Goethe reflects on the ‘crazy’ 24 hours following Monza call-up with MP Motorsport

Oliver Goethe is hoping to score points at Monza despite never having competed in a Formula 2 race weekend previously, as he prepares to make his debut in the Championship with MP Motorsport.

Following Franco Colapinto’s call up to Formula 1 with Williams Racing, MP announced that Goethe would be stepping into seat vacated by the Argentine at the Temple of Speed.

Goethe had been preparing to race at Monza in Formula 3, where he had an outside chance of winning the title, but his attentions will now shift to getting up to speed as quickly as possible in F2.

READ MORE: Confident Martins eyeing battle for the top positions at Monza

“It’s been crazy,” said Goethe, reflecting on the last 24 hours since it was confirmed he would step up to Formula 2. “It was very unexpected, a very late call. I found out yesterday, so I am really excited for this opportunity, it's really good experience.

“My goal is to do F2 next year so it gives me that slight upper hand compared to other rookies having driven the car now this season.”

Explaining how it all came together, Goethe continued: “Of course I had just found out about the news of Franco going to F1 on Tuesday, shortly before it was announced.

“That freed up a seat and we tried to get that straight away. So, this was on Tuesday, we already had talks but then the team had to make a decision on who they would take. If they would take me, they're fighting for the Teams' Championship, so it's a bit of a risk for them.

“But I mean as soon as they made the decision, I was super excited and really grateful for the opportunity. It's going to be tough of course because I have a lot less experience.

“I didn't even do any sim preparation for F2 and I haven't driven this car. So, it will be tough but I will try to learn as much as possible, enjoy myself and everything else comes as a bonus.”

What to Watch for: The key storylines to look out for in Monza as the action resumes

On Monday, Goethe would have been expecting to fly to Italy with Campos Racing in F3, plotting how he could win the title. Sat seventh in the Standings with 94 points, he trailed leader Leonardo Fornaroli by 35 points.

But with the quick graduation to Formula 2, he admits there has had to be a mentality shift, which means his attitude to the weekend will be different.

“I have to approach it differently to F3,” he explained. “In F3 I had nothing to lose this weekend, I had to try and get the best results possible to gain positions in the Championship.

“It was really tight in front of me, the title was a bit of a longshot but to fight for top five and top three was for sure possible. But the approach in F2 for me is taking as much information on as possible, learning as much as possible with this team.

Monza Preview: A rapid start to the final portion of the year

“Of course, I still want to get a good result, be competitive and I am always going to have that mentality, but I am just looking to learn as much as possible really.”

One thing Goethe is pleased about is that this call up is happening at Monza, a track he knows well. So, while he will be getting used to his new car, adapting to the circuit will not be a problem.

So, between now and Free Practice the Red Bull Junior Team prospect revealed he will be chewing over the data with his engineers, watching any onboard footage he can find and looking for “trends in the Championship”.

With all of that, he hopes to put himself in a position to score points this weekend, helping third-placed MP close the 24-point deficit they currently have to Invicta Racing and Campos Racing in the Teams’ Standings.

“Apart from learning as much as possible, I'd like to fight within the midfield for points,” added Goethe. “I'll do the best I can, that's all you can do at the end of the day, but I'll be very happy if I am fighting for points.

“They are a very strong team, they have been good all year, so I know I have the car underneath me, it's more about how quickly I can adapt. I think scoring points will be a good target but the main focus is to learn as much as possible.”