The Spanish driver made two exceptional comebacks that will allow him to attack with confidence in the next races.
He managed to climb up to 27 positions between the two races of the weekend, achieving a great learning experience, key for the next race in Spielberg next week.
"The race was a pity because the pace was very good and it's not reflected in the result. A bit frustrating but we go to Spielberg with more desire than ever because we have seen that we can be ahead."
The Silverstone circuit hosted the fourth round of the Formula 3 season. Pepe Martí and Campos Racing, eager to return to competition, faced the event as another challenge to gain experience in the young driver's first year in the category. Martí and his team experienced all kinds of situations, with a negative balance in terms of the result, but very positive in terms of the 17 year old driver's response on track.
In qualifying, all his fast laps were cancelled because he exceeded the track limits. A fact that forced him to start from the last position in both races. A mistake that cost him the weekend but also served him to learn and gain experience on tracks he had never been on before.
In the first race held on Saturday, the young driver gained ten positions and crossed the finish line in twentieth place. "The first race of the weekend was quite neutral. I managed to overtake ten riders in the first laps, but then I stayed in twentieth place until the end of the race. It wasn't clear and I decided not to take any risks. I tried to overtake a couple of times but when I saw that it wasn't possible, I didn't want to complicate my life", said the same rider.
In Sunday's race the recital was even greater. Pepe Martí, again from the last position on the grid (30th), climbed 17 positions. "In the second race we made a great start, climbing 11 positions in the first lap. After that, we showed a good pace, although the balance of the car was not ideal. It wasn't quite comfortable but we were going well and we were fast. We just managed to occupy the thirteenth position and after recovering up to 17 positions, I was behind the driver in 12th place, when he made a mistake in the third corner. I attacked him in the next corner, and when he had the position won, we had a contact from which we lost out".
"It was a pity because the pace was very good and it is not reflected in the result. Although it is clear that the problem was the qualifying... The fact that I had all my laps cancelled for exceeding the track limits was a bit strong... I went into a self-destructive cycle that lowered my morale. I made several mistakes in the same corner and consequently placed myself at the back of the grid for both races of the weekend."
"A 20th and 24th place finish doesn't show where we can really be. This weekend we had a great pace to finish in the points, considering that we were overtaking on a worn tire, passing drivers on new tires. So I'm happy with all the positives we took from here, aware that we could have done great things and looking forward to more. I want to get to Spielberg and finally enjoy two races in a row, where we can get rid of the thorn and hopefully do a good job".
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