Martí says ‘confidence is high’ at Campos as he targets smooth Monte Carlo weekend

For Josep María Martí the last few rounds have not been the easiest from a personal point of view. But with the help of Campos Racing’s strong pace in 2024, he is confident that he can turn things around, starting this weekend in Monte Carlo.

Martí made a brilliant start to his rookie campaign by finishing on the podium in both the Sprint and Feature Race in Sakhir. However, his results have dipped slightly since then, with his P7 in the Jeddah Sprint Race his only points scoring outing since then.

But as he sat down to reflect on his season, while not entirely satisfied, the Spaniard was not too disappointed with how things have gone so far.

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“Well obviously, F2 is really competitive so we haven’t had the easiest of times across the first four rounds,” said Martí “It started off really well in Bahrain, started off much better than anyone anticipated with a double podium.

“Since then, it's been quite hard to follow. We did not expect that trend to continue but obviously it was a really good start that gave us good points and to be honest, it's what has kept us in the game up until now.

“We had a bit of a struggle in Jeddah, I wasn't very comfortable, and I didn't perform as well as I should have and obviously, we had a couple of bumps in Melbourne and Imola. I had a little bit of bad luck especially in Imola, quite a large penalty for a really small thing in the Sprint Race and then we had the pitlane incident on Sunday.

“In Melbourne we were also quite unlucky with Safety Cars and everything else. Obviously, it's not been the easiest of times since Bahrain, but the team is fast, my teammate has won two Feature Races since the start of the season, so it shows that the car is quick, and I know it.

“The team is really strong, the engineering side, the mechanics, we are I think up there with the best and it gives you confidence in the car.”

Martí also explained that part of the struggles rookies go through in Formula 2 is dealing with the “unpredictability” of the Championship. He cited how things can change quickly, as one minute you can be fighting for a win and at the next you are at the back of the grid.

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He also pointed to Rodin Motorsport’s Zane Maloney as someone to look at for consistency, saying the Bajan Championship leader always does the job that is required at each opportunity.

That is something he is looking to learn and once he does, the Red Bull Junior is confident that his results can improve for the remainder of the season.

What also gives him confidence that his results can get better is the performance is of his teammate Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman has won the last two Feature Races and currently sits third in the Drivers’ Standings.

“Obviously Isack is fast, I know that for a fact,” said Martí “I've known him for a long time, I know how quick he is. But also on the other side, he is your measuring stick. You know where he is, you know where he has to be, and I know where I have to be.

“That gives you a good idea where you have to be, where you have to improve as a driver, your weak points, your strong points, all of that and it's clear that him being in his second year he can make the difference in Quali and Free Practice, that's where he has the heads up on me.

“Then even if I am as quick as him in the races, the race positions are so different, so that changes your weekend a lot. So, it's definitely where I am trying to improve to bring better results home even if the pace is already very strong.”

Martí and Hadjar will be out on track next for Campos in Monte Carlo this weekend, a track where both have won in the past, with the former having taken victory in the Formula 3 Sprint Race last season.

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Ahead of the weekend, he says confidence is high within the team after their strong start to the season and on a personal level, Martí says that while a victory would be great, he just wants to perform well over the four days of running.

“I mean the confidence is high,” said Martí. “Like I said, the car is strong, we have come from a good weekend team-wise, not personally, but team-wise. Monaco has treated me well in the past. I've only come here once but I had a good time in F3, and I like the track, I really do.

“It keeps you up a bit more at night, but Monaco is just one of those special weekends, you head into with more emotion than you normally go into it. It's a different track, it's a different atmosphere, it's a weekend where everything is amplified.

“It feels a lot like everything is multiplied by two in a sense. That also adds to your mentality, and you have to be smart enough to realise that it’s just another weekend, the points are awarded the same way, so I am trying to approach it that way.

“I know what my target is, I know my target is not to win a race, it's to do the best job I can at this moment. Obviously, you want to win, that's always in the back of the head but from a realistic standpoint I'd be really happy with a good performance over the weekend.”