Round 7 Post Qualifying Press Conference

FIA Formula 2: Welcome back to Austria where it is now time to hear from our top three qualifiers from this weekend's FIA Formula 2 Qualifying. In third place we have Richard Verschoor for MP Motorsport, in second is Victor Martins for ART Grand Prix and on Pole Position is Leonardo Fornaroli for Invicta Racing. Leo, your second Pole Position in Formula 2, two great sectors, just how much were you hanging on at the end of that lap?

Leonardo Fornaroli: To be honest, all day I've been struggling in sector three. I thought I was on the limit but I made a mistake in the last corner, a bit of margin in Turn 9, so that's where I lost all the time. Sector one and two, even if they didn't feel perfect, for me they were good enough for P1.

FIA Formula 2: Yes they were certainly good enough. Twenty-four thousandths of a second covering all three of you sat on the sofa right now. Does it make it more satisfying to come out on top of a close fight? Fornaroli: Yes of course. I'm very very happy to finish P1. Also, looking back in F3, I had two difficult Qualifyings here, so now to finish P1, it's nice.

FIA Formula 2: I won't talk about wins at this point, but after a tough Sunday in Barcelona, how important is it to get some solid points on the board this weekend?

Fornaroli: Of course it will be crucial because everything happened in Barcelona and we lost so many points. It will be important to score points this weekend and I will do my best to try and do that.

FIA Formula 2: Well done today and congratulations on your Pole Position. Victor, a front row start for you, but pole was just fourteen thousandths of a second away on your lap. How do you sum up that one? Victor Martins: It's quite familiar to me to be that close from pole. But I will say once again when you are in the top three, that's what matters. In quali, on Friday, you just need to deliver as much as you can to be there and then the weekend really starts from now on. So definitely we had a good day, I think FP was strong, we have seen some good things on the Softs. Also in Quali, what to improve if we had another Qualifying and what to expect for the Feature Race on those tyres. Definitely it's still frustrating for sure, because I felt there was a few mistakes there that I could have easily won fourteen thousandths, but we all have a bit of margin and mistakes on our lap. I think the team is doing a good job, we have bounced back from Barcelona, I think we are a bit of the pace there but now we are back in form.

FIA Formula 2: This is the fifth time on the front row for you this season. Sixth time in the top three in Qualifying, it's definitely not one lap pace you are lacking is it?

Martins: No we are definitely not lacking one lap pace. The car is always great in Qualifying. I feel I am doing a really good job to be consistent. In F2, it's tough some times to understand what is happening every time, and that's the most difficult thing, to put the car in the same window every time in quali and with the team we have a good approach for qualifying, what to be focused on, the little details that can make the difference, with tyre prep, also the brakes, to get them right before the lap and on my side to deliver a good enough lap to be in the top three. It's just this little last step to get close to a perfect lap every time. But definitely it's not what we are missing. We are just missing a clean weekend, where we start at the top like this and it's time to do it.

FIA Formula 2: Just one podium to show for it all this year. Is there anything you feel you need to do differently to convert this into a big score on Saturday and Sunday?

Martins: It's a bit of everything. I have sometimes taken too many risks. If I would have done things differently, I would have approached things differently, just knowing which guy is aggressive and which guy is not and sometimes pure luck was not on our side. Racing is so close sometimes, you can get it right, I know in quali for example, if I was starting P1, probably it would have made for a different weekend and I think I was not on pole for a few thousandths for the same thing. It's motorsport, it's like this, you just need to understand what's happening, move on, and trust the process like we say.

FIA Formula 2: Goodluck for the two races this weekend. Richard, thank you very much for waiting. Third place and as I mentioned twenty-four thousandths from pole. How do you feel about that result?

Richard Verschoor: A bit two-sided. Of course very happy to be in the top three. The team once again gave me a very good car. As the guys just said there was a bit more on the table also for me. Somehow not being able to improve on the second lap like Forna was doing the whole day is definitely something we will look at. But the car has been very good, so very pleased with the result.

FIA Formula 2: You mentioned it there being in the top three, it's your best qualifying result of the season today. Is it an area you have been working at with the team to be higher up on a Friday?

Verschoor: To be honest yes. I have been feeling very confident this year, with the team, with the car, but in Qualifying I have not always been so confident. We have been speaking a lot, the last few weeks when we had some time off, about how we can extract a bit more from the car because I always feel those uncomfortable moments in the car where the last tenth or two are missing. We have been working on it and I hope this is the first moments that I show myself that I can take out those last couple of tenths.

FIA Formula 2: Looking ahead to the races, Leo is the only other driver from the top six in the Championship Standings who has qualified in the top six for this weekend and Alex Dunne is the only other driver in the top 10. Does it mean you go out for the win on Sunday or is it about banking solid points knowing the grid is mixed up?

Verschoor: I will always go for the win. It's too early to think about the Championship. Of course I have to not take too much risk but I am not thinking about it too much. I know in the races I am always strong, overtaking wise as well. I am really looking forward to it, and also the team so far in the races have always given me a good car. We were looking at FP, we were struggling a bit more with the degradation but they always manage to turn things around. I will trust them and then go for it.

FIA Formula 2: Thanks Richard, well done everyone.