PREMA Racing scores P4 in Abu Dhabi Race 1
Dennis Hauger and PREMA Racing secured fourth place in the opening race of the FIA Formula 2 finale in Abu Dhabi. The Norwegian started from P4 on the grid and had a hard-fought run as he battled among the top-5 dealing with some early grip management concerns. He eventually reclaimed P4 in the latest stages to maximize the final results.
On the other hand, teammate Jehan Daruvala had a much shorter race, as he ended up in the barriers in the opening lap after unavoidable contact with another car.
The Red Bull Junior pairing will be back on-track tomorrow for the final race of the year at the Yas Marina Grand Prix venue.
#1 DENNIS HAUGER
“Not the best start as I got some wheelspin, but I still managed to stay in the position. Then I tried to stay in the DRS zone. I struggled a bit with the rears but still tried to stay there. I struggled a bit more toward the end, and at the same time, Drugovich started to gain some pace. I tried to keep him behind despite I had the left rearview mirror pointing upwards, so it was difficult to see on the left side where almost everything is happening on this track. That made it harder to defend, so I tried to be a bit cautious and not take too many risks. I tried to stay with him after that, by I couldn’t quite make it. In the last couple of laps, I started to gain some pace and grip again. I tried to challenge Cordeel, it was quite tricky passing him into turn 9 not actually knowing if he was really there or not. I tried to keep it safe and I’m happy with how the race ended. I feel I maximised what I could, and we need to look at what we can do to improve for tomorrow, so we can move a bit more forward.”
Qualifying: P7
Starting position Race 1: P4
Fastest Lap: 1:36.550
Race 1: P4
#2 JEHAN DARUVALA
“Not much to say, race ended on lap 1 and I’m glad that both me and Enzo are fine. It’s probably going to be a long night for the mechanics, but I will try to do as well as I can tomorrow to make it back up.”
Qualifying: P12
Starting position Race 1: P12
Fastest Lap: 1:36.630
Race 1: DNF
Source | Photo: PREMA Racing