Nicola Lacorte was suspended from the Red Bull Ring Formula 3 round last weekend for exceeding 12 penalty points on his licence after earning a series of penalties in the Barcelona F3 round last month. Feeder Series exclusively spoke to the DAMS driver about the race ban and his preparation prior to his return to racing in Silverstone.

By Daniele Spadi

Lacorte began earning penalty points on his licence at round four in Monaco, which was his first racing event on a full-fledged street circuit. He had been disqualified from the qualifying session for rejoining after receiving assistance from the marshals, an infringement that earned the Italian five penalty points.

On Saturday, he then earned two further penalty points for causing a collision with Santiago Ramos in the sprint. In less than 24 hours, he went from having a spotless record to being five points away from a weekend on the sidelines.

Unfortunately for Lacorte, round five of the season at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya did not go any better. 

During qualifying, he made contact on the back straight with AIX’s José Garfias after what he admitted was a move born out of frustration by his impression that Garfias had brake-tested him. The stewards deemed the manoeuvre ‘ill-judged and unacceptable’ and handed Lacorte four more penalty points, putting him at 11 total for the season.

Two separate safety car delta time infringements in the feature race, held on his 18th birthday, led the stewards to give him six further penalty points. He earned another for causing a collision with compatriot Brando Badoer at Turn 1 on lap 18.

The 11 total points from Barcelona brought him well over the 12-point threshold that earns a driver a one-round ban. Lacorte will still have six penalty points on his licence once he returns to racing this weekend after missing the Spielberg round.

“⁠⁠The race ban was fully deserved,” Lacorte told Feeder Series, “but it’s not going to be any different in Silverstone. I’ll be back stronger than before.”

Even before he received the ban, Lacorte’s season had not gone to plan. He failed to finish in the top 10 in any of the first 10 races of the season. While racing on brand-new tracks such as Melbourne, Bahrain and Monaco, he failed to qualify outside the bottom six, while his race best result was 15th in the sprint race of his home event in Imola.

With five weeks between rounds five and seven, the 18-year-old had the chance to rest as well as train for his comeback.

“⁠⁠I’m training a lot now,” he told Feeder Series when asked how he was handling the unexpected time off.

“The biggest advantage for me was mental. I see why I got the ban and I know what I should not do again, and this is good for the upcoming rounds. But most of all, I want to come back stronger to show that the race ban won’t affect my performance at all.”

Lacorte joined the F3 grid in 2025 as part of the new DAMS team after a challenging rookie campaign in FRegional Europe, during which he claimed only two points finishes across the season. Ever since the Pisa native stepped into the new Dallara F3 2025 car for pre-season testing, his aim has been to adapt to the more powerful machinery while acquainting himself with the team.

“⁠⁠The car feels good, much faster compared to the previous categories I’ve raced in,” Lacorte told Feeder Series. “The performance on the first lap on new tyres is unbelievable, plus the team is doing a great job. It’s not easy to start as a new team in such a competitive field.”

For an F3 driver such as Lacorte going through such a difficult period, having a strong support system is key. The Italian said that being part of the Alpine Academy, which he joined in late 2023, had significantly helped him prepare for the challenge ahead of him upon his return.

“⁠⁠The support I get from the Alpine Academy is crucial,” Lacorte told Feeder Series. “They support me a lot on track. Especially after what happened in Barcelona, they made me feel supported more than ever, so I have to thank them for that, and I’m grateful for the effort they put in my career.”

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency