The Spanish driver pulled off two comebacks and finished the weekend in the points after a solid performance in Sunday's long race.
Following the triple-header, Pepe Martí heads into a two-week break to come back stronger in Hungary.
“It’s been three weekends of scoring points, which hasn’t happened for a while, so that’s positive. I’m looking forward to a bit of rest after these three races and heading to Hungary in two weeks with recharged batteries.”
The Silverstone circuit hosted the eighth round of the Formula 2 season, wrapping up a triple-header after races in Barcelona and Austria. Pepe Martí began the second half of the championship back in the points, despite a challenging qualifying session on Friday. The Spanish driver managed to pull off two significant comebacks in both races, but despite the adversities, he could only score points in Sunday’s race.
"Friday's qualifying was very complicated, after being competitive in free practice, but the reality is that we didn’t have the speed. I didn’t feel comfortable and made some mistakes that put me far back on the grid (19th), which always hampers the weekend," Martí explained about his qualifying performance.
Saturday's sprint race was marked by adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain and a wet track testing all the drivers. Martí put in a standout performance, climbing seven positions in just four laps to place twelfth. However, an unexpected engine failure of the driver ahead resulted in an unavoidable collision, forcing Martí to retire from the race prematurely. "In Saturday’s race, we were very competitive in wet conditions. Unfortunately, the driver right in front of us had an engine failure and we had no time to react. In such a sudden situation, there’s nothing you can do. I believe we could have scored points easily and even been within the top five," Martí commented.
Sunday’s feature race presented a new challenge for Martí, this time starting from 18th on the grid after a rival’s penalty. However, this time the track was dry. Martí and Campos Racing opted to start on hard tyres. The strategy was risky, given there were damp areas where the soft tyres used by the front runners might have performed better. Despite the track conditions, the Spanish driver made no mistakes and reached the final phase of the race in the leading group of those who had started on hard tyres. After the tyre change in the last few laps, he was rewarded with tenth place, earning the corresponding point. "In today’s race, we recovered quite well. We had a good start, and then some good laps advancing positions. We tried to do our best despite lacking speed, trying to push to the limit as much as possible," Martí noted.
Pepe remains optimistic and motivated for the rest of the season: "I have to keep working, and I will, and I hope the results come. It’s been three weekends of scoring points, which hasn’t happened for a while, so that’s positive. I’m looking forward to a bit of rest after these three races and heading to Hungary in two weeks with recharged batteries."
Formula 2 now enters a two-week mini break to recharge before resuming competition in Hungary. With his resilience and determination, Pepe Martí hopes to continue scoring points and improving his results in the upcoming races.
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