Spa-Francorchamps, sprint in the Ardennes
Next weekend, the FIA Formula 2 Championship will face one of the most awaited and exciting events of the season in the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, home to the eighth round of the junior series championship. Its 7.004 kilometers, characterized by long straights, high-speed corners, and constant changes in elevation, represent one of the most complex technical challenges of the year, further made unpredictable by the frequent weather variations typical of the Ardennes.
The characteristics of the track and the importance of finding the right set-up balance between top speed and efficiency in the central sector make the Belgian weekend one of the most delicate of the entire season. Trident Motorsport arrives at Spa-Francorchamps determined to once again have a competitive weekend.
At Silverstone, the potential shown in practice failed to translate into a solid result due to a complicated qualifying session, which forced John Bennett and Laurens Van Hoepen to start from the back of the grid. Bennett, fresh from his victory in the Sprint Race at the Red Bull Ring, narrowly missed out on the points in the Feature Race with a strong comeback to eleventh place, while Van Hoepen was hampered by race dynamics and traffic, unable to make a solid comeback.
The Milanese team, with operational headquarters in Ossona, now aims to exploit the characteristics of the Belgian circuit to return to the forefront. Preparation for the weekend was particularly thorough, with the goal of putting the two drivers in the best possible condition right from qualifying, aware of how crucial starting positions can be on a track where strategy, weather, and tire management can quickly change the outcome of a race.
Giacomo Ricci, Trident Motorsport Team Manager: “Spa-Francorchamps represents one of the most fascinating and demanding challenges of the entire championship. We're coming off a weekend where qualifying impacted our results. On the Ardennes track, it will be important to start from the top positions to express our potential. We carefully analyzed what happened at Silverstone and worked with the drivers to prepare as best we could. Our goal is to have a competitive weekend with a result that reflects the team's value.”
The FIA Formula 2 Championship track activity will begin on Friday at 11:05 a.m., with the 45-minute free practice session. Qualifying also takes place on the same day, starting at 4:00 p.m. The Sprint Race will take place on Saturday at 2:15 p.m. The Feature Race, which will conclude the weekend, will start on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. All track activity will be broadcast live on Sky Sport F1.