As we head into the summer break, all the Formula 2 drivers will look forward to taking their minds off racing. But for David Beckmann, his mind may always be thinking about racing.
Substituting for drivers at the last minute, Beckmann has now driven for Charouz Racing System and Vans Amersfoort Racing in 2022. After the race on Sunday, David spoke to us in an interview and gave his thoughts on the 2022 F2 campaign, Formula E, and what the future holds for him.
After what seemed like a challenging race, David said, “I think the most I could have done, so yeah; we had no pace in quali at all. Neither both of us have any pace.
“I mean my lap was actually quite good so I was very disappointed that we are only like P17 or something. Obviously for Budapest, [worse] even worse at this track to start at the back because you cannot overtake here easily. You have the pace, you destroy the tyres and that’s it.
“So first race was okay but not a lot to do. And now the second race, I think we had a really bad start and a bad pitstop, I think. My pace was quite good; so without those two problems, we could have been like P9 or something.”
As it seems, there is a recurring theme of the German driver being called into the F2 series to race. Asked if this is his last race, for the time being, his response was as candid as it can get. Beckmann replied, “I don’t know yet but as I have no budget.”
Juggling his role as reserve driver for Avalanche Andretti Formula E team and driving for VAR, David has had to drive different cars. And furthermore, he has already driven for two different teams in Formula 2. Despite the results, Beckmann seems upbeat and replied, “I am very happy with myself actually to be honest, except maybe at Silverstone where I was not completely at limit. But I have to say that, in Imola, it was a lot easier for me because the Charouz car, very different; like every team has their own philosophy a bit.”
Citing his previous experience driving for Charouz in 2021 helped him in the transition, a favourable strategy in the Feature Race in Imola saw him finish in eighth.
However, his outing with VAR at Silverstone, Paul Richard, and Budapest haven’t yielded the same result. David highlighted, “ And then at Silverstone, maybe I was not at the best level, but that was only in the quali actually. I mean I had the anyway the bad luck so or so; my engine shut down.
“Then at Paul Richard, I was on it [you know] but bad luck in the races; with Armstrong having the engine issue in front of me, and then I destroyed my nose.”
David also then explained that starting at the back makes it difficult to overtake when compared to Formula 3. In F3, according to Beckmann, it is much easier to overtake and score a podium stating that it is easier on the tyres along with drivers taking more risks.
As the interview came to a close, the question of what the Formula E reserve will be doing over the summer had to be asked. David was quick to reply and say, “I will be in Seoul for Formula E with Andretti again and then that’s it basically.
“Then the season there is over anyway [Formula E], they did a mega job in London.”
Could we see David Beckmann make an appearance once again in F2 again? Only time will tell which team makes the call after the summer.
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited
