Photo: Paul Hurley
AIX Racing has signed Indy Nxt regular Ricardo Escotto to replace Brad Benavides for the next FIA Formula 3 round in Barcelona after the American driver was injured in the Monaco sprint race.
Benavides suffered three vertebral fractures after an incident involving Rodin’s Christian Ho.
With the field bunched up heading into the hairpin, the Beavides looked to avoid the slow moving Nicola Lacorte but instead made contact with Ho and was sent briefly airborne before landing heavily back down.
Having confirmed his withdrawal from Sunday’s feature race, the team also explained Benavides’ injuries would require a “period of recovery away from racing,” with Escotto to step in as his replacement for the following round in Barcelona.
Having competed in Indy Nxt since 2024, Mexican driver Escotto now makes the jump into F3 having previously competed in Formula 4 initially in his homeland as well as the Italian, Spanish and United Arab Emirates championships in 2022.
In his 2026 campaign Escotto has struggled to break into the top 10 of late, with seventh in the first race at Barber Motorsports Park his best result so far.
“I am super excited to drive for AIX Racing in Barcelona,” he said. “I am grateful for the team for giving me this opportunity and can’t wait to get on track.”
AIX F3 team boss Kenny Kirwan added: “Ricardo has shown strong pace and determination throughout his junior single-seater career, and we believe he has the talent and work ethic to integrate quickly with our programme. Our focus will be on giving Ricardo the support he needs to maximise the weekend, build experience with the car, and contribute positively to the team’s objectives.”
“We are excited to see what we can achieve together and wish him every success for his debut with us in Barcelona.”