Building blocks in place to win: DAMS testing round-up

27 February 2023

2022 was a transitional season for DAMS that turned into one with a lot of promise heading into this one. Ayumu Iwasa took the final win of the season and going into 2023, the Japanese driver is tipped to fight for the Formula 2 crown.

The French team underwent a change of ownership as Charles Pic took over the outfit, and the pieces have gradually been put in place for the future. In the short term, that has put DAMS in the frame for a title bid, and that is a feeling that is shared by new Team Principal, Yannick Hubert.

His arrival at DAMS has brought with it a few more changes within the team, and they are having a positive effect already, boosting confidence ahead of Round 1 in Sakhir, Bahrain.

“My everyday job is to put the right people in the right place, doing the right analysis or work. So, it's clear that last year, when Charles bought the team, they had to make changes. It was not an easy one for everybody and it created a bit of tension, but now with all the people we have got, we are capable to deliver goods.

“When Charles took over, we lacked a few personnel across the board. At the beginning of this season, every single position is filled, and everybody is working together which is already showing from my point of view.”

The 2023 DAMS line-up has a combination of experience and exuberance. Joining Iwasa for 2023 is Arthur Leclerc, who graduates from Formula 3 with high hopes. The Monégasque got his first taste of F2 last year in the post-season testing at Yas Marina, and he has been finding his feet at the team over the winter.

While he is joining DAMS as part of a wave of change, his new team boss is confident that the work that’s gone in already will pay dividends early on. Expectations will of course be different to his teammate, who has a year of experience under his belt already, but the team expects starts on the front foot for 2023.

“It was positive. We've not been a consistent frontrunner in F2 since winning the Teams' title in 2019 but in testing, you never know do you. So being in the top five every day was already a positive, particularly for Arthur. He was good, I think he built and we build the confidence together, that's the main area for me.

“Our main target is to make sure all the psychological foundations are in place. You've seen last year in F3 he was a bit up and down. This year we are very happy to get him in the team because we know that he's talented, but we also know that he can do better race management sometimes. And that's why Charles (Pic) pushed to get him because we think we can help in this area.

“Last year in Formula 3, it looks like tyre management was not the key factor, they didn't have to save much in the race, so they could push like Qualifying laps. And it's not the case in Formula 2. You have to manage it more like what they face in Formula 1. So it's a bit different compared to what he used to do last year.”

Across the garage, Iwasa is looking to build on what was an impressive rookie season that brought him the Anthoine Hubert Award. The Japanese driver made a promising start to the ’22 campaign and after a dip in form during the middle-third of the season, ended on the best note possible. His victory in Abu Dhabi in the final race of the season has raised expectations for him going into this year.

Iwasa says that he is ready for the pressure of a title fight and Hubert says that his driver is more than capable of battling his way to the title. With the pieces in place at the team and the experienced driver leading the charge, DAMS has high expectations of Iwasa’s follow-up effort in 2023.

“We think that he has the talent to do so. He's a hard worker, an intelligent guy. Between talent, performance and experience, which will bring less mistakes, I'm sure he can be a contender for the title.

“I expect Ayumu to clearly be a front runner. This year, it's quite difficult because this is more or less the highest level we’ve faced in Formula 2, so it's very tricky to say who will be first in the next couple of months. But, we want him to be fighting for first position. For Arthur, it's a different approach. We consider that he needs time to build performance. It's very clear in my management with him, we go step by step. So first, we are happy to be top 10 and then we build the confidence and the performance together to go further ahead during the season.”

With testing in the books, the focus switches to Round 1 and the opening weekend of the 2023 season. Hubert says that the three-day stint last week was smooth sailing for the French outfit and that both drivers were ready for whatever Bahrain brings.

“It looked to be great. From our perspective at least, we all know that everybody hides a bit in a way. But on the Qualifying laps, we were all the time within a good position. Race laps was more difficult to judge. Some race runs have been really good and efficient for both of the drivers. Some were more difficult with some set-up tests which was very positive. So basically, we are quite happy with what we showed in testing with both of our drivers.”