Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Van Amersfoort Racer Rafael Villagomez revealed the advice he would give to his new teammate John Bennett ahead of his first Formula 2 weekend in Qatar. Bennett will be replacing Enzo Fittipaldi at the Dutch team for the final two weekends of 2024, partnering the Mexican driver.
Bennett will be making his Formula 2 debut in Qatar. The youngster from Salisbury raced in GB3 this year, finishing runner-up to champion Louis Sharp, who will be stepping up to Formula 3 this year.
Bennett scored 456 points in his third GB3 campaign, having switched to JHR Motorsport, who were the reigning champions heading in 2024. The 21-year-old took victory once in the opening weekend at Oulton Park, before taking victory later in the year at Zandvoort and Silverstone. He also scored eight further podiums, remaining in contention for the championship until the final weekend at Brands Hatch.
Finishing as vice champion also opened up an opportunity for Bennett to take part in the post-season Formula 3 test at Jerez for VAR. Team principal Brad Joyce made a notable mention of his quick adaptability to the car, and his strong pace during the test.
It's this adaptability Bennett would be looking to bring in as he undertakes his final Formula 2 weekends of 2024. There's no doubt it's a big step up from GB3 machinery to the top-tier Formula 2 car introduced from this year.
Ahead of the upcoming weekend, Villagomez, who started the season with VAR this year, expressed how Bennett's F3 testing experience would come in handy for the final two races of the season. "He's doing quite some big jumps, certainly coming to the F2. He did do the F3 post-season test , which I think went quite well for him," the Mexican said to select media ahead of the Qatar weekend.
When asked about a piece of advice he would give to Bennett ahead of the final two weekends, Villagomez stressed upon the transition from free practice to qualifying during the weekend.
"The hardest thing is to still make sure you do the jump from free practice to qualifying," Villagomez said. "If you go from a hard compound to a softer compound during the weekend, you need to be maximising the (grip) that you have (on the racetrack)." the Mexican concluded.
Bennett is one of four drivers making his Formula 2 debut during the weekend. However, out of the quartet making their debut this weekend, his transition will be the most difficult, as he steps up onto the biggest of stages, from GB3 to Formula 2. "Not quite the same as Oulton Park," he joked, speaking of the sheer transformation he was about to experience this weekend.
How drivers are mentally and physically preparing for the weekend ahead in Qatar
This weekend's Formula 2 outing in Qatar will be the first for the 22 Formula 2 drivers set to take to the 5.4 km (3.3 mi) long circuit. With its long corners and relentless speed, the desert of Qatar will certainly be a test of the drivers' endurance and physical skill.
The circuit is also expected to be harsh for the tyres, and drivers will be expected to manage their tyres over the course of a 23-lap sprint, before executing the best pit strategy over the course of a 32-lap feature race.
While last year's Formula One weekend ran in the scorching heat, the changes in scheduling for this year mean the Qatar Grand Prix is now held in December, in vastly cooler temperatures.
Despite it being both Jak Crawford and Rafael Villagomez's first race weekend in Qatar, both drivers insisted on following their normal training routine here.
"It was really a little bit hotter compared to other different nights later throughout the year. I actually found it colder than normal," the Mexican expressed, speaking of the wild temperature changes in the desert conditions.
"What you can do to prepare for these, a bit of adaptation, changing the fit in order to manage better, and then physically, yeah, more than that, just do your normal preparation and maintain (your routine) the same way," Villagomez continued.
Crawford echoed the VAR racer's thoughts, speaking of how it was colder than normal, as he had undergone heat training before the event.
"Obviously it's a new track, making sure we're on top of everything. Physically, I did a lot of heat training, but actually when we arrived here, it was a bit cooler and it's been super windy." the American expressed.
On a new track, it's all about learning on the go, with every passing lap, as the DAMS racer continued. It would be about learning how the tyres handled on the track, and the drivers themselves learning the layout with every passing lap they do on the circuit.
"So I think that almost adds to the challenge of the weekend, which is going to be adapting for all the conditions, to the tyre compounds. Of course, we're learning as we go with almost every lap, whether it's with how the tyre is degrading, and the drivers learning the track better," Crawford expressed.
"So, you know, there's a few challenges that we have to go through and we have to keep learning all these things over the weekend," he concluded, after expressing the challenges at hand for the weekend ahead.
Crawford and Villagomez will be looking to round out their respective campaigns on the best possible note in 2024. Although Crawford remains in title contention, atleast mathematically, he will be looking to maximise his results, more than look at the scenario of winning a world championship. As for Villagomez, he will be looking to complete a difficult debut season on a higher note.
Do make sure you tune in to the action in Qatar this weekend, full schedule here.
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