PREMA Racing has tough qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps
PREMA Racing faced a disappointing qualifying at Spa-Francorchamps, as the early stages of the FIA Formula 3 Championship weekend were plagued by troubled weather. After a rain shower complicated the middle part of the session, drivers struggled to find chemistry with the t the final few laps turned into a shootout with improving conditions. In the end, several drivers, including the PREMA trio, were caught out by a red flag which prevented them from making improvements.
Arthur Leclerc thus ended up in P13, followed by team-mate Dennis Hauger. As a result they both missed out on the reverse grid for race 1, while Olli Caldwell ended up in P18.
#1 DENNIS HAUGER
“We struggled with the grip in general and couldn’t find the right confidence to push. We have definitely some things to work on for tomorrow. We must keep moving forward and improving what we have and then we’ll see.”
Qualifying: P14
Fastest lap: 2:24.288
#2 ARTHUR LECLERC
“It has been a difficult qualifying, not the results we expected but we have more pace than what we showed today. With the tricky conditions, we were not in the best place in the first run because I was the last one on track and it was raining. I got a wet track in my first push lap and then, in the second run, it was OK in the last lap but we got the red flag so we couldn’t complete it. We struggled a bit with the grip but it was more about managing in the first push laps because I knew the lap time would have come later as it was drying. There is surely more potential for race 1.”
Qualifying: P13
Fastest lap: 2:24.254
#3 OLLI CALDWELL
“Difficult session with the balance of the car. Unfortunately, we didn’t get it quite right but hopefully, we will get it better for tomorrow.”
Qualifying: P18
Fastest lap: 2:25.025
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing