Nicola Lacorte paid tribute to DAMS Lucas Oil after he and the team secured their first FIA F3 victory together in the 2026 Monza Feature Race.
The Italian enjoyed his strongest weekend of the season at his home round, qualifying third before recovering to ninth in the Sprint Race. He then produced a measured drive on Sunday, overcoming early position losses before moving back through the field and taking control at the front.
The victory also carried additional significance for Lacorte. The 19-year-old became the first Italian F3 driver to win at Monza, adding a historic home success to what had already become a breakthrough weekend for both driver and team.
Lacorte relishes historic 2026 F3 Monza victory
Lacorte had waited through more than a season of difficult weekends before finally standing on an F3 podium. Therefore, turning that first podium into victory at Monza made the breakthrough even more significant.
“It feels great, first podium actually for me, first win in a Feature Race, that feels amazing,” he said to Formula 3 after his win. “It’s a great result for the team as well, we’ve had a really tough couple of seasons, but it all paid off.
“What we’ve done so far is great and I will always wish this team the best. Of course, it’s great to win here as an Italian, I heard I’m the first one to do it, so it’s even more special and I feel like it’s just the first one of many.”
His result completed a weekend in which he consistently ran towards the front. Although he did not convert third on the grid into an immediate podium opportunity during the Sprint Race, Sunday gave him another chance and he made full use of it.
Early management proves crucial for Lacorte
The Feature Race did not begin perfectly for Lacorte. He lost positions during the opening stages, but rather than forcing his way back immediately, he focused on preserving his tyres and keeping himself in contention for the later laps.
That decision ultimately proved decisive as the race developed.
“I knew the race was going to be long,” said Lacorte. “I had a good launch from the grid, the guys did a really good job to fix the clutch from yesterday and it really helped us.
“The start itself was good, then I tried to manage as much as I could in the first laps, because the race was going to be long. As I said, and it actually paid off to manage at the beginning, to have more potential at the end.
“The moves were really precise, it was crucial not to make mistakes at this point, and the pace at the end was just amazing.”
Once Lacorte began moving forward, he picked his opportunities carefully and avoided the mistakes that can quickly end a race at Monza. His stronger pace later in the contest then allowed him to turn an initially difficult race into a fight for victory.
Lacorte focuses on exits to defend 2026 F3 Monza lead
After reaching the front, Lacorte faced another challenge. Monza’s long straights and powerful tow can make holding the lead particularly difficult, with drivers behind able to use DRS and slipstream to close rapidly.
Instead of allowing his rivals easy opportunities, Lacorte concentrated on maximising his corner exits and creating as much breathing room as possible before the braking zones.
“I was really working well on the exits, to make their life as hard as possible and to help myself. I just did everything I needed to do, everything I could to breathe as much as I could in this race. That is the goal in Monza, and it turned out pretty well.”
The approach worked. Once Lacorte established himself at the front, none of his rivals managed to take the position away, allowing him to complete an emotional maiden win on home soil.
DAMS progress rewarded with first F3 victory
Lacorte and DAMS have shared their F3 journey from the beginning. Both entered the championship in 2025, meaning the difficult periods of their rookie campaign formed part of the same development process that eventually led to their Monza success.
Lacorte acknowledged how far the team had progressed since those early struggles.
“We have struggled a lot, especially last year,” he added. “We never had the pace to fight at the front. This year, we have shown great potential from Australia.
“Of course, there was a bit of up and downs in the season, and in the end, the work we’ve done was great. Everything was good from the team this weekend. I can’t thank them enough for this result.”
The victory therefore represented more than a single strong weekend. DAMS and Lacorte had spent their first season establishing themselves in F3 before showing flashes of greater competitiveness during 2026, and Monza finally provided the result that confirmed that progress.
Lacorte treasures DAMS celebrations after 2026 F3 Monza success
The significance of winning at home became even greater once Lacorte returned to the DAMS garage. Having experienced the difficult weekends together, the driver viewed celebrating the breakthrough with the team as one of the most memorable parts of the result.
“It was a big party in the garage at the end. I really enjoyed it. To celebrate with the team such a good result was the best way to end the weekend.”
The Monza weekend consequently gave both Lacorte and DAMS a landmark result. Lacorte secured his first F3 podium and victory while becoming the first Italian driver to win an F3 race at Monza, while DAMS celebrated its first triumph in the championship.
More importantly, the performance demonstrated how much progress the partnership had made since its difficult 2025 rookie campaign, giving Lacorte confidence that the breakthrough can become the foundation for further success.
