ART Grand Prix driver Frederick Vesti believes this weekend’s eighth round of the 2022 FIA Formula 2 Championship in Austria will be very close, meaning he will need to do a “really good job”.
The Dane, who has a pole and victory around the Red Bull Ring, says: “All the lap times are within a few tenths of a second in Qualifying and in the race, so you really need to do a clean lap to get the pole position.”
Lap times in Austria are so close because the track is so short, just 2.6 miles and only 10 turns.
Overtaking is very possible at the Austrian circuit and the Danish driver explained the process: “You can set it up during Turn 1, then make it stick in Turn 3 and you have another shot in Turn 4. So overtaking is pretty good due to the three or four long straights.”
Vesti, 21, says he is looking forward to the event, given his previous successes in Austria, saying: “In terms of results, it’s been a really great track for me.”
The Mercedes Junior Team member also lived in Austria as a child: “Since I was very young, I’ve spent a lot of time in Austria, and we previously had a family house there. I just love Austria and I would even love to live there one day!” Vesti said.
On the track, Vesti has made something of a breakthrough in recent races, following his maiden F2 podium in Catalunya, the Dane bounced back from a non-score in Monaco with his first Formula 2 victory in the Baku Sprint Race.
Buoyed by that result, Vesti has finished the next three races in Baku and Silverstone in the points, this form seeing the former PREMA and ART Formula 3 driver rise up the drivers’ standings to 11th and help his ART team to consolidate 2nd in the teams’ table, 10 points behind leaders MP Motorsport.
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited
