The driver from Barcelona gained experience in an exciting weekend in front of thousands of fans who filled the stands of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from early in the morning.
The young rookie took a step forward and closed the gap to the most experienced drivers in the category, proving that he can be competitive in a field of 30 drivers.
"This Grand Prix has been very special. A unique opportunity to race at home and see the grandstands full from early in the morning. The result was a shame, but we enjoyed it and we have seen that we have the pace to be in the points".
Pepe Martí experienced a special weekend in his home race, in the spectacular scenery of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix and the thousands of fans who attended the Circuit de Barcelona - Catalunya.
The 16-year-old driver was looking to take a step forward in the third round of the season, to continue gaining experience and gather all the necessary information to move forward in his debut year. Unlike the pre-season tests held in Barcelona last April, this weekend was marked by high temperatures and tire wear. Nevertheless, Pepe adapted to the situation and showed a good race pace. Both driver and team hope to continue in this upward trend in the absence of a better result, which, from what was seen this weekend, will not be long in coming.
Martí finished thirteenth in Saturday's sprint race, showing a good race pace and consistency in what is his first year in the category. He got close to the points positions, closing the gap with the fastest drivers, reaping the fruits of all the work done so far.
Sunday's race went the same way. He managed to make a good start and overtook several drivers to place 13th. In the final part of the race, another driver touched him and forced him off the track. Martí did not give up, and despite staying in the rear positions, he completed the race until the end, crossing the finish line 21st, but with a great learning experience.
"Seeing the 'pelouse' full at 10 o'clock in the morning with so many people in the stands has been amazing. It was a shame on Friday because I made a small mistake that left me out of the top 12 which would have been good for Saturday's reverse grid... but in the end we started 15th, and that took away a lot of opportunities for the weekend because the pace was very good. I felt comfortable with the car and I think there was a lot more than we got out of it. In yesterday's race we finished 13th with a good feeling in race conditions and overall it was a positive experience for me," he explained.
"Today, Sunday, I was had a good start and was able to move ahead of the drivers in front of me, settling down in 13th. Then another driver had contact with me and forced me off the track, losing a lot of positions. We fell behind and it was complicated. However, it was a positive weekend, we could see that the car was fast, it was just a pity we didn´t have the opportunity to be in front. I'm looking forward to Silverstone and to keep learning", he concludes.
Formula 3 returns next July 1-3 with the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Comments