The Formula 2 Championship heads to Silverstone, one of the fastest tracks on the calendar.
The series has already seen five different winners from the opening six races. This will pique the interest of young driver Jack Aitken who will be hoping to get himself on the top step of the podium for the first time this year at his home circuit.
One of the problems he will have to overcome is tyre degradation. The classic Silverstone track is one where tyre management is essential. Speaking about the tyre wear last year, Aitken said: “I had to hold back before starting to turn the screw and increase the pace at the end. It’s usually on the front left, so you have to watch that.”
The drivers have had to deal with tyre degradation this year. In Hungary, the tyres just seemed to disappear in both the feature and the sprint race.
Aitken, who is racing for the Campos team again, hold the current F2 lap record at Silverstone. He set a 1:39.993 in 2019 for the same team he is currently with.
The Anglo-Korean driver said: “I love the sweeping sections of Maggots and Becketts, Brooklands into Luffield and Stowe. They’re classic corners. It’s a place I know well and feels a bit like home. Winning the sprint race last year by pulling off a couple of really cool overtakes, and seeing the crowd getting into it was awesome.
“It’s a high-speed track which usually demands a high-downforce setup, but you’ve also got some long straights, so for overtaking chances you need to trim out some of that downforce and maximise your straight-line speed. As a driver, it’s about getting a car you’re comfortable with and can throw around into those corners.
“Turn 3 is a good overtaking spot, especially if you get a run coming out of the last corner. It’s wide, so you can choose lots of different lines, and it goes immediately into another tight corner in turn 4. Turn 6 comes after a DRS zone. It’s where I pulled off my move last year to win the race. Likewise, you can go inside or outside. Finally, there’s the end of the straight going into Stowe – another DRS zone. You have to be quick through Maggots and Becketts though. It’s quite hard to follow a car through that section.
“I hope we can make a step forward as a team. We’re going to have changes in place, and I’m hoping to put on a good show for my home crowd, even if they’re not physically at the circuit.”
Aitken will be hoping to equal his sprint race win or go one better and win the feature race in his bid to kickstart his championship battle campaign. He currently sits in 15th position with seven points but will be hoping the races, at a track he knows well, will help him jump up the championship table.
*Image Credits : (C) Formula Motorsport Limited
