Van Amersfoort Racing Celebrates Historic 1-2 Finish after Outstanding Weekend in Spain
The final race weekend of the European triple-header in Spain turned out to be a very successful one for the Van Amersfoort Racing team. With three podium finishes in F3 and the first podium of the season for the F2 team, the team looks back on the past three weeks with satisfaction.
Following the practice session, the weekend got underway with F3 qualifying. All three drivers quickly found a good rhythm and consistently placed themselves within the top ten. This form continued throughout the session, which ran smoothly without any red flags or safety car interruptions. Théophile Naël qualified in P4, Santiago Ramos in P5, and Ivan Domingues in P7 — strong results that set the drivers up for a promising weekend.
Later that Friday, F2 qualifying took place. Both drivers headed out early in the session to secure a clean lap. After ten minutes, Rafael Villagómez was sitting in P7, with John Bennett close behind in P8. In the final minutes, however, Rafael made a small mistake and ran off track, ultimately qualifying P22. John also faced challenges on the hot and demanding Barcelona circuit, finishing the session in P21.
Early on Saturday morning, it was time for the F3 Sprint Race. With the reversed grid in play, our drivers started a little further back, but everything was still up for grabs. The opening lap was filled with chaos and crashes, but Ivan skillfully avoided the trouble and impressively took the lead. Santiago and Théophile also made the most of the situation, moving up to P4 and P7 respectively. All three drivers showed strong pace and confidence on track. Santiago and Théophile executed some bold overtakes, while Ivan held firm at the front. This resulted in the team’s first-ever 1-2 finish in F3, with Ivan claiming his maiden F3 victory and Santiago securing second place. Théophile crossed the line in P5, adding more valuable points, completing a standout race day with all three drivers finishing in the top five.
With Rafael and John starting from the back, the F2 Sprint Race was always going to be a challenge for the team. Unfortunately, John was forced to retire in the opening laps due to an issue. Rafael, meanwhile, stayed patient and overtook a few cars as the race unfolded. When a safety car was deployed following a crash, the team made a bold strategic call to bring Rafael in for fresh soft tyres — a call that paid off brilliantly. Taking full advantage of the new tyres and showcasing his talent, the Mexican driver stormed through the field to claim an impressive P3 finish. It marked the team’s first F2 podium of the season and Rafael’s first podium in the series.
In the F3 Feature Race, the team looked to build on its earlier success from the weekend. With our drivers starting at the front of the grid, podiums and valuable points were within reach. Unfortunately, Santiago was forced to retire early after unfortunate contact. Théophile had a strong start and quickly moved into P3, staying close to the race leader. Ivan once again showed impressive speed, finishing in P6 and scoring points for the second time this season. After the safety car restart, Théophile made a decisive move on Laurens van Hoepen to claim P2, securing another podium for the team.
For the final race of the weekend, it was the F2 team’s turn for the Feature Race. Starting once again from the back of the grid, this outing proved to be more challenging. Rafael encountered an issue that forced him to retire early, while John sustained front wing damage in an early-race incident, making it tough for him to fight competitively. The British driver ultimately crossed the line in P18.
With multiple wins and podiums across both series, the team reflects on this European triple-header with great satisfaction. Now, it’s time to regroup and shift our focus to the next challenge — a double-header. The first event of this back-to-back race weekend will take place in Spielberg, Austria, from June 27–29.
Ivan Domingues - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Good weekend for myself and the team. Managed to get away with a win and some decent points and can't wait to get back to it in the Red Bull Ring".
Santiago Ramos - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Quite happy with the results overall for the team in the weekend. Good points, not the Feature Race we expected, but we move forward to the Red Bull Ring and try to score as many points as we can, and try to take the streak of points for the team also in the Red Bull Ring."
Théophile Naël - Formula 3 driver, Van Amersfoort Racing:
"Strong weekend for the whole team!! We struggled the past weeks but we came back strong for this weekend with a P2 in Feature Race and P5 in the sprint one. Very encouraging for the second part of the season".