Round 12 Post-Feature Race 2 Press Conference

FIA Formula 2: Hello and welcome to today's FIA Formula 2 Press Conference following the Feature Race here at the Baku City Circuit. Joining us this morning: in third place, Alexander Dunne for Rodin Motorsport; in second place, Nikola Tsolov for Campos Racing; and the winner of today's race, Rafael Câmara for Invicta Racing. Starting with you, Rafa, congratulations. This is your third win this season. It was a race that took a lot of twists and turns. Can you tell us about it?

Rafael Câmara: Yeah, I mean, it was a long race for me, all the way behind Alex. I think on the Supersoft, in the first stint, we were quite good, but after that, every time I was getting close to Alex, it was tricky to follow behind. Then it was difficult to get a chance into Turn 1. Overall, it was very good because he had a penalty, but it felt like we won a bit more, and it was a bit tricky today.

FIA Formula 2: You mentioned that you were informed there was a five-second time penalty for Alex. How much did that affect your ability to try to pass him, or did it mean playing it safer?

Câmara: Probably at the beginning of the stint I could try a bit as well with the good tyres, but after that, even if I tried, I couldn't overtake him. I think he was just better overall. It was tricky to follow and get close enough to try something, but in the end it was a very good weekend for us in terms of the championship. Yesterday we also scored what we could, and I think it was a positive weekend overall.

FIA Formula 2: You have extended your championship lead heading into the next round. That was the objective coming into the round, but at any point during this weekend did you think it might be difficult, or was it a given?

Câmara Not really. I knew it was a new track, a street circuit, but looking at the past years, the team has always been good here. I knew that by doing the work beforehand and preparing well, we could be there fighting for both positions in the races. In the end, we were quite strong from FP. In qualifying, I think we were always there. Overall, throughout the weekend, we always had a chance to be fighting, so I think it was a very positive weekend, even though it was a new track. Now we just keep working and see what happens in the final two rounds.

FIA Formula 2: Congratulations for today. Moving on to you, Nikola. It is P2 after starting from 11th. You must be quite pleased with that comeback today?

Nikola Tsolov: Yeah, overall I am pleased with the result, but I am more pleased with what we did, to be honest. It has been a tough couple of rounds, and especially this weekend we did not have the pace at all. Starting the Sprint from pole, usually whenever we are in the top three or top five, we are fighting for the win, and it has been really hard on me and hard on the team. But we never gave up, and that is what I am really proud of. All the hard work we have put in to improve the car every round, and especially this weekend, and the step we have made, for me this is more than a win. Personally, this is a fight with ourselves that we have been having, and we have overcome it. We have overcome a lot of tough moments this year, so I am really proud of what we have done as a team, and I am happy to be here.

FIA Formula 2: The decision to stay out during the VSC proved crucial. What were you discussing with the team during those moments? It worked perfectly for you.

Tsolov: We were prepared to pit every time there was a VSC, but I ended up passing the pit entry line each time before it was deployed. It was just the situation. To be honest, I thought we would lose time, but in the end we were really fast on the Supersoft in the first stint. Staying out gave us the advantage of extending while cooling down the tyres and having better grip. Then I was really surprised when they told me, 'It is looking good. You are coming out virtually P5.' I was like, 'Oh, we are actually in the fight.' At that point I was pretty happy to hear that. From there, I just built on it. I had a lot of pace, and trying to catch these two guys was difficult, but I managed to arrive in the end.

FIA Formula 2: You mentioned it was difficult to catch them, but you looked very quick towards the end of the race. Did you think at any moment that you could fight these two for the win?

Tsolov: Maybe with five laps to go, but I thought they were a bit too far away to catch. Then, when Alex started to struggle a little more, Rafa got the DRS, so at that point I thought it was going to be harder. Even if I caught them, I thought it would be hard to pass Rafa because passing Martinius, who was much slower and without DRS, was very difficult. I knew it was going to be really tough, and I accepted both situations at that point. I was prepared for everything, but deep inside I always pushed to get that last bit. Obviously, with Rafa, I was going to risk a little more to overtake if it came to that point.

FIA Formula 2: Thank you very much. Good job today. Alex, moving on to you. It is P3, but you led across the line at the chequered flag. It is probably a bittersweet podium, but you were impressive all weekend. How do you reflect on that race and the weekend overall?

Alexander Dunne: I do not know. I just want to go home, to be honest. No, it has been a really good weekend. We were on the front row for both races, took pole, and I won both races on track. Apart from one silly little mistake, in terms of driving and on my side, I do not think I left much out there, which is what I said I would do at the beginning of the weekend. The car was really good all weekend, and the team really turned it around. Today we probably struggled a little more, but it is not going to be perfect every time. I think I still managed to hang on pretty well, and the car was good enough to hang on, even though we were struggling in front of Rafa and Nikola towards the end. Ultimately, as far as weekends go, I think it was pretty good.

FIA Formula 2: Were you surprised when you came out of the pit lane behind Martinius and Rafael after the pit stop? You looked to have gained some time during the VSC.

Dunne: Yeah, I was a little bit confused because I was in the pit lane when the VSC came out, and from what I was told, I had gained quite a bit, but it did not really seem to look that way. Maybe my out-lap was a bit slower, or maybe they had really strong pace for the next couple of laps on the supersoft. I am not sure what was happening, but in the end it worked out okay. I managed to get Martinius straight away, and I got past Rafa with the DRS because he was on cold tyres. It was definitely more difficult than what had been explained at the time, but it was not too bad.

FIA Formula 2: You finished the weekend strongly and are third in the standings, with the gap not being that large. You must believe you can get closer to these two drivers next to you in the points.

Dunne: That is the plan. I am going to give it everything and try my best to close the gap. It is obviously going to be difficult. Today I saw it as a good opportunity to score points, and when I looked in my mirrors, I definitely did not expect to see Nikola in P3. I think it is pretty cool in the sense that, coming into this race, we were all pretty close on points, and even though we all started in completely different places, we are all here in the top three. It shows how high the level is and how close the championship is. Wherever we end up finishing, I am sure it will be an interesting one.

FIA Formula 2: Thank you very much. Great job this weekend.