In a race marked by incidents, the young Portuguese rider shows consistency in the rain. After the Australian Grand Prix, the World Championship continues in Bahrain for a month. “I knew that this first season in Formula 3 would be like this, full of challenges and competitiveness. I will prepare myself for Bahrain and for another opportunity to continue growing.”
Rookie Ivan Domingues’ debut in the FIA Formula 3 World Championship ended this Sunday, at the Australian Grand Prix, with a 19th place finish, achieved in the second race of the weekend, after starting from 25th place on the starting grid. The “feature race” was marked by rain and safety car interventions due to the rain that was felt in Melbourne and the various accidents within the peloton.
With only eight laps of pure competition, Ivan Domingues highlighted at the end of the race: “It was a shame that we mortgaged so many laps with the safety car, but safety conditions forced us to do so. I tried to have a consistent pace, avoiding mistakes and incidents, and I felt comfortable in the rain. I was faster than the riders immediately in front of m,e and I believe I could have achieved a better result.”
As the driver from Leiria admits, “The weekend was full of learning and getting to know a lot, about a new track for me, but also about the car. I have a lot to learn, to continue taking confident steps and gradually increasing the pace. I knew that this first season in Formula 3 would be like this, full of challenges and competitiveness. I am aware of all the difficulties and now it is time to prepare for Bahrain, for another opportunity to evolve on the track and grow.”
It is worth remembering that, in the first race of the weekend, the “sprint race”, Ivan Domingues reached 20th place. The Formula 3 World Championship returns next month at the Bahrain Grand Prix (11-13 April).
About Ivan Domingues
Ivan Domingues (Leiria, 5/5/2006) started karting, inspired by his father and brother, when he was just 8 years old. At the age of 9, he participated in the first Portuguese championship. He won the Brazilian Kart Cup and was National Vice-Champion in 2017, 2018 and 2019. At the age of 14, he moved to Italy to professionalize his training and make the leap to Formula 4. Last season, in 2024, already in FRECA (Formula Regional Europe by Alpine), he stood out as one of the best rookies (two podiums and best rookie in 3 races). In 2025, he leaped the FIA Formula 3 Championship, one of the main antechambers to Formula 1, completing the full season at the service of the prestigious Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR). Its references are Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen. Besides cars, he is passionate about sports and animals.
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