Richard Verschoor was the last driver on the FIA Formula 2 grid to have his place in the series confirmed ahead of the season. Less than a month later, he managed to win the first race of the year in Bahrain. Speaking to F2 media, the Dutchman said his comeback to the grid made him even more proud of his win.
The Trident driver took a commanding victory in the Bahrain Sprint Race, taking the lead off the line as Felipe Drugovich made a poor start, before holding off the drivers behind all the way to the chequered flag.
His performance seemed almost effortless and belied all the persistence required to get his seat in F2.
“I have 17 sponsors at the moment. I worked hard over the winter to make it all happen – I talk to all the sponsors myself, and even make the sponsor contracts myself. This makes me even more proud to get the win today.”
Verschoor had a difficult 2021 season despite strong performances on track, losing his seat at MP Motorsport ahead of the final two rounds, before filling in for the injured Enzo Fittipaldi at Charouz for the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
His hard work over the following winter eventually paid dividends last month, as Trident confirmed his seat for 2022. That work ethic also paid off during the race, which Verschoor explained was not as simple as it seemed.
“It was more challenging than it looked. I saw Boschung behind pushing a lot, I wanted to save tyres but he was going for it. I kept the gap after the Virtual Safety Car and managed it from there.”
Today’s win represented a milestone not just for Verschoor, but also for Trident, who took their first win in Formula 2 since 2016.
His team will be hoping that he can emulate his performance tomorrow in the Feature Race, where he will line up in P9 after a good qualifying session yesterday.
Image Credit: Formula Motorsport Ltd
