Qualifying
Tricky tire management and the evolution of grip on the Circuit de Catalunya left the drivers with only one real flying lap in qualifying, at that came at the very end of the session. Tire warm-up and traffic also played a role on this final lap, which saw Victor and Zak finish in 9th and 12th places respectively, despite a good feeling behind the wheel.
Sprint Race
From 2nd place on the grid, Victor got off to an excellent start, took the lead, and managed his tires and rivals throughout the 21 laps to take his first victory of the year.
Zak moved up from 12th to 9th in what was a difficult race, despite a trouble-free event without mistakes while also avoiding the numerous penalties handed out.
Feature Race
Starting on soft tires, Zak had a good first stint, moving up into the top 10 before suffering severe tire degradation that caused him to drop down the order. He also received two penalties for track limit violations.
Victor lost time at the start and was hit by a rival car that was out of control at the exit of the first corner. Unfortunately, he had to retire, unable to continue his strong weekend.
Victor Martins:
“The scenario of the Sprint was as ideal as that of the Feature was a nightmare. In the first race, I got an excellent start, and everything was under control and seemed easy: great communication with the team who had prepared a very efficient car. It gave me confidence for the future and shows that we have made great progress after an unexpected start to the year. Unfortunately, on Sunday I again had a problem at the start, then there was nothing I could do to avoid Hauger, who hit me from behind.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“The sprint race was a relief for Victor, who finally managed to return to his form from last season thanks to a superb start and impeccable management. The start of the year has been very complicated for various reasons, but our work is paying off little by little. Zak narrowly missed the points in the Sprint and suffered from tire degradation in the Feature, where Victor could have aimed for big points with his strategy that was well-suited to the course of the race. We must take all the positive aspects of the last two weekends and our two wins in Monaco and Barcelona to prepare well for the upcoming back-to-back races.”
Copyright : Formula Motorsport Limited
