Qualifying
Victor matched his best performance of the year (2nd), while Zak, who was very strong in free practice (7th), had his 5th placed time cancelled for exceeding track limits and had to settle for 14th.
Sprint Race
Starting from 9th and 14th places on the grid respectively, Victor and Zak made some excellent overtaking maneuvers to climb up into 6th and 7th positions.
In the last quarter of the race, a misunderstanding between the two ART Grand Prix drivers caused them both to retire when the Briton was attempting to overtake the Frenchman.
Feature Race
On the hard tires, Victor had a very good start and led the race until his pit stop on lap 10.
While battling with an opponent, he was forced to go off-track for a long distance at Copse, causing him to lose 3 places and dirty his tires. He ended up scoring points for 5th place.
Starting on the soft tire, Zak had a good first stint in the top 5 before his pit stop. He rejoined in 16th place with 8 laps to go and climbed back up to the outskirts of the points in 11th.
Victor Martins:
“To be back on the front row and competitive in the race was very motivating for us, despite our double DNF in the Sprint. We optimized everything we could, and we are moving forward, which is particularly rewarding on such a demanding circuit as Silverstone. I had a good start and led most of the feature race. The battle was intense, and I couldn’t avoid going off track, which cost me time and damaged my tires. The podium and victory were within our reach, and that’s what we need to remember from this weekend.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“The entire team performed well in all conditions and on a complex circuit. It is satisfying and validates all the hard work of the past few weeks. Despite everything, we are left with a bitter taste due to the double retirement in the Sprint and a sense of unfinished business in the feature race where Victor perfectly executed the strategy and Zak lacked just a bit of luck to get up into the points.”
Copyright : Formula Motorsport Limited
