Round 6 Post Feature Race Press Conference

FIA Formula 2: Hello and welcome back to Barcelona where it’s time for our press conference following the FIA Formula 2 Feature Race. In third place, we have Richard Verschoor of MP Motorsport. In second, Sebastian Montoya for PREMA Racing and your winner today, Arvid Lindblad for Campos Racing. Arvid, congratulations, your first Feature Race victory in F2. How do you feel?

Arvid Lindblad: Yeah obviously I’m incredibly happy. It’s been a really good weekend and to finish off the triple-header like this and to do it at home for the team is amazing. So overall, it’s just been an amazing weekend, fast throughout, and looking forward to Austria next.

FIA Formula 2: You started from pole position, had great pace throughout the race, and then it was all about controlling the race or about hitting your strategy? Lindblad: Yeah we knew the strategy was going to be important, but the first objective was to just maintain the lead and then try not to abuse the tyres too much in the first two or three laps. And then, pull the gap and extend the first stint and manage it from there. The deg was still quite big on both compounds so it wasn’t easy, but a lot of management as expected.

FIA Formula 2: How worried were you that the other drivers on the alternative strategy might catch up with you?

Lindblad: I knew there was a risk because the alternative strategy is fast here as we’ve seen in previous years. So, I knew I had to look after the tyres and leave a little bit in reserve just in case there was an unfortunate Safety Car or something, but that kind of worked out in our favour today. I think the pace was still good enough throughout to have a good buffer.

FIA Formula 2: Getting that first Feature Race win was something you had on the mind and really wanted. Now that it’s done, you’re into the top three in the Drivers’ Championship. You look to be in top form at the moment so what can we expect from you when we come back racing in Spielberg?

Lindblad: I don’t know. I’d like to believe we’re going to challenge and hopefully win the Feature Race there as well. But that’s everyone’s goal. So we’ll see. Since Jeddah I’ve made a good step forward and I think the whole of this triple header, we’ve been really competitive. In Imola, we were fighting for the win in the Feature Race and Monaco as well we were right in the game, so I feel the last couple of rounds we’ve been there. So we’ll keep doing what we’re doing, focusing on the basics and doing everything in our control right and we’ll see where we end up. I have full faith in the team, they’ve given me a really strong package in the last couple of race weekends so I’m sure we’ll be right at the sharp end in the next couple races.

FIA Formula 2: Well congratulations on this weekend and today. Sebastián, moving on to you. It’s another podium on Sunday for you, P2 this time. Getting closer to the top step, how was the race for you? Sebastián Montoya: Yeah it was quite long. Not so hot, so can’t really complain about that, it was quite positive. I was able to get a really good start, not good enough to challenge Arvid into the first corner but good enough to defend P2. After that I was just managing the tyres. The pace was quite strong, we were just lacking that last little bit to catch and fight with Arvid, but I’m really happy. The team did a really good job making a step from yesterday to today, getting the car in the right window and I think that’s what we needed to give us and give me the chance to finish P2.

FIA Formula 2: You mentioned yesterday, it was definitely not the result you were looking for so how important was it to bounce back so quickly from the Sprint yesterday?

Montoya: Yeah, the Sprint was a bit up and down in the end, I finished P5 but then got a penalty for what happened. You have to kind of reset and in the end, I learned a lot yesterday. I learned a lot and there was a lot of good things that helped us for today. I knew from Friday that today was a separate job from Saturday. Today we had to make sure the car was in the right window and that I was driving how I’m supposed to be driving. In the end it was quite good, I think the most important thing in the end was get the start, actually get off the line.

FIA Formula 2: Get off the line but then you had Richard just chasing you throughout the race and Jak Crawford closing in on you towards the end. How tough was that race and how difficult was it to actually keep Richard at bay?

Montoya: Yeah it was a bit difficult but in the end he was really quick in the places where he couldn’t overtake, and I was quick the places where I needed to be quicker to defend. So it was quite good. It was like a yo-yo, he’d get close and then drop back and then especially because the people on the Primes were extending quite a lot, when we were catching traffic, it was about making sure he was far enough behind me where he didn’t have the opportunity to overtake. The car was in a really good area so I felt comfortable with the tyres too.

FIA Formula 2: Well done to you, Richard thanks for waiting. Back-to-back podiums in Barcelona for you this weekend. You had a great start, just talk us through that one?

Richard Verschoor: Yeah to be honest we had a long debrief yesterday because I stalled for the first time this year. So we wanted to make sure that everything went right today and I’m happy that we put in the work yesterday in order to get a very good start today. That eventually gave me the podium today so happy with the work of the team of course. The pace after that was strong but I was just behind Seb the whole time. Still I think we did a very strong race.

FIA Formula 2: You had Crawford chasing you as mentioned earlier, but you were able to hold him off crucially before the Safety Car. How did you manage the tyres and the gaps both in front and behind at the end?

Verschoor: It was definitely one of the more difficult races I’ve done. I was just trying to stay within DRS to the car in front in order to have the best chance of Jak not passing me. I’m not sure he would have even without the Safety Car because his tyres were dropping off quite a bit, especially once you start following a car close behind. But we’ll never know. In the end, I’m happy to have taken first place and it was definitely a close call. I cannot lie and say I wasn’t excited when I saw the Safety Car came out.

FIA Formula 2: You close right back up in the Drivers’ Championship after such a strong weekend here in Spain and with Red Bull Ring next, are you and the team hitting feeling like you’re back to chasing the title?

Verschoor: I feel like we have been the whole year. We’ve been very strong and very consistent. I really feel good with the team and they’ve given me a good car 95% of the time and the times that they didn’t, we managed to turn it around. I think that’s very important in this Championship. Austria is a very good track for myself and I’ve had very good results, many Dutch fans as always and last year MP was on pole, so I think we have all the ingredients to do well there.

FIA Formula 2: Well thank you very much, congratulations on a strong weekend.