Van Amersfoort Racing’s F2 team manager Peter van Erp was pleased with the performances of his two current FIA Formula 2 Championship drivers, Amaury Cordeel and Juan Manuel Correa, in the Sprint Race for Round 14 of the season at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Cordeel qualified eighth on Friday and started third for the Sprint Race, a position he held for much of the afternoon.
As race winner Liam Lawson and second-placed Richard Verschoor scampered away, Cordeel fell victim to tyre degradation. This season’s F2 champion Felipe Drugovich got past the Belgian driver on Lap 21 exiting Turn 5, while Dennis Hauger took fourth place from him on the final lap into Turn 9.
Despite falling off the podium, Cordeel still managed a career-best F2 finish and his first top-five in single-seaters since the 2020 Zandvoort round of Formula Renault Eurocup.
Speaking to InsideF2 in the Abu Dhabi paddock, Van Erp praised Cordeel’s performance in the Sprint and his progress in the latter half of the season and set a goal of another top-five result for Sunday’s Feature Race.
“Amaury did a great job. Okay, the last couple of laps he dropped a couple of places, but overall, we are quite happy with the fifth position and Amaury’s performance overall,” he said.
“From Spa, he made big improvements, so he’s doing quite well.”
Returning to F2 this weekend after three years away, Juan Manuel Correa qualified 17th for the Sprint Race but started 16th after Ralph Boschung received a grid penalty.
Correa held station for much of the race and crossed the line in 15th. On Lap 22, however, he made contact with Virtuosi’s Marino Sato, for which the stewards handed him a five-second penalty and two penalty points on his licence. He was ultimately classified 18th.
Van Erp celebrated Correa’s return and said his driver had been pleased with his weekend so far.
“It was very exciting for JM and for the team. He needed to get familiar with the car and the tyres and the brakes again, so we take it step by step, and actually, he was quite happy with his own performance,” Van Erp said.
“There is a lot of work to do of course with him, and I think there is more to come.”
Image: Formula Motorsport Limited
