Nineteen-year-old Portuguese driver Ivan Domingues embarked on his rookie FIA Formula 3 campaign in 2025 with Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR). Entering one of the most competitive junior single-seater categories in the world, Domingues faced a steep learning curve but gradually showed glimpses of genuine pace and composure. Although his season was largely defined by inconsistency and misfortune, his breakthrough victory in Spain provided a moment of brilliance that transformed his reputation and established him as a driver with considerable potential. Domingues’ year was one of persistence, growth, and historic achievement, marking an important first step in what could become a promising career in international motorsport.
Early rounds: Learning through adversity
The opening five rounds of Ivan Domingues’ rookie Formula 3 campaign proved to be a demanding introduction to the championship. Each weekend brought fresh challenges in consistency, racecraft, and adaptability. In Australia, persistent red flags during qualifying left him P27 on the grid. Despite the setback, he climbed through the field to finish P22 in the Sprint and P20 in a rain-affected Feature Race, demonstrating composure and control in difficult conditions.
Moving to Bahrain, qualifying struggles continued as he managed only P23. His Sprint Race ended in a collision that resulted in a five-place grid penalty, while further contact in the Feature limited him to P19. The Imola weekend offered little improvement; disrupted qualifying left him P24, and after an early spin in the Sprint, a collision with Benavides in the Feature ended his race prematurely.
In Monaco, Domingues managed P17 overall after placing ninth in Group A qualifying but was again caught up in trouble. A Sprint Race incident with Hedley and a ten-second penalty in the Feature—dropping him from P18 to P20—continued his streak of misfortune.
However, the Spanish GP transformed his season. Drawing on past experience at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Domingues delivered a standout performance, qualifying P7 and converting a reverse-grid start into a dominant Sprint Race victory. This breakthrough made him the first Portuguese driver to win in FIA Formula 3 and marked a vital shift in momentum after a challenging start to his debut year.
Barcelona breakthrough: A historic moment
The Barcelona round proved the defining high point of Ivan Domingues’ season and a landmark for Van Amersfoort Racing. Because he had prior mileage at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Euro 4 and FRECA, he arrived with useful reference points and, consequently, delivered his best qualifying of the year in P7. Thanks to the reverse-grid, he started the Sprint from P6 and, as Turn 2 chaos eliminated the top three, he showed sharp awareness to slip through and seize the lead. He then controlled the Safety Car restart, managed DRS pressure and tyres astutely, and resisted Trident’s Noah Strømsted until the Dane retired with a technical issue. As a result, Domingues charged to victory and led a historic VAR 1–2 with Santiago Ramos.
Crucially, the win marked his first in FIA F3 and the first ever by a Portuguese driver in the championship, lifting both his confidence and the team’s morale. He credited his coach, Alex, for rebuilding belief after four mentally taxing rounds. Moreover, he sustained his level in the Feature, rising to P6 from P7 to add further points. Overall, Barcelona yielded all 18 of his championship points and underlined how familiarity, composure, and momentum can transform a rookie campaign.
Second half: Mixed fortunes and missed opportunities
Following the heroics in Spain, Domingues aimed to carry his momentum into the latter half of the season. However, consistency remained elusive as qualifying struggles and mid-race incidents continued to hinder progress. At Spielberg, he qualified P26 and endured another retirement in the Sprint Race before salvaging P21 in the Feature. Although the weekend yielded no points, it revealed his determination to persevere even when performance fell short.
In Silverstone, the VAR driver produced a more encouraging performance. Starting from P21, Domingues gained positions steadily across both races, finishing P17 in the Sprint and achieving P11 in the Feature—just one place shy of the points. His pace on the demanding British circuit demonstrated growing confidence, even if results still failed to reflect his full capability.
The wet and unpredictable weekend at Spa-Francorchamps offered little opportunity for redemption. Qualifying P21, Domingues finished P29 in a chaotic Sprint before the Feature Race was cancelled due to weather, denying him a chance to recover. Moving to Budapest, he struggled once more in qualifying, placing P22, and though he kept out of trouble across both races, P24 in the Feature underlined the ongoing challenge of extracting pace from the car.
The season concluded at Monza, where glimpses of speed returned. Seventh in Group A qualifying placed him P13 overall—a strong effort in a competitive field. Unfortunately, a Sprint Race accident ended his day prematurely, and another crash in the Feature Race brought a disappointing close to his campaign. Despite the setbacks, Domingues’ qualifying performance showed progress, particularly in high-speed circuits where confidence and precision are crucial.
Flashes of promise amid a challenging season
Domingues’ 2025 campaign encapsulated the difficulties of transitioning into Formula 3, yet it also demonstrated undeniable flashes of promise. His historic victory in Barcelona proved that when the conditions aligned, he possessed both the pace and composure to lead from the front. Moreover, his racecraft and awareness improved noticeably over the season, and he consistently showed commitment to learning from his mistakes. The collaboration with teammate Santiago Ramos and the guidance of his coach, Alex, were instrumental in rebuilding his confidence after early disappointments.
However, the season also highlighted areas for improvement. Frequent qualifying issues left him starting deep in the field too often, forcing recovery drives that rarely yielded results. Additionally, his race weekends were occasionally marred by collisions and penalties, underscoring the need for greater consistency and patience. Nevertheless, Domingues’ adaptability, mental resilience, and technical understanding of the car grew significantly, and his learnings could prove beneficial in his future endeavours, wherever he ends up.
