On the banks of the North Sea, MP Motorsport are enjoying their final home race in FIA Formula 2 Championship for the time being with Round 12 of the season at Zandvoort. InsideF2 spoke to team manager Jeremy Cotterill about the experience.
Racing at home in Zandvoort is a special occasion for the Dutch team, which last year celebrated a Feature Race victory courtesy of eventual drivers’ champion Felipe Drugovich.
But next year’s calendar will not feature the Dutch track after two seasons on the F2 calendar.
Cotterill said, “We’re not coming back next year, but we’re enjoying it while we’re here – apart from the weather!
“It’s always good. The atmosphere’s good here, and obviously it’s the team’s home race, so important to put on a show.”
In Qualifying on Friday, Dennis Hauger, who drives Drugovich’s 2022 car, finished second, but a lap that would have been good enough for pole was annulled by a red flag that came out a few seconds before.
The first of three red flags in the session was caused by his teammate Jehan Daruvala, who crashed at Turn 3 with seven minutes to go and ended the session 16th.
“It was a difficult session. It was important to put a lap in at the beginning, as it proved. Jehan unfortunately went off, as you saw,” Cotterill said. “He didn’t do what he was capable of, but that happens.
“Dennis I’m happy with. He could have been better, so I suppose to be a little bit disappointed with second is not a bad situation to be in.”
Though the major points are scored on Sunday, MP still hoped for points in Saturday’s Sprint Race, but an opening-lap accident brought out the red flag, and heavy rain meant that the restarted race lasted only one lap. No points were awarded given that no laps were completed under green-flag conditions.
“As far as the race was concerned, obviously it was the correct decision. It was just way too wet in the end,” Cotterill said.
“It was an unfortunate accident at the beginning when the race actually started. I still haven’t seen it, to be honest. I saw the aftermath and [I’m] just happy that everyone’s okay.”
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited
