Spa speed gives Louis renewed Formula 2 confidence
Louis Delétraz feels his Formula 2 confidence has returned after a positive first race weekend as a driver with the Rapax team at Spa Francorchamps.
The 20-year-old made a late switch to the Italian squad on the eve of the eighth round of the FIA Formula Two Championship in Belgium.
Despite having to adjust to working with a completely new team and driving a different car, Louis bedded himself in sensibly and emerged 15th quickest from Friday’s Free Practice session.
The Swiss driver’s first qualifying session as a Rapax driver proved a little tougher later in the day as rain gave Louis his first experience of Pirelli’s wet rubber during a race weekend. However, he showed how well he is able to adjust to a new situation by placing his ADS Securities-supported car in an encouraging P13 for Saturday’s Feature Race.
“A wet qualifying is always a bit of a lottery and I think my push lap could have been a bit cleaner to be honest. But the car had a good front end and was doing what I wanted,” Louis explained. “I was pleased with the feeling I had.”
Unfortunately for Louis, he wasn’t able to capitalise on his promising qualifying position during Saturday afternoon’s 25-lap Feature Race after he was hit by another car 50 metres into the race and suffered a broken front wing.
Louis had no choice other than to make an unscheduled pit stop to replace his car’s front wing. Once he returned to the race, he suffered further bad luck when he realised the first lap contact had also given his car a slow front-left puncture.
Not wanting to interfere with his all-important one-stop tyre strategy and lose further time, Louis opted to limit the damage by staying out on his tyres for the planned six laps before coming in to switch from Pirelli’s soft rubber to medium compound tyres.
Although he rejoined at the back of the field, Louis’ pace was strong in the closing stages are he was able to finish in P14.
“It was a really unlucky race because my pace was good after the pit stops – as good as the guys at the front – and my feeling with the car was just perfect. I could race more and be more aggressive with the tyres. That’s what I’ve wanted,” he said.
Louis started Sunday’s Sprint Race very rapidly, a legacy of a new start strategy that he developed with Rapax. He shot from P14 to P8 on the opening lap and was looking likely to make further progress.
But he was edged off the crowded track on a couple of occasion at mid-distance, losing vital ground and dropping back to P15. He eventually recovered to finish an encouraging P12 at the chequered flag.
With the ninth round of the series at Monza in Italy next weekend, Louis is feeling much more confident for the season ahead with his new team.
“I was pleased with the way everything worked with Rapax this weekend,” he said. “I think we were pretty unlucky with a few incidents but the pace was good and the feeling I had in the car was fantastic.
“Monza is a track that’s been very good to me in the past, I’ve never been outside the podium for the last three years there, so I’m excited to see what we can do there.”
