The 2025 F3 season proved underwhelming for DAMS Lucas Oil and 18 year-old Singaporean driver Christian Ho. After winning the 2024 Eurocup-3 Championship, Ho stepped up to Formula 3 this year and joined DAMS for their debut in the series. This year, Ho teamed up with Matías Zagazeta and Nicola Lacorte to complete the French-outfit’s lineup. Although the Singaporean had consistently demonstrated speed and talent throughout his career, joining a new team and series brought many uncertainties for the 18 year-old.
A mixed start to the season
The season began on a difficult note for the Singaporean. Racing at Albert Park for the first time, Ho struggled to find pace and only managed to qualify 23rd. In the Sprint Race, he fought through the field and crossed the line 15th. While that progress offered a few positives, his Feature Race on Sunday ended in disappointment after a crash into the barriers forced him to retire. With no points scored and a challenging start to the year, Ho looked to turn his fortunes around as the Formula 3 calendar headed to Bahrain for the second round of the season.
In Bahrain, Ho delivered a stark turnaround from his performance in Melbourne, stunning the field with a surprise P4 finish in Qualifying. He secured his first points of the season with an 8th place finish in the Sprint Race. Although the 18 year-old struggled to maintain his position to collect a bigger points haul, he claimed double-points finishes by finishing 10th in the Feature Race. Overall, Bahrain marked one of Ho’s strongest performances of the year.
Unsuccessful European leg
As the season entered its European leg, Ho returned to familiar territory, having raced on many of the circuits earlier in his career. However, as the European rounds proved both uneventful and disappointing for the Singaporean. From Imola to Austria, Ho endured a string of races without scoring points, as his struggles continued when he was forced to retire from the Sprint Race in Austria.
Resurgence of performance at Silverstone
Silverstone proved to be Ho’s strongest round during the European leg of the season. He started the weekend well, qualifying P11 which secured him a front-row start for the Sprint Race on Saturday alongside Campos Racing’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak. This opportunity presented him with his best chance at a maiden podium but ultimately fell short of it as he crossed the line 6th. The 18 year-old’s 6th place finish earned him his first points since Bahrain.
In the Feature Race, F3 faced challenging wet conditions that saw many drivers struggling to keep their cars on track. Ho managed to stay out of trouble and brought his car to the chequered flag safely, securing himself a double-points finish with a 5th place after the race was prematurely ended due to the weather. This marked his final points-scoring outings of the season.
Tough end to rookie season
Ho surely would’ve hoped for a better end to his rookie season. However, the Singaporean struggled to find any pace and finished the year without any other points scored. This meant Ho concluded his rookie year 22nd in the Drivers’ Standings, finishing with just 17 points to his name.
While Ho faced challenges, he wasn’t alone as DAMS endured a difficult 2025 F3 season. The team finished last in the Teams’ Standings with 30 points, with more than half of their points coming from Ho despite the year he faced. Confirmed to return to the grid next year, the 18 year-old is set to embark on a new chapter with a team he joins for the first time.
Striving for success in 2026 with Rodin
For 2026, Ho joins Rodin Motorsport for his second F3 campaign. With post-season testing kicked off in Jerez, following last week’s session in Barcelona, Ho has gained his first experience with his new car, team, and teammates. He will partner rookie Pedro Clerot and fellow returning driver Brando Badoer, who joins the team from PREMA Racing. As preparations for the 2026 season continue, Ho would hope to acclimate to his new environment and machinery. While his rookie season unfolded to be an underwhelming one, he would hope to be able to achieve stronger results next year and showcase the growth and lessons he has taken from his rookie season.
