Duerksen targeting points sooner rather than later after progress made in testing

As one of the team’s two rookie drivers, Joshua Duerksen has been getting to grips with life in Formula 2 and was looking to put the time at in-season testing to good use.

The PHM AIX Racing driver logged plenty of mileage at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over the course of the three-day event and left with a good deal of confidence ahead of Imola.

The Paraguayan says the team learned a great deal over the course of the test, from gaining further insight into how the new 2024 Formula 2 car operates to identifying areas of improvement that could lead the team to greater results in the near future.

“It was a productive test. We tried many things on the car, also on the driving side, we tested many things just to see and keep learning how this new car works,” Duerksen surmised.

“For me, it was quite a positive test, I wish we could have done a few more laps but we collected some good data. Overall, we have a better understanding and knowledge of the car and how it works, so I’m happy.”

TEST NOTEBOOK: What happened during testing in Barcelona?

Barcelona was the first European venue faced this year and the in-season test was a great opportunity to the PHM AIX driver to learn all about the intricacies of the new car, particularly when it comes to the setup.

For Duerksen, the opportunity to learn around a more conventional circuit was hugely important and a valuable lesson to carry into the next phase of the campaign.

“Of course, it’s a lot to learn from me and the team because everything is new. But to be honest, I'm enjoying it a lot. It's tough because the field is very competitive and all the teams are very good, so the challenge is really high.

“You have to learn so quickly, especially because of the limited amount of time you have to drive the cars in the Free Practice, we do maybe six laps. This was especially tough for Jeddah and Australia because at least in Bahrain, we had pre-season testing, which helped a lot.

“For Jeddah and Australia, it was quite tough to get into rhythm as quickly as possible because they were completely new tracks, and the car was still very new to me.

“It's really hard work to not just be on the pace and at the limit with the car and know exactly the characteristics of the track, the tendency of the car in each corner, etc. So, it's a really big job to get used to things very quickly.”

After completing 190 laps in Barcelona, Duerksen says that going forward, the playing field could well be a bit more level with drivers having gained their own experiences around circuits across Europe in more junior categories.

“I have a big desire of getting the first points on the board"

He also has set himself the target of securing his and the team’s first points of the season, having come close on two occasions already in 2024. He says that after the work they conducted during testing, the goal is achievable.

“We're looking forward a lot to the European tracks I think we know really well. I think the races there are going to be really tight. The gaps from P1 to last will be really tight because we all know the tracks, so we know how to drive and it's just more about fine tuning.

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“The first few rounds – the gaps were maybe a bit bigger because not every driver knew the track and you have such little running like Australia for example. Maybe a few drivers had experience from last year in F2 and F3 but compared to all the F4 races around the European tracks, the knowledge gap is quite big. So, I think it will be really tight but I’m really looking forward to driving those circuits.

“I have a big desire of getting the first points on the board. I almost got them in Jeddah. Australia was also really close. So, for Imola I want to get those first points or at least being very close there. So top 12 I’m aiming for and, if I can get points, that would be great.”