Clement Novalak might not have the best weekend possible in Monza, however, he watched his teammate, Felipe Drugovich, win the Drivers’ Championship from the pit wall.
Both MP Motorsport drivers couldn’t finish the Sprint Race. Drugovich found himself running wide into the gravel with a broken suspension after close contact with Amaury Cordeel. Novalak himself also damaged his front wing at the same chicane following another contact with Ralph Boschung, which forced him to retire early.
However, the Feature Race gave the Frenchman room to show his full potential. Starting from P21 and finishing in eighth with two essential points added to his name.
In an exclusive interview with Inside F2, Novalak admitted that it hadn’t been the easiest of weekends for the team, “We benefited quite a lot with the red flag. I think that the pace was actually not good. In all honesty, we tried something with the software, and it didn’t work, both me and Felipe, so ups and downs, really.
“It’s good to score some points, but it could have been a lot better.” Stated Novalak.
“I mean, to be honest with the moment you realize that you’re a bit slower than everybody else and the tires are not really in, and it’s not going to go your way. You just sort of have fun and try and fight hard. It’s what we tried in the end, but It was just good fun.”
The championship was fiercely contested on Saturday, even though the race didn’t go well for Drugovich, he knew he had done enough to claim the title in commanding style when Pourchaire tumbling down the order to P16.
Speaking highly of his teammate, who’s also his long-time friend from their karting days, he added, “I’d like to thank him because he’s been the fastest that I’ve been put against, but at the same time, he’s been one of the nicest guys in the paddock. Always open, honest, and honestly, a top guy as well.
“Often you find that sometimes when drivers in the same team don’t match, it can be a quite difficult year, but we’ve obviously been friends for a long time, and he’s been the top bloke, a top class guy and it’s been a pleasure.”
