| March was a very busy month for Racing Engineering with two three-day test sessions which gave the Spanish team and their two drivers, Louis Delétraz and Gustav Malja, a chance to learn about each other and to work on getting comfortable in their cars while working on a suitable set-up for racing and qualifying. Both men were able to run a lot of laps and everybody is confident that, as they enter the opening round of the 2017 racing season, they are as well prepared as possible.
Below Alfonso de Orléans-Borbón, President of Racing Engineering, looks forward to the year to come and this weekend in particular.
The FIA Formula 2 Championship season starts this week in Bahrain with Gustav Malja and F2 rookie Louis Delétraz in Racing Engineering’s cars. Are you excited to finally see these two drivers in race conditions?
Absolutely. We have been working hard with both during the winter and the tests, now we will have to see how all the hard work translates on the track in Bahrain. I know the engineers and technical staff have been doing a great job, now it is up to the drivers to show what they are capable of.
After the two pre-season tests in Barcelona and Bahrain, what can we expect from the Racing Engineering line up during the opening round?
Keep in mind we have a rookie in Louis so that, at the moment. we want him to get used to the car, the way we work, the way F2 works and especially the Pirelli tyres, which as you know are quite complicated to work with for new drivers. I have confidence in both drivers, but I will have a better idea after the race weekend.
Bahrain is back as season opener of the Championship. What would you consider the main characteristics of this track?
Great track, has some good overtaking areas, technical corners and a great ambience. We love going to Bahrain not just for the racing, but also for the atmosphere, great food and a totally different hospitality that only Middle East countries offer. Let's hope we keep going back as it is a great race weekend overall.
The 2017 FIA Formula 2 Championship season kicks off with an interesting mixture of very experienced drivers and a lot of promising rookies. What can we expect from this season and who do you consider as the drivers to most watch out for?
This will be a really interesting season since the rookies have quite a high level and, with the experienced drivers, there will be a real battle. I think Norman Nato and rookies like Nyck de Vries will really make it exciting. We also have a mix of experienced and rookie drivers as a team, so let's he how it all pans out. Honestly, I think it will be a season with a lot of potential champions. Let's see who it will be, maybe it will be a rookie this year. |
