DAMS Lucas Oil’s F3 2025 debut season proved challenging for the French team. The team finished 10th and last in the Teams’ standings with just 30 points. DAMS replaced Jenzer Motorsport in the F3 championship with a lineup of Christian Ho, Matías Zagazeta, and Nicola Lacorte. DAMS Lucas Oil’s 2025 F3 campaign provided valuable learning experiences despite the difficult results.
Season overview and team struggles
DAMS Lucas Oil’s 2025 F3 season began with high expectations. The team brought championship experience from their successful F2 program. However, adjusting to a brand-new car proved more difficult than anticipated. The French team struggled to find consistent pace throughout the 10-round calendar.
Christian Ho led the team’s points tally with 17 points despite his own struggles. Zagazeta contributed 13 points with just two scoring finishes. Lacorte failed to score any points in his penalty-plagued rookie campaign. The 30-point total represented more than half coming from Ho’s efforts during the 2025 season. Despite their experience at a higher level, DAMS Lucas Oil were unable to establish a stable setup baseline, leaving the team chasing performance rather than building momentum across the season.
Christian Ho’s mixed rookie campaign
Christian Ho arrived at DAMS as the reigning 2024 Eurocup-3 Champion and became F3’s first Singaporean driver. His 2025 F3 season with DAMS Lucas Oil started poorly at Melbourne, with 23rd in Qualifying and a Feature Race crash. Bahrain delivered one of his strongest weekends with P4 in Qualifying, eighth in the Sprint, and 10th in the Feature.
The European leg proved largely disappointing with multiple pointless races from Imola to Austria. Silverstone provided his final points with sixth in the Sprint and fifth in the wet Feature Race. The remainder of his 2025 campaign with DAMS Lucas Oil season brought no further points. Ho finished 22nd and secured a 2026 seat with Rodin Motorsport.
Zagazeta’s disappointing campaign
Zagazeta joined DAMS as their most experienced driver to provide leadership and championship knowledge. His 2025 F3 campaign started promisingly with fifth in Melbourne’s Sprint but quickly deteriorated into 17 consecutive pointless races. Incidents at Bahrain and Imola, plus a second DNF at Belgium, highlighted persistent race craft issues throughout the season. He did, however, claim a P4 finish in the final Sprint Race in Monza, adding vital points to his tally.
Zagazeta finished 25th with just 13 points from 20 races during the DAMS Lucas Oil F3 2025 season, raising serious questions about his future with no confirmed 2026 seat.
Lacorte’s penalty-plagued debut season
Nicola Lacorte joined DAMS Lucas Oil with Alpine Academy backing, but his 2025 campaign became defined by penalties. Early promise at Melbourne and Imola was overshadowed by costly errors, culminating in Monaco’s disqualification for ignoring the black flag. Barcelona’s collision with Garfias, multiple Safety Car breaches, and contact with Badoer pushed his penalty points to 14, triggering an automatic race ban at Spielberg.
Silverstone marked his best performance after suspension with a recovery drive from 27th to 15th in the Feature. Spa showed further improvement with 15th in Qualifying, but points never materialised during the DAMS Lucas Oil F3 2025 season. Lacorte finished 31st without a single point but returns with DAMS for 2026, aiming to apply hard-earned lessons.
Looking ahead to the 2026 season
DAMS Lucas Oil’s 2025 F3 season provided valuable learning experiences despite the difficult results. Adapting to a brand-new car took significant time as the team struggled to find consistent setup direction. The team aims to achieve better results in their second F3 season with top 12 appearances as their benchmark.
The team has confirmed two drivers for 2026, with Lacorte returning for a second season. Nandhavud “Jem” Bhirombhakdi joins from FRECA after participating in post-season testing. The third driver remains unconfirmed as the French team builds on the knowledge gained during their 2025 campaign.
Overall, DAMS’ 2025 F3 campaign felt more like an extended learning phase than a genuine fight for results, with performances rarely reflecting the team’s established reputation. While the experience gained should prove valuable, 2026 must deliver clear and immediate progress if DAMS Lucas Oil hopes to be viewed as a credible midfield contender in Formula 3.
