Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak on his increased confidence, learning with ART and support from Thailand

The Miami weekend may not have gone the way he would have hoped, but Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak’s confidence is still as high as it has ever been.

Inthraphuvasak stepped up with ART Grand Prix to FIA Formula 2 in 2026 for his rookie season, and after two rounds, the results have been mixed.

The Thai driver’s campaign got off to a good start with a double points return in Melbourne. But in Miami, he left without scoring after also colliding with Nikola Tsolov at Turn 1 of the Feature Race.

Inthraphuvasak acknowledged the incident was his fault and apologised to the Campos Racing driver, but reflecting on it all, he is still feeling good about his and ART’s chances this season.

“F2 has been treating me really well so far,” says Inthraphuvasak. “Here with a new team this year, it's been going really well working with ART. I feel really comfortable with everyone in the team and I feel very gelled in with them.

“Miami was just a very difficult weekend in general. But something that was always there was our pace. So now it's just about putting things together and that has not affected my confidence for the rest of the season. I'm still super confident.”

ADAPTING TO FORMULA 2

Inthraphuvasak like other rookies stepping up from Formula 3 have been adapting to F2, especially to the new car.

The 20-year-old explained the difference between the two categories and their machineries, revealing that Formula 2 requires a calmer way of driving.

“I think with the steering inputs, for example, you have to be a lot smoother and a lot calmer,” Inthraphuvasak details.

“With how heavy the car is, the weight distribution and the weight transfer has a lot of effect with every little movement you make with the car. Everything has to be a lot calmer, but I've found adapting to the car very fun and I'm always up for the challenge.”

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IMPROVING YEAR ON YEAR

One of the reasons Inthraphuvasak is so excited about the test of adapting to F2, and confident about his chances this season, is because of what he has achieved over the last couple of years.

The ART driver had a stellar 2025 Formula 3 campaign. His three victories – including at the season-ending Monza Feature Race – was only bettered by champion Rafael Câmara’s four.

Inthraphuvasak finished seventh in the championship with 74 points, a huge improvement from his rookie year where he scored just nine points and was 24th in the Standings.

“Looking back on the first season in F3, I think I'm a completely different driver,” he says. “I'm a much more mature person as well compared to that season.

“I learned a lot from that season. My mindset is completely different to how it was at the start.”

So what changed? A move to Campos – who won the Teams’ title last year in F3 – helped, getting to work within the environment at the Spanish outfit, as well as learning from experienced teammates like Tsolov and Mari Boya.

This allowed him to improve through the year, even when the season did not get off to the best of starts.

“I had a lot of speed from the very beginning of the season,” he recaps. “I was very confident with the package we had but I never really put it together at the start.

“But I managed to find a better way to approach qualifying and I put myself in a better zone to perform all the time. You saw that at the end of the season.

“Obviously, with two very experienced and very quick teammates alongside me, it helped me a lot and pushed me so much throughout the whole year.

“I think my relationship with my engineer, who I worked with in the past also helped a lot. We had a lot of chemistry together and the working environment in the team was pretty good. I think that's how I developed myself really quickly as a driver through the season.”

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LOVE FROM THAILAND

It wound up being a big season for Inthraphuvasak as he also made history by becoming the first Thai driver to win in Formula 3.

The ART rookie is now following in the footsteps of Alex Albon by becoming the second driver from Thailand to race in Formula 2.

Inthraphuvasak praised Albon for what he has done for Thai motorsport and hopes to join the current Williams F1 driver on the grid soon.

“It's honestly amazing to see how many Thai fans that are now interested in the sport,” says Inthraphuvasak. “I see so many people interested in motorsport now, which is so cool to me.

“Obviously, with Alex in Formula 1, he's helped build a platform and helped bring a lot of Thai fans into the sport, which is also something I'm inspired to do in the future. It means the world to me to have the Thai fans supporting me from back home, whether it's on TV or at the races.

“I think the wins last year also helped me build a Thai fanbase that are always supporting me.

“It’s my dream have a home race in Formula 1 and hopefully be there one day to race at my home circuit. It would be amazing to have an event in Thailand, it would be different to any other weekend on the calendar.”

CARRYING CONFIDENCE FORWARD

Before talks of Formula 1 can happen, Inthraphuvasak knows he has work to do in Formula 2. Despite the tough weekend in Miami – a brand-new track – his confidence is still high.

Montreal, which will be another new venue, is next up, before the paddock heads to Monte Carlo as the European leg of the calendar begins.

Heading into these next few weekends, Inthraphuvasak is confident that he and ART have what it takes to be competitive.

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“I'm really, really confident,” he says. “This is the most confidence I've had in I don't know how long. With how we ended the season last year in F3, it built my confidence up so much and I'm trying to really bring that momentum into this year.

“I'm really working well with the team. I think everyone in the team is so motivated to do well this season and really build a very good environment for me to keep growing as a driver.

“So I'm looking forward to Montreal and to hopefully get the results we deserve.”