Compromise and identifying balance: How I Race with Oliver Goethe

MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe talks all about driving style and adaptation in FIA Formula 2. From identifying strengths and minimising weaknesses to learning how to best utilise the tools at his disposal, Goethe explains how he goes about going fast.

“I think it depends a bit on the track and the conditions. It's important to have a very good front end in order to avoid understeer. Rotation is really important.

“However, especially in the Formula 2 car, when it's really hot, it's very easy to overheat the rears. So, you know, you have to find the right balance of how much oversteer you can have because it's easy to overdo and underdo and that's what's difficult about finding the perfect balance.

“But, in general, I think good rotation is the most important for me. It's all about adapting, conditions change a lot. There's really a thin line when trying to find the perfect balance, as I said. Also, to drive it properly is difficult.

“It's easy to overdo it with the driving. It's about precision and adapting. I think in F2 especially it's very sensitive with the tyres. It's difficult to stay in the perfect working window. It's something you have to learn as a driver in F2.

“As soon as you start to overdrive the car, it's very easy to lose the peak of the tyres and go in a bit of a downward spiral. It's important to not overdo it, but also to not underdo it, because otherwise you're just too slow. It's really about being precise and managing the tyres well.

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“In Barcelona for example, you need to manage the tyre on a quali lap, because you need to have the tyre at the end of the lap in the high-speed right-hander. Qualifying is the same sort of picture, just on a smaller scale. Obviously, the race is longer, so you need to manage it for longer.

“But even in qualifying, it's very easy to overheat the rear tyres with how hard everyone is pushing. Not just in Barcelona, I think in general on the softer compounds it's often easy to overheat the tyre. But it's the same for everyone, so it's important to find the right balance for the car, as well as being perfect with the driving.”