Interview
Amaury Cordeel was complimentary of his team’s Qualifying plans that netted him his highest grid position of the season. The Belgian driver ended the session P7 and ahead of teammate Jake Hughes. His previous best had come in Barcelona where he secured 15th on the grid.
Van Amersfoort Racing opted to run in the gap between the first and second laps from rivals. It was an approach that paid off in spades with no traffic and the entire track to prepare their tyres to complete their fastest laps.
“It was deliberate because at the end of the session, it's always a bit of a mess with traffic so we'd like to go in the middle wherever there's nobody to have a clear track and a good warm up.”
Cordeel says he has been working hard to pick up his performances so far this season. He said after the session that his work in the simulator has been at the forefront of his preparations for races, though the return to a more conventional circuit this weekend has also helped him find his footing.
“I was struggling in the beginning of the season, but also because there are a lot of street circuits and unknown circuits. Now there are a lot of my favourite circuits coming up, like the Red Bull Ring, Spa, Zandvoort, I like these tracks a lot more. So I think that gives me a confidence boost.
“I've been training on the sim a lot just for this one, more than normal. Also physically training a lot because that we can drive more laps and gain more performance.”
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The VAR driver was also pleased with the strides forward the team has made with the car itself for the Spielberg weekend. Cordeel says that the team’s understanding of the car has been much improved.
Though the team recorded its strongest performance in Qualifying of the season, he admits that there is still time to find and details in need of ironing out going forward.
“I think we made some great steps and we are understanding the car more and more. So that's a good point. I’m happy with the steps we made, but I think we still need a small step to be in the front. I think we're up to three-tenths off, so we still have some work to do, but I think we are heading in the right direction. So that's a good point.
"It’s good of course, I think it's fine for me and the team for all the hard work we have done over the races to finally pay off a bit. But we still have work to do, because tomorrow we have to race and Sunday also. We have to find the right setup for the race. Keep the position or move higher.”
Looking ahead to the Sprint and Feature Races, Cordeel says there’s no reason why he can’t hold onto his position in the points. The Belgian said that even if the weather turned, it would be a great opportunity to register points on the board and he hoped to capitalise should the rain fall during either of the F2 races.
“I just want to make a good start and have a good base. Keep the position or maybe go higher and get to the podium. Rain is always a bit tricky, but it's also fun because you never know what's happening. Also, which car is better? Which team is better? It's always exciting because it's a lot happening in these races. So it's an opportunity to take advantage of some mistakes from the other teams and to win some more places.”