Challenging Weekend in Jeddah Brings Valuable Experience for Van Amersfoort Racing
After a weekend in Bahrain full of ups and downs, our F2 team headed to Jeddah for the second race of the double-header. With high speeds and soaring temperatures to endure, the weekend proved to be a challenging one for the team.
The qualifying session certainly didn’t go the way we had hoped. John Bennett suffered a crash into the barrier at Turn 17, which brought out the red flag and left him qualifying in P21. With just under five minutes remaining, it was difficult for Rafael Villagómez to find a good rhythm, and he ended up qualifying in P20. After the session, John’s fastest lap was deleted, which demoted him to P22.
Starting from P20 and P22 for the sprint race, it was crucial to stay out of trouble in the opening rounds. Rafael had a moment with Ritomo Miyata, who overtook him off track despite Rafael being ahead at the exit of Turn 1. The ART Grand Prix driver received a ten-second penalty for the incident. Rafael managed to make up a few places during the race and finished in P17.
The sprint race proved difficult for John. He was forced to make multiple extra pit stops, including one for a broken front wing, and received a ten-second penalty for an incident involving the safety car. However, the team’s effort to enter the pit lane before the safety car restart was considered a mitigating factor by the stewards. John eventually crossed the line in P20.
Sunday’s feature race was more straightforward compared to the rest of the weekend. Both Rafael and John managed to stay out of trouble throughout. Rafael again gained a few positions with some strong overtakes and crossed the line in P17. The feature race remained tough for John, who finished in P20.
Following the double-header, the F2 team returns back to the factory to join our F3 team, with our first F2 points of the season in the bag. Now, with a few weeks to regroup, we aim to come back stronger for the next round, which will take place in Imola from May 16–18.