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24/07/17 Budapest Q&A with Gustav Malja: “I have had good results here in previous years.” |
| This weekend sees the seventh round, and the third in four weeks, of the 2017 FIA F2 Championship and the Racing Engineering team are heading to Budapest and the Hungaroring circuit for the latest race. The last three rounds have been disappointing for the team and its two drivers, Gustav Malja and Louis Delétraz, and they have all been working together to get back in the points. With this season being so competitive it is vital to ensure that everybody is pulling together to bring the team back to the front of the field. Gustav Malja discusses how he feels about racing again at the Hungaroring circuits one of his favourite tracks, and what he expects from the weekend. During the last race at Silverstone you were only one position away from finishing in the points. The next chance has already arrived this weekend at the Hungaroring. Are you looking forward to this event? Yes, I am really looking forward to the weekend. It will be amazing to drive on the track, the team and I have been working hard and we will be well prepared coming to Hungaroring. We have had a really difficult time over the recent events but we are aiming to come back strong at the Hungaroring. The Hungaroring is a circuit you usually like. Can you tell us why? It’s a circuit that, first of all, has a nice flow, and is quite technical, and I like a circuit with these characteristics. which obviously is nice to have as experience. I had a strong pace here in Formula Renault 2.0 and 3.5, scoring three top 5-finishes and one podium, and this is something that gives you confidence and it’s great as a driver going back to a place where you have already enjoyed success. It is always nice to go to Budapest and Hungaroring, and I am looking forward to adding more good results. With just a few short straights, the Hungaroring is a low-speed circuit, similar to Monaco. Where do you see the main challenges at this track for a driver? At Hungaroring, it is important to get in to a good rhythm in the car. It is a circuit with some tricky corners, like the blind fast left-hander, where it’s important to really be committed and push! Sector 2 is quite a tight section with a lot of slow-speed corners so here is where a nice rhythm in the flow of the circuit really helps you to go quick, a bit like Monaco! You were quick in Monaco and like the Hungarian layout with similar characteristics. What are your expectations for this weekend? My goal for this weekend is to score points in both races and get a podium. Monaco weekend was great and it was a very nice feeling to get a podium for the team and myself, and I hope to do the same this weekend. You will celebrate your F1 debut with a test day following the Hungarian Grand Prix. What does this opportunity mean for you? It means a lot as this is something that I have strived for since I was a child, when I was starting in karting in Sweden. It will be a dream come true to drive a Formula 1 car for the first time. |
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