Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi stepped up to F3 in 2026 hoping to continue his progression through the single-seater ranks. However, the DAMS Lucas Oil driver faced a difficult rookie campaign as he struggled to consistently challenge the midfield, let alone the points.
The Thai driver entered the season with two years of Formula Regional European Championship experience behind him, but F3 presented another significant step. While Bhirombhakdi occasionally showed signs of progress, qualifying struggles and several costly mistakes prevented him from converting that development into points.
He eventually finished 30th in the Drivers’ Championship without scoring.
Bhirombhakdi takes another step up the single-seater ladder
Bhirombhakdi arrived in F3 after four years in single-seaters, having started his career across the UAE, ADAC and Italian Formula 4 championships in 2022. Two seasons in Formula Regional followed, with several points finishes during his second campaign in 2025.
His move to DAMS therefore represented the next step in a relatively quick progression through the junior categories. Bhirombhakdi also gained useful experience with the French outfit during post-season testing at Jerez, Barcelona and Imola before DAMS confirmed him for the 2026 F3 season.
The Thai driver set modest expectations before Melbourne. Rather than making bold predictions, he focused on becoming “as competitive as possible” during his rookie campaign.
That approach reflected the challenge ahead. DAMS itself entered only its second season in the championship and targeted progression after its debut campaign. As a result, Bhirombhakdi needed to learn F3 while his team continued its own development.
A difficult start exposes the challenge ahead
The opening rounds quickly demonstrated the scale of Bhirombhakdi’s task. He struggled to place himself in competitive starting positions and consequently spent much of his races fighting towards the rear of the field.
Monaco offered little room to overcome that weakness. Bhirombhakdi finished the Feature Race in 22nd, while teammate Gerrard Xie reached ninth and came close to scoring points. Barcelona then brought another difficult weekend, with Bhirombhakdi qualifying 20th.
His Feature Race ended with intra-team contact as Bhirombhakdi collided with Nicola Lacorte, forcing the Italian out of the race. The incident added another complication to a weekend where neither driver had established themselves as a serious points contender.
However, the subsequent Spielberg round provided little evidence of a sustained breakthrough. Bhirombhakdi instead attracted the stewards’ attention during the Sprint Race after weaving six times while defending from Yevan David. Officials handed him a 10-second penalty, dropping him from 25th to 27th.
Qualifying leaves Bhirombhakdi chasing the field
Qualifying became one of the defining weaknesses of Bhirombhakdi’s season. Without regular access to the reverse-grid positions, he rarely started races with a realistic route towards the points.
Silverstone provided a particularly clear example. Bhirombhakdi qualified 27th, behind both Xie and Lacorte, before finishing 25th in the Sprint Race and 24th in the Feature Race.
Spa-Francorchamps offered more encouragement. Bhirombhakdi qualified 18th for the Belgian GP, placing himself ahead of both DAMS teammates and significantly closer to the midfield.
However, he could not turn that improved Saturday starting position into a result. Bhirombhakdi ran through the gravel at La Source during the Belgian GP Sprint Race, which brought out the Safety Car. He eventually finished 25th.
The weekend therefore encapsulated much of his rookie season. Bhirombhakdi demonstrated progress over one lap but could not sustain it across the full weekend.
Mistakes continue to undermine signs of progress
Bhirombhakdi gained valuable experience as the season continued, but mistakes remained costly.
Monza produced perhaps the clearest example. He initially finished the Feature Race in 18th, but the stewards investigated his actions at Turns 1 and 2. They determined that he had driven in the opposite direction while another car approached him correctly and handed Bhirombhakdi a post-race penalty, dropping him to 23rd.
It represented another missed opportunity to demonstrate the progression expected from the second half of a rookie campaign.
The Madrid finale offered one final chance to end the year positively. However, Bhirombhakdi again found trouble in the second Feature Race when he hit the wall at Turn 5. Although he recovered and continued, a pit stop left him one lap down as the championship reached its conclusion.
A rookie campaign defined by the size of the step
Bhirombhakdi ultimately ended 2026 without the points finish he had targeted, and his final championship position reflected how difficult he found the transition to F3.
However, DAMS’ own performance provides important context. The team continued to develop during only its second F3 campaign, meaning Bhirombhakdi did not enter the championship with an established frontrunning package around him. Even so, teammate performances occasionally demonstrated that stronger results remained possible.
Bhirombhakdi’s biggest obstacle ultimately came from his inability to consistently place himself in competitive positions. Qualifying too often left him with significant ground to recover, while mistakes at Spielberg, Spa, Monza and Madrid made several already difficult weekends harder.
There were glimpses of improvement, particularly with his qualifying performance at Spa, but they never developed into sustained momentum. His first F3 season therefore became primarily a year of learning rather than results.
For Bhirombhakdi, the value of 2026 will depend on what comes next. The season gave him experience of the demands and small margins that define F3, but it also made the areas requiring improvement clear. Finding more pace over one lap and producing cleaner weekends will prove crucial if he gets the opportunity to build on a challenging rookie campaign.
