Mexican driver Santiago Ramos made his FIA Formula 3 debut in the 2024 Sakhir round in Bahrain with Trident. This step up to F3 came after a competitive racing career in karting and lower-level single-seater racing. After starting karting in 2017 at 14 years old, he moved up to single-seater racing in 2020, making his Italian F4 Championship with DR Formula by RP Motorsport.
In an interview with F3 in April 2024, Ramos described himself as an intelligent and competitive driver who prioritised the championship fight.
“I would say that I usually drive quite intelligently. I try to think always about the championship, about the points and everything, unless I need to be aggressive with some drivers.”
He added that he tried to keep himself out of trouble to avoid any issues that could compromise his performance.
“I try to keep it clean and out of trouble and avoid any issues that will compromise my season or race weekend with a crash or something that doesn’t make sense.”
An impressive start to his debut season
Ramos made a big impression on onlookers during the 2024 F3 season opener in Bahrain. Despite a difficult sprint race which saw him finish P21, he drove brilliantly in the feature race, finishing P5 and earning points on his debut weekend. His strong display behind the when was a testament to the racing mentorship by countryman Sergio Pérez — a six-time Formula One race winner.
Over the next races, Ramos proved himself as a self-assured, intelligent, and at times aggressive driver. Despite his inexperience and difficulties throughout the season, Ramos enjoyed a strong first half of 2024 F3 the season. He took points in Imola, the feature races in Barcelona and Hungary, and in Spa-Francorchamps.
Ramos’ best performance, however, would come in the 2024 F3 season finale in Monza. The Mexican driver enjoyed a strong qualifying session and claimed a P4 starting position for the sprint race. After a strong performance around the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Ramos crossed the line second, earning his first podium finish to the 2024 season and indeed, his F3 career.
Unfortunately, though he would start the feature race P5, he struggled during the race. He ultimately finished the race P18. This saw Ramos end the 2024 F3 season 16th in the championship standings with 44 points. While lot an ideal end to his debut season, it will surely prove a powerful motivator for the 2025 season.
Impressive among the rest
As 30 highly competitive drivers made up the grid in 2024, Ramos’s mid-pack finish can be considered an impressive performance in his debut season. He showed strength and intelligence throughout the season.
With his eyes surely set forward for the future, his talent is a spectacular vision of the future of motorsport and the type of drivers coming up the ranks.
In 2025 he will participate in his second F3 season with Van Amersfoort Racing, taking another chance to further prove himself on the racetrack.
