Trident opens the season with a strong podium finish thanks to Laurens Van Hoepen

The Feature Race, which concluded the first round of the FIA Formula 2 Championship season, held at the semi-permanent Albert Park track in Melbourne, saw Trident Motorsport secure a remarkable podium. Laurens Van Hoepen, who drove a solid and flawless race, conquered the third position.

From the moment the lights went out, Van Hoepen showed extreme determination. The 20-year-old Dutchman, starting from eleventh on the grid, immediately climbed the standings, finishing the first lap in seventh. The Trident Motorsport driver then capitalized on a collision ahead of him to move up to fifth place.

The pit crew of the Milanese team based in Ossona, also proved to be both quick and effective in making strategic decisions. With a lightning-quick stop on lap nine, Van Hoepen gained another position, virtually climbing to the podium. A second safety car brought the field closer together, with the Dutch driver taking third at the restart.

Forced to start from seventeenth on the grid, John Bennett struggled to find a gap in the traffic on the semi-permanent Australian track, and the Trident pit wall called the English driver back for his mandatory stop at a very early stage. Fitting Prime tires, Bennett increased his race pace, climbing to thirteenth place. Unfortunately, the twenty-two-year-old Englishman from Salisbury lost time in several close duels and finished the Feature Race in eighteenth place.

Giacomo Ricci, Trident Motorsport Team Manager: “After the points scored in yesterday's race, Melbourne's Albert Park circuit also gave us our first podium of the season. Thanks to a solid and error-free race, Laurens Van Hoepen managed to climb to the third step of the podium. The technical staff provided great support to the Dutch driver, a rookie in the category, who delivered a flawless performance. John Bennett showed solid pace at times, but started too far from the points zone. Now our attention is already turned to the next rounds of the season, where we aim to be competitive again.”

Laurent Van Hoepen, Trident Motorsport Driver: “It was a very good race, with excellent work from the team. The strategy was perfect, the tire change was very quick, and the race pace was very competitive. That's how I managed to climb from eleventh to third place. I'm truly very satisfied.”