Louis seeking F2 silverware at Silverstone
Louis Delétraz goes in search of more FIA Formula 2 Championship success this weekend as Silverstone kick-starts a run of three events across three weeks.
The iconic British Grand Prix venue will host two F2 rounds, mirroring the format used in Austria earlier this month, before a planned trip to Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya caps another triple-header in mid-August.
Charouz Racing System driver Louis, 23, has a wealth of experience at the high-speed Silverstone track and claimed a podium finish in Formula 2 machinery last year.
“I really like Silverstone, and I have good memories from there,” said the Swiss racer, who holds the position of Haas F1 Team test and reserve driver.
“It’s a high-speed track, with a lot of history, and it’s a place that I enjoy a lot – so the good news is there’s two events in a row!
“Last year I led the race for a long time and I finished on the podium; everyone knows past achievements are no guarantee of future success, so we still need to work hard, but that gives me confidence heading to Silverstone.”
Louis approaches the fourth round of the campaign P9 in the F2 Drivers’ Championship and despite the promising start to 2020 is conscious of where further gains are required.
“As a team we’ve worked to analyse where we can improve in order to perfect everything,” he explained.
“There were some positives from Hungary – where we scored points – that we need to carry on for Silverstone.
“We can’t know for sure how the tyres will behave at Silverstone as it’s the first time we’ll be using the 18-inch rims at such a high-speed track. Pirelli has gone quite hard with the compounds so hopefully the degradation won’t be too high.
“Formula 2 is such a high-level field that we can’t afford to have any weaknesses and we know we need big points: the aim is to win.”
Louis’ first race weekend at Silverstone will kick off on Friday with free practice at 12.55 and a 30-minute qualifying session at 17.00. Saturday’s 29-lap Feature Race will go green at 15.45 while Sunday’s 21-lap Sprint Race will start at 10.10 (times are UK).
