Santiago Ramos has enjoyed a promising start to his second season in Formula 3. He began his single-seater career in 2020, competing in the Italian F4 Championship, where he spent two seasons before stepping up to FRECA in 2022 for a two-year stint. After a challenging rookie F3 campaign with Trident that saw him finish 16th overall, Ramos has already shown clear progress in 2025 and currently sits 7th in the FIA F3 Drivers’ Championship.
Ramos wins first Sprint Race of the season in Melbourne
Ramos started the 2025 F3 season with a strong showing in Qualifying, securing P12. Thanks to the reverse grid format, he lined up on the front row for the Sprint Race and held his position confidently to take the win, claiming not only his first Sprint Race victory in F3, but also becoming the first Mexican driver to win a race in Formula 3. Although he missed out on points in the Feature Race, he walked away from Round 1 with 10 points from his Sprint triumph.
Round 2 woes in Bahrain
Round 2 in Bahrain proved challenging for Ramos. He qualified at the back of the field in P30, and unfortunately, his weekend went from bad to worse. In fact, he, along with both of his VAR teammates, failed to finish the Sprint Race. Nevertheless, starting from the back in the Feature Race, Ramos showed some recovery pace, gradually working his way through the field to finish P14.
Ramos celebrates first Feature Race victory in Imola
Ramos delivered a sensational performance at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. He started strong with a P2 in Qualifying, setting himself up for a competitive weekend. While he ran comfortably in P10 during the Sprint Race, disaster struck on the final lap, dropping him down the order to finish in P27.
He bounced back brilliantly in the Feature Race, seizing the lead on the opening lap. After an intense battle with Câmara, Ramos held his ground and crossed the line first, securing his second win of the season. It marked not only his maiden Feature Race victory, but also Van Amersfoort Racing’s first Feature Race win in Formula 3. He came away from Imola with 35 points to his name for the 2025 FIA F3 season.
Rough times in on the Streets of Monte Carlo
Due to Monaco’s split qualifying format, Ramos took part in Group B, where he set a time of 1:27.797, placing him 13th in his group and resulting in a P24 start on the combined grid. His Sprint Race ended early after being taken out on the opening lap at Turn 8 by Lacorte. However, he showed consistency and resilience in the Feature Race, steadily gaining positions to finish in P16.
More points in Barcelona
Ramos qualified in P5 in Barcelona, demonstrating strong consistency and rhythm. In the Sprint Race, chaos on the opening lap took out the top three starters; as a result, Ramos and teammate Naël were able to capitalize, moving up to P4 and P7 respectively. From there, Ramos made several impressive overtakes to cross the line in P2, with teammate Domingues ultimately claiming the win for Van Amersfoort Racing. However, Ramos wasn’t as lucky in the Feature Race, as contact unfortunately forced him to retire early.
What’s next in the second half of the 2025 FIA F3 season for Ramos
So far this season, Ramos has only earned points when he finishes on the podium , which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, having claimed points at 3 of the last 5 rounds, he has set himself up well for the second half of the season. Moreover, he has already shown improvement on his 2024 campaign, suggesting positive momentum moving forward. With 45 points to his name, Ramos currently leads the trio of Van Amersfoort Racing drivers. Collectively, they have amassed 106 points, placing the team 4th in the Teams’ Championship.