Serious business and going between the ropes: Getting to know the real Amaury Cordeel

26 April 2023

One of the drivers to switch colours for 2023, Amaury Cordeel is gearing up for the Baku race weekend as the Formula 2 drivers take on the third street circuit in four races.

The Invicta Virtuosi Racing driver took some time out of his preparations to answer some pressing questions in order to get to know him a little better.

WHERE DO YOU CONSIDER HOME?

"Belgium. I have my own place near Antwerp, that’s my home. I live there at the moment and I’ve lived there for all my life. I like it a lot.”

OUTSIDE OF MOTORSPORT, WHICH ATHLETE DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST?

“I admire Lionel Messi, he’s very passionate and the guy is not human, his skill is so good. I also like boxing so I have a great respect for boxers because they have to sacrifice a lot.”

WHO ARE YOUR FRIENDS ON THE GRID?

“Jack Doohan obviously, he’s my teammate and I think I get along well with him. I think also Victor Martins, I know him from the past so I think these are the two main ones.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CHEAT MEAL?

“I would say sandwiches with Nutella.”

IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND RELIVE ANY MOMENT FROM YOUR CAREER, WHAT MOMENT WOULD IT BE?

“The last round of the Spanish F4 season when I won the Championship. It was thriller because I needed to pass a lot of guys and by the end, I managed to do it. It was a huge relief and it was a good feeling. With every car I passed, I was getting more and more confident but you also have to keep your head straight and keep cool because a mistake can be made quickly.

“I think I had a lot of stress so it was a big relief to cross the line and win but I was also buzzing because it was a big moment for me.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE OR TV SERIES?

“Peaky Blinders, I really like watching that.”

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T A RACING DRIVER?

“I think I would be involved in some kind of business. I’m doing it a bit now, combining it with my racing but obviously my main focus is on the track. I would like to work in an area of business unrelated to motorsport. I think I would also do some boxing as well.”

WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTNED TO?

“I think it was named Messi but it’s a Belgian rap song.”

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN?

“Stay cool and don’t over push. I think my engineer in Formula Renault gave me that.”

FAVOURITE PLACE YOU’VE EVER VISITED AND ONE YOU’D LIKE TO GO TO?

“My favourite place is the Maldives, I really like it and you can really relax and have a nice time. One I want to go to is Iceland to see the northern lights. I want to do it in the summer with friends, we’re planning it now if we have the time over the break.”

BEST THING ABOUT BEING A RACING DRIVER?

“Getting to drive the cars.”

WHAT DO YOU DO AWAY FROM THE RACING TO RELAX?

“I work so my mind is not too busy with racing. I think it’s good when you're out of racing to be concentrating on something else. In my mind it’s not good to be busy in every moment with racing because then you overthink things and get too stressed. That’s how I relax. Also I just spend time with family and friends.”

FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE F2 CALENDAR?

“Spa-Francorchamps or Monaco. The speed through Eau Rouge is flat out, the feeling is nice because of the elevation, starting so low and then rising up high. Then the combination of low and high speed sections make for a great track. Everything combined means it has a great variation. I really like it. I am looking forward to Monaco though. The whole atmosphere is amazing and the weekend is very special.”