‘We can chase good results’: Matías Zagazeta on joining DAMS Lucas Oil for 2025

5 December 2024

DAMS Lucas Oil will be competing in their first FIA Formula 3 season next year as they join the Championship for the first time. Matías Zagazeta was their first driver confirmed for their inaugural campaign, with the Peruvian gearing up for his second season of F3 action.

After 10 Rounds and experiencing everything as a rookie in 2024, the newly signed DAMS driver said he was very excited about the future with his new team and to be confirmed so early.

“It feels amazing. I'm really happy and really proud to be part of this incredible team. Straight away I felt at home. They've straight away pointed out the points that I need to improve, and they've been quite straightforward.

“We've worked really hard in the winter tests to improve, and that's something I've really liked. I've tried to give my feedback to the team, and it's working well with everyone, mechanics, engineers, the team boss, and everyone is really, really excited and looking forward for next year.”

DAMS’ entry into F3 coincides with the introduction of a new car for next year. The 2025 F3 car will run on track in a competitive session for the first time next year, but the teams’ preparations are already well underway for that.

Zagazeta says that it’s a great challenge to tackle, and that he is more motivated than ever to help push the team forward as they get to grips with the new car.

He also says that there will be an air of familiarity, having already worked with his race engineer in another Championship previously.

Zagazeta says the team's early preparations have been positive

“It's a fresh start and a new season, and it's a very important season for me and for the team also. It’s their first season in Formula 3, and they want to have a big impact. It’s already my second season in Formula 3, so I need to, I need to be helping them develop this new car also and chase some very good results.

“It's great to have new name and faces. I've actually worked with my engineer before back in Formula Regional, so it's very good to have this good connection. I had already worked with him in a couple of tests, so it's nice to have a kind of reunion and I’m very excited for that.”

The Peruvian driver was at the wheel for Jenzer Motorsport in both post-season tests, with DAMS personnel on the ground also as they prepared themselves for their full-time entry in 2025.

Zagazeta believes that while there was no chasing of pure laptime across both the Jerez and Barcelona sessions, the team conducted a great deal of useful work in preparation for next season.

“The tests were crucial, mainly for the engineers. They are trying to adapt into this new Championship and gather as much information as they can, and I was trying to help and support with that.

“The main goals were not to be in the first positions outright, we were trying to improve for next year which is going to be with a different car. So we were trying to learn as much as possible and to adapt as quickly as possible also.

The Peruvian driver is hoping to secure strong results early on with DAMS in 2025

“It's a big challenge for everyone. I think it's gonna shake things up a little bit, and it's going to really show who's working the most throughout the winter, who gets everything right. It will be very interesting, because up to this point, we don't know where everyone is, so we just have to keep on working on ourselves instead of focusing on other people.

“I'm pretty sure the results will come our way if we keep doing what we're doing. And I think the team is doing a fantastic preparation job already I have a lot of trust in them, and they have a lot of trust in me.

“The big thing is about the tyres, they will change a lot for next year. It's going to be quite interesting to see with the change to 16-inch tyres juts how different it will be. But we already have an idea.”

While the on-track prep has finished for 2024, Zagazeta says he will be continuing his training regime heading into the new year ahead of what he hopes will be a positive campaign with DAMS in 2025.

“There will be some more simulator sessions, going to visit the workshop, meeting all of the team, and on the physical side, training quite hard here in Barcelona, getting a couple of fitness tests done also.

“Then, I will go back to Peru until the end of December for Christmas and New Year’s. But the work will still go on down there. I think I will keep on training, working on the simulator and in the gym. I'll have some good winter preparation for next year.”