Stanek hoping for ‘better times’ at his ‘favourite track’ in Spielberg

Roman Stanek and Trident had a difficult weekend in Barcelona, leaving without scoring a single point. But the Czech driver is now turning his focus to Spielberg with his eyes set on fighting closer to the front.

It was a trying few days for Stanek at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as after qualifying in P21, he finished the Sprint Race in P22 before ending up 17th for the Feature.

But ahead of the action getting underway at the Red Bull Ring for Round 7, he says he is looking forward to being back in the car around his “favourite track”.

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“Obviously I feel very good,” said Stanek on racing in Spielberg. “It's my favourite track actually, the Red Bull Ring is a nice place, it's surrounded by beautiful scenery, I grew up five hours from here and where I live is very similar to here.

“Obviously Barcelona was a struggle for both myself and my teammate. We didn't have the car where we should and I'm just hoping for better times.

“We've been struggling at some races already this season so I think mentality is key, to keep your head straight, to focus and do the best that you can.”

The end of this weekend’s action will mark the halfway point of the Formula 2 season. It is also the second round of three consecutive race weekends, with Silverstone bringing a close to the triple header.

Stanek says he likes how busy this time of year can be in the Formula 2 calendar insisting that there is “nothing better” than spending three days in an F2 car.

He will be doing so again in Spielberg but this time he will be hoping for a more positive result, as he revealed some of the keys to being successful in Austria.

“I think you need to be on it as a driver but also need a car that is supportive,” he explained. “You need to have trust in the car, and the tow always plays a big role at a track like this.

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“You can gain a lot with the right tow, but you can’t be too close otherwise you lose downforce in Turn 6, Turn 7, and Turn 9, and the last corner. But you definitely want to stay behind someone to have less drag on the straight.”

On his goals for the weekend, Stanek revealed he is targeting a top five result in Qualifying, looking to put himself in a good position for both races.

“First of all, we have to be very on it in the qualifying,” he said. “We are aiming for a top five result. Like in Barcelona we have always had the pace to be up there in Qualifying, me and my teammate, and then focus on the races.

“The races in F2 they are long, you need good pace, you need to be really on it with your head, to not make any mistakes, and pitstops are very important. So, I'm looking forward to it, I am positive looking forward to this weekend.”