'Strong results are bringing out the best in me' - Drugovich enjoying best F2 form

19 May 2022

Felipe Drugovich says that his strong start to the 2022 Formula 2 season is bringing out the best in his driving. The MP Motorsport driver has one victory to his name and is just two points behind championship leader Théo Pourchaire.

So far, the Brazilian has finished outside of the top six just once all season, with that result coming last time out at Imola in tricky race conditions. Despite the blip, Drugovich says that his driving has been better due to the stronger and more consistent results versus last year.

“I’m feeling very good," he said ahead of this weekend's races in Barcelona.

"We’ve had some good races this year. Not everything has been really to our plans, especially the Feature Race at Imola, but I’ve been happy with the performance we’ve had in the races. We just need to focus a little bit more on Qualifying to maximise everything.

“(It's) pure results. If everything comes to you through a lot of hard work and experience, you’re just a happier guy and more relaxed. In the past few years, I was always under a little bit of pressure but this year I’m much more relaxed and everything is coming together. This year I’m a happier guy.”

Drugovich ended up 10th in the Feature Race at Imola and slipped to second in the standings. Pourchaire has an extra race win under his belt but the Brazilian's performances have remained the more consistent between the duo.

That level of consistency is something that he believes is the key factor in the 2022 title fight, even if the two-race format places less emphasis on the Sprint Races.

“I still think consistency is going to be what it takes to win the Championship, but maybe a tiny bit less than before with the new format. I think that Feature Races are valued a lot more than the Sprint now.

"It hasn’t been everything good for him (Pourchaire) but for me as well, I haven’t been able to maximise the potential. All in all, I think we’re really close in performance but from my side, I need to improve the Feature Races. Qualifying too but I think if you maximise the Feature Race then the Championship comes to you.”

This weekend marks F2's return to Barcelona for the first time since 2020. Despite the gap year, the drivers won't have much of a problem getting up to speed having tested here just last month.

The MP Motorsport man says he is feeling very at ease heading into the weekend and believes that the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will reward those who can handle the heat.

“I think mostly being able to maximise lap one of the tyre, that’s the main thing. Coping a little bit better with the temperatures too. When we tested here it was really cold, now it’s the opposite. We need to be careful with that to be able to maximise the lap.

"I feel quite relaxed. I feel quite comfortable with this track. Harder weekends for me would be Imola or something, where I don’t know the track. Here I know it, so I feel really comfortable. It doesn’t mean that the result is going to be there. Like every race, you need to outperform the others and maximise our performance, but in the meantime, I feel really comfortable.”