First day in Britain affected by a poor qualifying
The FIA Formula 2 Championship kicked off its seventh round of the season at Silverstone with the junior formula drivers competing in the Sprint Race today. The green expanses of Northamptonshire did not favor the Trident Motorsport drivers, who failed to perform at their best from qualifying onwards.
Fresh from his first career victory in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, achieved in the Sprint Race at the Austrian Spielberg circuit, John Bennett managed to shine in free practice, posting the eighth fastest time.
The twenty-two-year-old Englishman, however, was unable to repeat his performance in qualifying, posting the eighteenth fastest time. It was also a difficult session for fellow Trident Motorsport driver Laurens Van Hoepen, who posted the twentieth fastest time.
Bennett's race lasted only a few kilometers. The Englishman was tricked by the cars ahead of him, widening his line into the escape routes of the main straight.
In the dust of the gravel, it was the Trident Motorsport driver who fared the worst, forced to retire due to damage sustained to his car.
Starting from twentieth on the grid, Lauren Van Hoepen was called upon to fight his way up the order. The twenty-year-old Dutchman didn't hold back, trying to climb back up the order.
Van Hoepen then drove a hard-fought race, trying to get into the points. However, the Dutchman had to settle for fourteenth place at the checkered flag.
The Trident Motorsport technical staff will now use the data collected from today's race in their usual preparations for the Feature Race, scheduled for tomorrow at 11:15 a.m. (GMT +1).
Giacomo Ricci: “The qualifying session result forced our drivers to start the Sprint Race far from the points, placing them at greater risk of collisions. This was the case for John Bennett, who found himself with no visibility on the obstructed track ahead. Despite a good recovery and a hard-fought race, Laurens Van Hoepen failed to reach the points. Tomorrow's Feature Race will offer our drivers greater opportunities to recover thanks to strategy.”