For the opening round of the FIA Formula 3 Championship in Melbourne, DAMS Lucas Oil began its weekend aiming to confirm the potential of its package while gaining valuable experience on the demanding Australian street circuit.

During Free Practice, Nicola Lacorte showed strong pace by setting the 8th fastest time, while Gerrard Xie continued his setupwork. Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi, known as “Jem,” was discovering the circuit for the first time, making the session an important opportunity for the rookie to build his references.

Qualifying then confirmed the team’s promising pace, with an excellent performance from Nicola Lacorte, who secured 5th place on the grid thanks to a well-executed run plan. Gerrard Xie and Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi also continued to make progress in a particularly competitive field.

The two races of the weekend allowed the three drivers to gain valuable race experience. In the Feature Race, Nicola Lacorte showed strong pace and determination despite a penalty at the start that compromised his race. Gerrard Xie crossed the line in 19th position, while Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi’s race ended prematurely after an off-track excursion.

Despite a challenging weekend, DAMS Lucas Oil takes away several positives, notably Nicola Lacorte’s strong qualifying performance and the valuable lessons learned by the entire team, providing solid foundations for the rest of the season.

Nicola Lacorte :
« Not the best weekend overall, but a strong start for the team. The pace is there, now we focus on converting it into points and podiums ».
Qualifications :5th ; Sprint Race :11th ; Feature Race :25th

Gerrard Xie :
« It was a tougher weekend for me, but the team showed great potential and we’re ready to fight for the rest of the season »
Qualifications :17th ; Sprint Race :19th ; Feature Race :19th

Nandhavud Bhirombhakdi :
“It’s been a tough weekend for me with my first race in Formula 3. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but we’ll analyse what we can improve and take thenecessary steps to come back stronger.”
Qualifications :29th ; Sprint Race :29th ; Feature Race :DNF

Charles Pic, Team Principal:
“Melbourne is always a demanding weekend to start the season. Nicola delivered a strong performance in qualifying, confirming the competitiveness of the team. Gerrard and Nandhavud continued to gain experience in a very competitive championship. We leave this opening round with many positive learnings and will build on these foundations to keepprogressing at the next race.”

Image: Dutch Photo Agency