Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
Eight hours before Andrea Kimi Antonelli served up a main course to savour at Monza, compatriot Nicola Lacorte delivered a fine antipasto in the Formula 3 feature race to whet the appetites of the tifosi.
Lacorte’s beautifully-managed victory was his first in single-seaters since winning in Formula Regional Oceania back in February 2024, 945 long days ago. He also became the first Italian driver to win in a contemporary F3 race at the Autodromo Nazionale since Raffaele Marciello in 2013, and the first ever since Liberty assumed control of the FIA F3 series in 2019.
Talking to Formula Scout in the Monza paddock after his win, Lacorte reflected on his achievement.
“It’s a special emotion, also being the first Italian to win in F3 in Italy. I just waited for the right moment to win a race, and it was really special to do it here,” he said.
“The weekend started really well from practice to quali, the pace was there already and the race was just very precise on everything.
“I knew I had to manage for the first couple of laps and that’s what I did. I just let some people go and waited for them to degrade the tyres. I just managed mine to the end. The pace difference at the end was what I wanted and it’s what gave me the win.”
Starting third after nailing a lap under pressure in the 10 minutes session, as qualifying was again run in two groups in an attempt to avoid the incidents as 30 cars try to avoid being the lead car on track, Lacorte dropped back in the early stages.
“I started to play with the lead from the beginning. I knew it was going to be dangerous for tyres, and I was told from the pit lane to be careful. So did I, I just let them fight a little. As soon as I saw I had pure pace, I just overtook the first one, let them fight and pulled away and that was crucial to the win.”
Once he hit the front at just before half-distance, Lacorte became a potential target as those behind benefitted from the tow and DRS.
Lacorte explains that he “just tried to not give them the chance to overtake me back because I was just trying to get good exits and to break the tow as much as I could. It was very precise work and it really paid off.”
Lacorte’s win, the first for DAMS in an F3 feature race since it took over the assets of Jenzer Motorsport ahead of the 2025 season, underlines the progress the team has made in 2026.
“It’s been a couple of hard seasons,” Lacorte admits. “But this year we’ve had the pace, not just here in Monza, but we’ve shown it from the beginning of the season in Australia. We’ve had a couple of unlucky moments this season, but I think it’s clear the level we are at now, both the team and me. So, I think it’s just what we deserved.”