Round 11 Post Sprint Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 2: Hello and welcome to the Press Conference of the top three for the FIA Formula 2 Sprint Race in Monza. In third place we have Joshua Duerksen from AIX Racing, in second is Victor Martins from ART Grand Prix and taking the win today is Oliver Bearman from PREMA Racing. Ollie, congratulations, your second win of the year and from eighth on the gird. Did you think that one was on the cards today?

Oliver Bearman: No, I honestly wasn’t expecting that. After Lap one I made up a few places and I was thinking that maybe I could get to the podium. A lot of stuff happened. First of all, the marker boards in Turn 1 were completely gone. I think it caught a few people out, luckily, I was fifth so I could see what was happening in front. I managed to make the most of the early laps. After that it was quite a stalemate which we expected. Quite a good race from our side and I am happy to take the victory
FIA Formula 2: It looked like you had it under control once you hit the front, do you think that was key given the way the race settled down a little bit?
Bearman: Yeah, like we saw last year as well, nothing really happens after five laps. Once everyone gets in the grove of things, you can’t really catch unless you are much faster, you can’t overtake. I was just trying to risk everything in the early laps. I am in the position where I can, I can take a bit more risk. It paid off today and so I am happy for that.
FIA Formula 2: How well does it bode for tomorrow’s Feature Race as you are starting in the same position?
Bearman: I had a grid penalty today which meant I started from eighth, like I will tomorrow. So, it’s a blessing and a curse. At least I won today so I can’t say that the grid penalty ruined by race start today. Tomorrow, we have a pit stop, we know we have good pace, so I am just going to try and get as much free air as possible. It’s going to be tough to overtake. I’ll cross my fingers, but I don’t think I’ll repeat today.
FIA Formula 2: Congratulations. Victor P2 for you I imagine starting from fourth you would have taken that at the start of the race, but what’s the feeling at the end when someone from eighth came through to win?
Victor Martins: I did a correct start, came back to P3 in the early laps. After it’s just how the race is playing out. I think what I was missing at the start of the race was a bit of pace. So, Ollie passed me. I knew it was a long race, you can have more opportunities later. Once he got passed Martí I did the lap after, but then he tried something that for me was not possible. So together we went out and I lost too much time to have a fight with Ollie. After that, the pace was good, the car is great thanks to the team. I think we have a bit of work to do to prepare for tomorrow and be better.
FIA Formula 2: You mentioned that the pace seemed to come and go a little, you got the Fastest Lap at the end of the race. Was it just the fact that the gap to Ollie got too big to pick up the tow? Was that what kept you out of the fight with him?
Martins: I made quite a few mistakes not by pushing too much or trying to be too quick at some points. But I wanted to go for the win too much and I gave it too much intensity in the race and then you start to do small mistakes here and there. I think it’s more these kinds of things that put me out of the fight with Ollie. The thing with Martí, I lost quite a bit there as well.
FIA Formula 2: You go from fifth in tomorrow’s race, what will you have learnt from today that you can use in tomorrow’s race to turn your position into a podium or even a win?
Victor Martins: Just to work on the car, work on myself and the areas I can improve. For sure strategy will be the key point. Looking at today, there is no degradations on these Mediums, let’s see on the Supersofts. For sure there will be things to analyse. I will see if we are quick, then there is an opportunity to win a race. We will work with full focus on this and on the strategy and that will be it.
FIA Formula 2: Thank you, Josh a second podium of the season for you, how was the race from your perspective?
Joshua Duerksen: Just relief, really entertaining to be honest. I started 11th so I had many cars to overtake which is fun. Monza gives you the opportunity to overtake unlike other tracks where it is more difficult. You have long straights to catch the others, especially with the DRS which is really powerful. The race was really good, I felt good in the car, we had good pace. I could fight really well, I felt comfortable. Just really happy to get another podium. Another one in Italy, the first was in Imola and now Monza. Monza is one of my favourite podiums. The view up there is really great.
FIA Formula 2: After the Safety Car period you were ninth in that restart, so you hadn’t made a huge chunk on the first lap. How tough was it to make progress from there and stay out of trouble?
Duerksen: It’s a fine line to find between being aggressive enough and being crazy and crashing into everyone. This is something you have to find. I found it today. I felt really good. Just with the DRS train, you always try to stay with the guys and as soon as one car makes a mistake, you use that mistake, and you overtake. I was basically going forward like this, just like that it paid off well.
FIA Formula 2: You are starting outside the Top 10 again tomorrow, would it be fair to say that it might be hard to repeat this performance, or do you think with the pitstop and a longer race that there are still opportunities?
Duerksen: In Qualifying I missed reverse Pole by eight thousandths, so I think this gave me more energy for today. I think I can do it tomorrow again, if I did it today, I can do it again tomorrow. Hopefully we can repeat this and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.
FIA Formula 2: Thank you very much, well done today.