Taking more silverware in the first two rounds than he did in all of 2021, Richard Verschoor has had no issues transitioning to Trident, although the Dutchman insists he’s keen to remain grounded despite currently sitting third in the Drivers’ Championship.

Verschoor clinched Trident’s first Formula 2 win in the opening round at Sakhir and followed it up with another podium in Round 2 at Jeddah, putting him third in the standings, two points off title favourite Liam Lawson, in second.

Making a return to Europe for testing in Barcelona, the Dutchman says the team have enjoyed a similar level of performance in Spain.

Asked whether he expected to start the season as strongly as he has done, Verschoor replied: “To be really honest, not really - it isn't that I didn't believe in us, but I am very Dutch and very realistic!

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Verschoor scored Tridents first F2 win in Round 1 at Sakhir and also took a podium in Round 2 at Jeddah
Verschoor scored Trident's first F2 win in Round 1 at Sakhir and also took a podium in Round 2 at Jeddah

“I was feeling good after the first test though, and after scoring some good results in the first two rounds, I don't see why I wouldn't be confident for the next few rounds. We've been to three tracks now and the car has felt really good at all three of them. It gives me and the team a lot of confidence.

“I already have one more trophy than last year after two rounds. I like to have some silverware: it keeps me and the team motivated. We are happy, we are doing our best and we are looking forward to the next round now.”

Finishing 11th in 2021, Verschoor’s sole trophy came from an emphatic race win at Silverstone with MP Motorsport.

Switching to Trident for his second year at this level, Verschoor has three top-five finishes from the first four races and said that while he doesn’t expect to be on the podium all the time, he feels capable of achieving more than he did in his rookie year.

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Verschoor has quickly gotten then hang of his new machinery
Verschoor has quickly gotten then hang of his new machinery

“I feel much more confident,” he said. “The team have given me a lot of confidence. They aren’t hard on me when I make mistakes and they have a nice way of working. I feel good, more experienced, and I feel like my general understanding is much more developed now.

“At the start of the season, we tweaked the car a bit so that it was more to my style. There are always things to improve and that is what we have been working on in Barcelona. I think our baseline package is quite okay now.

“We have to try and achieve the best we can every weekend. If that isn't a podium, then we have to ensure we are always in the top five, top six, scoring good points. I am not expecting to be on the podium every race, but we want to be in the top eight in Qualifying and go from there.”