie for the 2026 season, completing the team’s line up and the FIA Formula 3 grid for the upcoming year.

    Xie, who competed in his maiden season in the Championship last year, joins Nicola Lacorte and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi at the French team.

    The Chinese driver claimed the 2022 Chinese F4 title before moving through to GB3 and eventually FIA F3 in 2025.

    Xie said he was happy to be at DAMS for his second season in F3 and excited to begin working with the team.

    Joining DAMS Lucas Oil for 2026 is a great opportunity for me. DAMS Lucas Oil is a highly respected team with a strong history in single-seaters. I’m looking forward to working closely with everyone and giving my very best throughout the season.
    Xie on the news.

    We are very happy to welcome Gerrard Xie to DAMS Lucas Oil for 2026. We are confident that our environment and our approach will enable us to support him effectively in developing the potential he showed last season, in the same category.
    Charles Pic, DAMS Team Owner.

  • DAMS Lucas Oil confirm Lacorte for 2026

    Nicola Lacorte will be returning to FIA Formula 3 with DAMS Lucas Oil in 2026 the team has confirmed.

    Lacorte took part in his rookie campaign in 2025, building up experience with the team he will carry on with next year.

    In 2024, he took part in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship and finished 10th, with one win and two podiums.

    Before that in 2023, the Italian driver took part in both Euro 4 Championship and Italian F4 Championship with PREMA and finishing 9th in both. He has also been apart of the Alpine Academy since 2023.

    It’s an honour to continue with DAMS Lucas Oil. The 2025 season has taught me a great deal, about discipline, consistency and managing unpredictable race situations. My goal for 2026 is clear: build on this experience, improve at every race and target strong results.
    Lacorte on the news.

    Nicola’s continuation reflects our ambition to invest long-term in young driver development. His analytical abilities and constant dedication throughout the 2025 season, even in difficult circumstances, demonstrated that he possesses the qualities required to progress within a highly professional environment.
    Charles Pic, Team Principal.

  • Bilinski steps up to Formula 2

    DAMS Lucas Oil have confirmed the signing of Roman Bilinski for the 2026 Formula 2 season – completing their lineup for next year following the announcement of Dino Beganovic.

    Bilinski steps up to F2 after a strong season in Formula 3 during which he achieved one victory in the Monza Sprint Race, as well as an additional two podiums, finishing 11th in the Standings.

    Prior to that, the Polish driver won the 2024 Formula Regional Oceania Championship with 12 podiums, which included six victories.

    Bilinski will now be graduating to F2 next year with DAMS in 2026, and at the announcement expressed his delight at the chance to step up with the French team.

    Joining such a historic team as DAMS Lucas Oil is a real honour. Formula 2 is an incredible challenge, and I’m ready to give everything to represent the team at the highest level. I’ve learned a lot over the past few years and can’t wait to turn that experience into results on track. I’d like to thank DAMS Lucas Oil for giving me this opportunity and for their trust.
    Bilinski on the news.

    Roman brings a very balanced profile, quick, smart, and consistent. His success in Oceania confirmed both his potential and his professional approach. He joins DAMS Lucas Oil with great energy and a strong desire to progress. We’re looking forward to supporting him as he takes this important step in his career.
    DAMS Lucas Oil Team Owner, Charles Pic.

  • DAMS confirm driver for 2026

    Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi will be racing for DAMS Lucas Oil in the 2026 Formula 3 season, the team confirmed.

    The Thai driver graduating from karting in 2022 and achieved his first podium in single seaters in the next season on his debut in the Formula 4 CEZ Championship.

    Since then, Bhirombhakdi has competed in two seasons of the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine, achieving several points finishes in 2025.

    The 19 year old has spent the last few weeks taking part in the post-season tests in Jerez, Barcelona and Imola with DAMS and at the announcement talked about how happy he was to be joining the French team.

    I’m really excited to be joining DAMS Lucas Oil for the FIA F3 next year. I want to thank the team for giving me this opportunity and can’t wait to get started.
    Bhirombhakdi on the news.

    We are very pleased to welcome Jem to the DAMS Lucas Oil family. He’s shown great potential and a strong work ethic for his age. We look forward to supporting his progression as he takes on the challenges of FIA Formula 3 next season.
    Charles Pic, DAMS Lucas Oil Team Principal.

  • Beganovic moves to DAMS for 2026

    DAMS Lucas Oil have announced their first driver signing of the 2026 season, with Dino Beganovic set to race for the team next year.

    Beganovic is in the midst of his first full campaign in Formula 2 and is currently eighth in the Drivers’ Standings with one victory and pole position, as well as four podiums in total.

    Prior to that, the Swede competed in the final two rounds of the 2024 F2 season with DAMS, achieving a third-place finish in the Yas Marina Sprint Race.

    The Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy member also achieved nine podiums, which included two wins during his two seasons in Formula 3.

    Beganovic also won the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine after finishing third in the 2020 Italian F4 season.

    I’m extremely happy to return to DAMS Lucas Oil for another season in Formula 2. I felt an instant connection with the team last year — both on a professional and human level — and we showed great potential together, including a podium in Abu Dhabi. I’m grateful for the trust they’ve placed in me, and for the continued support from the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. The goal now is to build on the progress we’ve made and fight consistently at the front.
    Beganovic on the news.

    We were impressed by Dino’s maturity and professionalism during his first outings with us. His work ethic, technical understanding and consistency perfectly match the values of our team. We’re thrilled to welcome him back for this next step in his career, and we’re confident we can achieve great things together.
    Charles Pic, DAMS Lucas Oil Team Owner.

