Whilst it feels as though the 2025 motorsport season has only just ended, several teams have already announced their 2026 driver line-ups. Van Amersfoort Racing is no exception.
In Formula 3 2025, VAR’s driver line-up of Théophile Naël, Santiago Ramos (round 1-9), James Hedley (round 10) and Ivan Domingues showed a lot of early potential. The Netherlands-based team proved themselves as higher-midfield competitors with their drivers claiming seven podiums, including three wins.
Formula 2 seemed to be more of a challenge for the team, with them placing tenth overall. Their line-up was John Bennett and Rafael Villagómez, two drivers who had previously competed with VAR in F2 in 2024. During the 2025 season, Bennett scored points on one occasion, whereas Villagómez scored two podiums for the Dutch team.
A new line-up in Formula 3
Van Amersfoort Racing have chosen all-new drivers for the 2026 Formula Three season. Two of them have already competed in F3 but the third will be making his debut in the series.
Enzo Deligny
Enzo Deligny will be joining VAR for his rookie year in Formula 3. The French-Chinese driver previously won four championships in karting before making the step up to Spanish F4 in 2023, as well as joining the Red Bull Junior Team. In 2025, Deligny departed the Red Bull Programme but competed in FRECA with R-ace GP, winning four races. The 17-year-old driver also placed third at the prestigious Macau Grand Prix in 2025.
Bruno del Pino
2025 saw Bruno del Pino make his debut, competing with MP Motorsport. Formula 3 is a difficult championship, and it could be argued that the Spaniard’s season reflected it. However he did claim a podium in the Imola Sprint Race. Overall, he finished 23rd in the drivers’ standings. 2026 will be interesting as the 19-year-old has never worked with Van Amersfoort Racing, unlike the other two drivers, but has more Formula 3 experience than them.
Hiyu Yamakoshi
2026 will be Yamakoshi’s third season with the Netherlands-based team. In 2025, he competed in select Formula Regional European Championship, Super Formula Lights, Formula Regional Middle East and GB3 rounds. He also made his Macau Grand Prix debut. Across these disciplines, Yamakoshi scored two podium finishes.
A new driver and a familiar face in Formula 2
Nicolás Varrone
Nicolás Varrone is a name synonymous with sportscarand GT racing. His decision to compete in Formula 2 in 2026 was one that shocked many fans. The Argentinian driver made his car racing debut in 2016, and competed in endurance racing in 2025. 2026 will see a dual campaign for Varrone with him competing in both Formula 2 and IMSA.
Rafael Villagómez
Rafael Villagómez has competed in Formula 2 since 2024 and has a best result of third, which he scored in the Spain and Qatar Sprint Races. Villagómez has worked with VAR since 2021, so already has a strong relationship with the team, which will be useful for 2026
Van Amersfoort Racing’s focus has shifted to the 2026 season and an improvement. 2025 proved to be difficult for the team, but fans should expect performance improvements for the new season and new drivers.
Explore more of our Dive Into the Grid team portraits here.
Images © Van Amersfoort Racing, Formula Three