Enzo Fittipaldi: 'We can fight for podiums and wins regularly'

He has scored points in six of the past seven races and Enzo Fittipaldi says he and his Charouz Racing System team are a long way from being done yet.

The Brazilian has gradually found full fitness once again following his accident last season in Jeddah and says that he is pleased with the recovery, but his expectations have also risen as a result. We caught up with him ahead of the seventh round of the 2022 season to get his thoughts on how the campaign has unfolded so far as well as his targets for the rest of the campaign.

“I think it's been a really good beginning to the season. It was a bit difficult because I was still recovering from my accident in the first round. So physically, I still wasn't 100%. But as the races went on, it’s gotten better and better, and the team as well. We're working really well together, maximising the result every race week and we got the podium. Ever since that podium, we've made a big step, so I'm really happy about it. In Barcelona, we finished twice in the points and in Monaco, twice in the top five.”

His points-scoring run puts him in a group of four on the Formula 2 grid that includes Championship leader Felipe Drugovich that can boast a run of form the same as Fittipaldi.

It has taken a little longer for Fittipaldi to get accustomed to his new car but now he feels ready to fight at the sharp end of the grid and overcoming Qualifying struggles is the key reason according to the man himself.

“To be honest, we’re really fast always in Qualifying, just had a little issue in the pitstop and then afterwards, my lap was a bit messy, but we should have qualified there already in the top eight because we were really competitive. In the races we had really good pace, especially in the Feature Race. I started 15th and we finished second. It was a really good result. Our pace was probably the fastest on track.

"I was really happy about that and to get that podium in Imola after everything that happened last year, that was like a dream. Really it was a dream. It was amazing to get that podium and spray some champagne for the whole team. It was amazing.

“It's my first season in Formula 2 so I’m still learning and adapting to the car. I think having a lot of race weekends back-to-back-to-back and not having a lot of break in between, you're always driving at least twice every month and I like that a lot. We're able to build as a team, keep moving forward. It's not like last year where you would have a race. Sometimes there's a break of two months until the next race. I really like the format this year. I think it's really good.”

Since the Sprint Race at Imola, Fittipaldi has taken points in every race in which he has reached the chequered flag, bringing him up to eighth in the Drivers' Championship and nine points off of Logan Sargeant in fourth place.

Fittipaldi says his goal for the remainder of the season is to continue to build on his current form and maximise his results even when they're out of a podium fight.

“The tests in the beginning of the year, they were pretty good considering that it was my first time back in the car after the accident. But we knew what we had to work on and that was our Qualifying pace. Because our race pace has always been strong. I think we've got that sorted out since Barcelona. Now I feel good and confident on one lap and I think we can have more confidence that we can get a top 10 in Qualifying.”

“Clear mindset, keep it just like I've been doing every other race weekend. We go in there and do what we have to do. And just try and maximise the situation. Free Practice will be really important, trying to get as many laps as possible and minimise mistakes from my side. The more laps I do the better it is for me because I’m learning and I think I've gotten up to speed rather pretty good results. My goal is to continue in the top 10 because consistency is critical. We've shown that this season. We've finished every race in the top 12. We just need to continue being consistent. Always trying to learn something new. Every time I go out and continue developing my skills on track.

That consistency-focused doesn't mean he is setting his goals lower by any means. In fact, the Charouz driver was keen to stress he is now targeting wins and podiums for the rest of the 2022 season and is confident a maiden F2 victory is on the table.

“I think the baseline for the rest of the season looking where we are now. I would say top 10 Qualifying and then to fight for points in the race. I’m 100% sure we have the pace to do that. It’s just about consistency because there's gonna be some races where we're gonna get some podiums, we just always have to be there. If you’re always in the top 10 every race weekend, you’re always in the mix and that's very important and that starts in Qualifying. We’re able to qualify in the top 10 and I’m sure we'll be fighting for a lot of wins and podiums because we have very good race pace. We just have to put everything together and keep carry this good momentum for the rest of the races. 100% percent there’s still got a lot to show. There’s still nine rounds left and a lot more to come.

“At the beginning of the season, if you look at a data graph, physically it was difficult because I’d just had the accident, so I was down at the bottom. Ever since then, it's just been continuous upward growth. We’re just getting stronger, and the goal is to not plateau and stay there. Our goal is to continue with this momentum and rhythm and be fighting for wins.”