  • DAMS finalise 2025 line-up

    DAMS Lucas Oil have confirmed that Christian Ho will race for the team in the 2025 Formula 3 season, completing their lineup for the upcoming campaign.

    He joins the team from the Eurocup-3 2024 season in which he achieved five victories with nine podiums in just 16 races.

    Prior to that, the 18 year old finished second in the 2023 edition of the Spanish F4 Championship, scoring 13 podiums which included five wins.

    Ho will now step up to F3 with DAMS, meaning he is their third confirmed driver after Matias Zagazeta and Nicola Lacorte. Ho is set to be the first Singaporean driver in Formula 3 history.

    I’m proud to be the first F3 driver from Singapore, it feels amazing to join DAMS Lucas Oil and I’m raring to go. I’ve had a strong season Eurocup-3, and I’m aiming to carry this form into 2025. My target is to be competitive in the Championship, which is one of the toughest in the world, so I’ll work with the team to deliver the best possible results.
    Ho on the news.

    We’re delighted to have signed Christian, his pace during the test days was impressive and he has a great racing CV. It’s amazing for him to be the first driver from his nation to compete in F3. We’re pleased to now have our 2025 line-up confirmed and we’ll continue working hard to be in good shape when we arrive in Melbourne.
    Charles Pic, DAMS Lucas Oil Team Owner.

  • Maini switches to DAMS

    DAMS Lucas Oil have confirmed that Kush Maini will be driving for them in the 2025 Formula 2 season, completing their lineup for next having already announced the retention of Jak Crawford.

    Maini will be returning for a third season of F2 after achieving six podiums across his first two campaigns including a victory in the 2024 Budapest Sprint Race.

    Prior to Formula 2, he competed in Formula 3 in 2022, where he finished 14th overall. Not only this but he became reserve driver for Mahindra Racing in Formula E for Season 10 where he also took part in the Berlin rookie test too.

    I’m thrilled to be joining a team with such a strong pedigree and history in Formula 2 like DAMS Lucas Oil. I feel like my story in this championship isn’t completed yet, and I know that this is the right crew to help me further my career. I’ve taken pole positions and won races, so now it’s all about consistently delivering over the course of a campaign. I can’t wait to get started this week with post-season testing alongside Jak, and to form an experienced team as we look to battle for the championship in 2025.
    Maini on the news.

    We’re pleased to confirm Kush for next year as he’s a talented driver who has shown excellent raw speed throughout his time in the series. We know that together with our experienced team we can find the correct balance and ensure Kush has a consistent level of performance. We believe with Jak and Kush that we have a very strong partnership, which can help us to consistently fight at the front of the grid in 2025.
    Charles Pic, Team Owner.

  • DAMS Lucas Oil confirm Beganovic for rest of season

    DAMS Lucas Oil have confirmed that Dino Beganovic will replace Juan Manuel Correa for the final two rounds of the 2024 Formula 2 season.

    Beganovic steps up to the second tier fresh from a Formula 3 campaign in which he fought for the Championship until the final round, finishing the season in sixth in the Standings, with two victories and an additional two podiums.

    Prior to F3, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy prospect won the 2022 Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine after also enjoying a trophy-laden karting career.

    Beganovic will now graduate to F2 with DAMS, replacing Correa in Lusail for Round 12 and at the season finale in Yas Marina.

    I can’t wait to make my Formula 2 debut with DAMS Lucas Oil, who has so much history as well as tremendous drive to achieve great results. This feels like the natural next step in my career, and I’m ready for the challenge in an extremely competitive championship. My aim for these two races is to learn as much as possible and to be scoring points in my first F2 action in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
    Beganovic on the news.

    We’re excited to take on a talent like Dino for the remainder of the season. It’s a step up from Formula 3 and a very competitive championship, but we’re confident that with the help of the team Dino can be competitive in these final two rounds. He has an excellent racing CV, and we believe he has what it takes to fight for strong points. I would also like to thank JM for his efforts this season, it was a pleasure to work with him and we wish him all the best for the future.
    DAMS Lucas Oil Team Owner, Charles Pic.

  • Nicola Lacorte joins DAMS for 2025

    DAMS Lucas Oil has confirmed their second driver for the 2025 FIA Formula 3 season with Nicola Lacorte joining the team.

    The Alpine Academy driver joins the French team for what will be his rookie campaign after competing in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine in 2024.

    Lacorte also raced in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship this season, where he secured a race victory and podium finish.

    Prior to that, the 17 year old raced in the Euro 4 and Italian F4 Championships. He is the second confirmed driver at DAMS after Matias Zagazeta’s signing was announced.

    Speaking about joining DAMS, Lacorte said that he was looking to take what he’d learned in FRECA and apply it to F3 next year.

    I’m delighted to sign for DAMS Lucas Oil for next season, considering their great history in Formula 2. I’ve learnt a lot from my experiences of 30 car grids in FRECA this year, which will be important with a similar size field in F3. My goal for the campaign is to maximise my performance and look to score points whenever possible.
    Lacorte on the news.

    It’s great to have Nicola on board for 2025 following the tests in Jerez and Barcelona earlier this month. We’re looking forward to seeing him develop throughout the campaign. With the team’s proven methods in other series, we’re aiming to help one another to achieve great results.
    Charles Pic, DAMS Team Owner.