Louis: ‘I want to fight for F2 wins in France’
Louis Delétraz is determined to carry his FIA Formula 2 Championship point-scoring momentum into the fifth round of the series at Circuit Paul Ricard in France this weekend.
The Swiss driver’s impressive performance during the Monaco Sprint Race last month earned him a superb P2 finish – just missing victory by 0.059s – and he’s keen to back that result up with further success when the F2 category supports F1 at the French Grand Prix.
“Monaco was definitely a good weekend for the team,” he explained. “After the issues we had at the two rounds before Monaco, we wanted a strong performance and to deliver against our proven pace. We never lost any confidence in our ability during the tough times, but the Monaco podium success gave the whole team a boost.
“We were all very happy with the results last time out and we want to keep like this heading to France. Paul Ricard is a track I like so my target is to challenge for the wins again.”
The 5.84km Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet was the scene of another dominant F2 podium finish for Louis in 2018. His previous form at the fast and flowing circuit gives him confidence as he makes his final preparations with his Carlin Racing squad.
“Last year I was successful there and that’s definitely something you have in your mind as a driver that’s preparing to race at the same track,” he said. “Also, arriving at Paul Ricard marks the start of the phase in the championship when we are racing on more normal tracks after Baku and Monaco.
“Paul Ricard will be a race weekend where we can put into practice all of the specific things we learned during winter testing at the track. That’s always an exciting prospect, particularly if you had a strong winter test.”
This weekend’s Feature and Sprint races in France mark the beginning of a busy period of F2 action for Louis. It is the first of three events in four weeks, with Spielberg in Austria hosting the series next weekend and Silverstone in the UK welcoming teams and drivers two weeks’ later.
“I really look forward to the back-to-back events because they give you lots of track time and it’s a great opportunity to establish some serious momentum. That’s 100% my target. I’m very happy with the situation,” he said.
Louis’ French F2 weekend will start with practice at 12.55 on Friday and qualifying at 16.55 on the same day. Saturday’s 30-lap Feature Race will start at 16.45, while Sunday’s reversed grid, 21-lap Sprint Race goes green at 11.25. Time quoted are CET.
