AIX rookies Duerksen and Barnard on working together to drive team forward in F2

13 May 2024

With a brand-new car for 2024, Formula 2 had an added dimension for every driver to overcome. For AIX Racing teammates Joshua Duerksen and Taylor Barnard though, both have embarked on their maiden campaigns in the Championship alongside a fellow rookie.

The duo has faced a steep learning curve so far, but there have been positives at this very early stage of the year. For Barnard, he made a splash on debut, securing a top 10 in his first F2 Qualifying session in Sakhir, while Duerksen was perhaps unfortunate to not end up in the points in Bahrain and then Jeddah a week later.

Ahead of the return to racing, both reflected on their efforts so far, learning as rookies alongside one another and their expectations going forward.

“At the moment, the experience in F2 has been great and a lot to learn for us and for the team,” Duerksen explained. “It's a new car and it's really tough because the field is very competitive. All the teams are very good, the challenge is really high, but at the moment, Taylor and I think we are adapting quite well, learning the car more after every lap.”

These are sentiments echoed by Barnard, who was given the nod late in pre-season to make his F2 debut in 2024 after a promising F3 campaign in 2023.

For the Briton, he entered the year with low expectations but with the longer-term view that with more experience, he along with Duerksen and the team would be able to compete and show their potential on a more frequent basis.

“It's been difficult - the results have shown that, but we've shown we have a good potential,” said Barnard. “I think between the team and myself, the mentality was to not really expect many results for the first three rounds, just learn as much as you can, focus on learning the car and getting experience.

Duerksen says that their differing styles are useful in gathering as much data as possible

“Then after the test when we get to the European tracks, start to put the hammer down and really go for some results. The three days of testing was huge for us to get time in the car, and that's going to help us to close the gap.”

Duerksen arrived in F2 having competed in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine last year.

Barnard had one year of F3 experience under his belt, but both have found the nuances of the new F2 car tricky to learn, especially with such limited time behind the wheel compared to more experienced rivals.

"The first few races were always going to be difficult but after the test we have had more time in the car, we can aim for more”

Duerksen: “The learning curve gets lower every time we drive the car, because for me anyway, the jump from FRECA to F2 is quite big, especially the downforce and the cornering speeds you can take. The driving style is not too far away, and for Taylor, I think it was the other way around. He's used to the high speeds, but jump from F3 to F2 is different, so it's quite interesting.”

Barnard added: “This car doesn't really suit my style, so I had to try to learn something new. When other people have come from FRECA or F3, it’s quite difficult. Coming in as rookies, we didn't expect any results and having a new car and a rookie teammate definitely does ease the pressure.

“However, my mindset going into this year was that the first few races were always going to be difficult, try learn what I can, but after the test when we have had some more time in the car, we can aim for more.”

Their learning processes have differed quite a lot according to the pairing, though that isn’t solely down to where each have come from last season.

Barnard hit the ground running in Sakhir Qualifying but expects the team to make further strides as the year goes on

The AIX teammates admit that both their driving and learning styles are quite different to the other, but that it has been something of a strength in recognising areas to adapt and improve for both of them.

”We have quite different styles so in that way, we can bounce off each other quite nicely,” the British driver says. “Even off track, the way that we work is also the opposite. But I think we can learn in that aspect from each other and take the good bits from each other.

“There’s good and bad parts to it. When you look at the data, we both have completely separate styles in some corners, his style is better than mine. And for me to completely change what I'm doing is very difficult. But when there's small things which are quite easy to adapt to, it's a benefit.”

"In some corners, maybe he's driving better but then other corners, my style works better. So, it's a good combination"

For Duerksen, it also means that they can identify where the car works and what needs working on more clearly, with their differing styles and post-session debriefs uncovering what is down to car setup and what is purely affected by driving style.

“We’re learning from each other a lot. After each session, we talk, ask each other about the balance, ‘What did he feel? What does he think about this and that?’ We are working together to keep growing.

“With two different driving styles, it can help. At some tracks, maybe his driving style works, it's always different, but we know that our driving styles are different, so we know already on the data if he has something that's happening on the car that it may be because of driving style.

“From my side, we know the car characteristics, the real balance the car has and it's quite good because this way, we learn from each other. In some corners, maybe he's driving some corners better but then other corners, my style works better. So, it's a good combination.”

The team learned plenty during the in-season test and are now targeting greater results

With in-season testing in the books, both have had another three days of track time that according to both drivers were crucial for them and the team.

Barnard showed just how much testing can make a difference on confidence alone. He put together a stellar second half of the campaign following the ’23 in-season F3 tests that culminated in a maiden F3 podium and Feature Race victory at Spa-Francorchamps later in the year.

“Testing will help us catch up,” he said. “Our main focus was to just learn as much as we can and then focus after the test on getting the results. Imola is one of my favourite tracks. It's got a really nice flow. I drove there last year in testing, and it was really good, and that came after the Barcelona test, so we'd made a step. I'm hoping that the same will happen again this year.”

Of course, as racing drivers, the pair will always want to beat the other and that competitive instinct is no different, new team and Championship or not. But their working relationship has been mutually beneficial and helped to drive the team on after their maiden F2 season last year.

The Paraguayan driver says that while the desire to be quickest remains, helping the team must come first or both face being left playing catchup during a race weekend.

“Everybody wants to be the quickest, but we know that we have to come together and work together to keep pushing and to keep improving. Hiding secrets doesn't really help because in the end, the whole team is not pushing forward. So, I think we're quite honest and transparent and we tell each other everything so that helps a lot.”

Barnard added: “There’s positives on and off track so I'm happy. We knew each other quite well before and I think the teamwork between us has been great so far. I'm expecting 2024 to get better when we both get more experience and start to get better results.”