Portuguese anthem in Barcelona. Ivan Domingues wins the Spanish Grand Prix in F3

“I have always said that my dream was to hear the National Anthem and see our flag raised on the highest place on the podium. I share this victory with all Portuguese people, and in particular with my family, my team and all those who have been following me.” This is how he celebrated Ivan Domingues wins the race sprint  of Formula 3 this Saturday, in Barcelona .

"I am extremely proud to be Portuguese, we have a country of great people who can and deserve a lot. I share this victory with everyone, with great happiness, but also with great humility, because I want to continue to evolve and I want more ", highlighted the 19-year-old, in a press release sent to DN.

THE rookie He started sixth in the race and led from the third corner. Over the course of 21 laps, he managed to maintain a good distance from Noah Stromsted (Trident), who was not even able to attempt an overtake and ended up not finishing the race after going off the track.

The Portuguese driver also set the fastest lap twice before receiving the checkered flag. Now, expectations are focused on this Sunday's race. “We knew that the start of the season would be very difficult, but we had to work hard and be resilient to continue growing in such a competitive category. We will maintain this focus, work hard and always try to honor the badge I carry on my helmet; if possible, with another good result in tomorrow's race”, he highlights. The race starts at 7:30 (Lisbon time).

Ayrton Senna and Max Verstappen fan

Ivan Domingues was born in 2006 in Leiria. At the age of eight, he began his career in karting, inspired by his father and brother when he was just 8 years old. His role models in motorsport include the Brazilian Ayrton Senna and the Dutchman Max Verstappen.

Among the awards won are the Portuguese Karting Cup and the national runner-up position in 2017, 2018 and 2019. At the age of 14, he left Portugal to study in Italy, which enabled him to enter Formula 4. In 2024, in the Formula Regional Europe by Alpine (FRECA), the young Portuguese driver stood on the podium twice and was the best rookie in three races.

This year, he moved up to the FIA ​​Formula 3 Championship, one of the main antechambers of Formula 1. Ivan is on the Van Amersfoort Racing (VAR) team, becoming the first Portuguese in the category in 12 years.

Source: Daily News