Van Amerfoort’s Santiago Ramos delivered an impressive drive during Saturday’s F3 Sprint Race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, climbing from P8 on the grid to secure a valuable second-place finish at the Spanish GP. It marks his third podium of the season, and one that the Mexican driver admitted came as a welcome surprise.
“Yeah, I think it’s quite good. Honestly, we were not expecting obviously to score a podium in the sprint race, considering we were starting P8. So yeah, happy with it. Obviously, we always try to go for the win,” Ramos told media including Pit Debrief after the race.
“At one stage, he was just far away, and we just tried to manage the race to finish there. I know Nikola [Tsolov] was coming also quite fast behind, so I had to manage my tyres, but yeah, quite happy. I was only considering to maybe fight for a podium tomorrow, not today.
“So this is already an advantage, and also it’s a good point for the championship, so quite happy with it.”
What happened in the F3 Sprint at the Spanish GP?
The race saw multiple incidents shake up the order early on, including a first-lap crash that eliminated Bilinski, Tramnitz, Stenshorne, and Taponen. Ramos capitalised on the chaos ahead and managed his tyres effectively to fend off late pressure from Tsolov.
When asked about his progression across the triple-header stretch, which included races in Imola, Monaco, and Barcelona, Ramos acknowledged the steady upward trajectory in his performances:
“Yeah, I think apart from Monaco, that did not go as planned in qualifying, we had a problem with traffic and everything. Imola was a really solid weekend, here it’s a solid weekend, and I hope I can carry this momentum for the next races. I’m happy with it.
“We knew we had the pace since Bahrain, since Melbourne, so yeah, quite happy to finally score some points in the sprint race that I lacked in Monaco and I lacked in Imola as well, so yeah, happy with them.”
Ramos looks ahead
The podium finish also propelled Ramos to sixth place in the drivers’ standings. Looking ahead to Sunday’s F3 Feature Race at the Spanish GP and the rest of the season, Ramos is focused on racing smart and making every opportunity count.
“Yeah, obviously, I would say I would like to win the race, but it’s tough. I know there are really tough competitors in front; they’re really fast as well. And it’s going to be a long race, so I will just try to play a smart race, try to make the moves like realistic moves and try to score maximum points as I can.”
What it means to Van Amersfoort Racing
With teammate Ivan Domingues winning the Sprint Race, it was a banner day for VAR, who also had all three of their cars finish in the top 12 — a first for the team this season. Ramos highlighted the morale boost this result brings and the importance of shared success.
“Yeah, I think it’s just what we have been looking for for all the seasons since we started. Obviously, this is at the end we’re fighting for the driver championship, but also for the team championship. And we knew that we had the potential. We just had to make sure to put everything together during the weekends.
“I think this is actually the first weekend we can put the three cars together in the top 12, so this is good for the team as well. Like Ivan [Domingues] said, I’ve been trying to share my knowledge, what I’ve learned from last year in F3. I know it’s a tough championship.
Team morale is high within VAR
“I know it’s really tough; the format that we have; that we don’t have many laps during the weekend. I just try to share my mistakes, everything, because at the end, like I said, obviously I want to win, but I also want the team to succeed with me. I’m really happy with Ivan.
“I’m really happy for him. I know that he deserves it. I know he’s working really hard for these results.
I’m pretty happy also for the team that it finally came. It’s good points for them, good points also for us, and we keep pushing this way.”
Ramos will now turn his attention to Sunday’s Feature Race, where another strong result could further boost his standing in both the driver and team championships.
