Vesti on The "Best Weekend of My Life"

A successful two weeks for our Junior Driver, Frederik Vesti

The Formula 2 field is incredibly competitive and there's been some epic action on track so far in 2023. Leaving the last race in Spain at the top of the Drivers' Championship is our Junior Driver, Frederik Vesti.

Fred's had two strong race weekends with Prema Racing, claiming an impressive pole position and victory in Monaco and following that up with a Sprint Race win in challenging wet-to-dry conditions in Spain.

We sat down with Fred to catch-up on his most recent races.

Congrats on a great last few race weekends in Monaco and Spain, Fred! How would you sum them up?

"Monaco was probably the best race weekend of my life. Pole position on one of the most difficult tracks in the world! I would say the hard work was done on Friday getting that pole position, but it still wasn't an easy race. We pulled the gap to around seven seconds before pitting and I was pushing flat-out for fastest laps. In Barcelona I had a bad qualifying, so P8 on the grid wasn't great. But we ended up winning the Sprint and had a strong Feature Race. We left Barcelona extending the lead in the championship which is one of the key things we focused on before the weekend."

Let's talk about Monaco specifically, first. How did the pole lap feel, and would you say it was the best lap of your career so far?

"It's difficult to say but I was in the zone and that's a special feeling. When I was driving, I knew that I was on a good lap. I knew where I wanted to improve so I really went for it. Especially the last sector, I was really close to the wall a few times, really giving it everything. It wasn't an all-in lap though where there was a lot of risk, I was in control which makes it even better. I was in the second qualifying group, so we decided beforehand that I wasn't going to watch the first group. I was going to be in the Mercedes garage relaxing, warming up. I think that was a good strategic choice so I could just focus on what I needed to do."

And the Feature Race on Sunday, how did that result feel when you crossed the line, did you feel much pressure during the race?

"In my head during the race, it was probably about 80% positive but there are always a few negative thoughts. And they need to be there when you are nervous because it shows how much you want it. I had a good start, pulled a gap before the safety car, I did the pit stop which was good and then it was almost a 15-lap sprint to the end. It was a long race, so it was challenging to stay focused and not make mistakes, but we did it. A lot of feelings and emotions afterwards. Most of them were on Friday because pole position is quite difficult for me. I've won more races than pole positions. So that was incredible. I was a bit more relaxed on Sunday."

Heading to Spain, what was your approach and mindset heading into the weekend?

"The mindset was wanting to win straight away. The goal was to be top five in qualifying so P8 was not good enough. But we still were in the top 10 with the opportunities to fight for points. In the Sprint we started third and it was very tricky, with a race that started wet and dried out. We started on the wet tyre, and I got up to the lead by lap four, we were really fast and we won. That was a great feeling as it was a tricky race. On Sunday I started eighth on the alternative strategy, had some really cool overtakes and I really enjoyed it."

Now you have a couple of weeks off F2. How will you be spending them?

"We have three weeks off now until Spielberg and Silverstone, so a double-header. I will spend it in the UK. I have at least two simulator days per week in Brackley and I'll also be with Prema for three days to prepare for the next races. I'll also be focused on training, the simulator and also enjoying some time off to get in the right headspace for the next one. Training is important for my routine and wellbeing. I'll try and play some computer games with my friends. That's the plan before Austria."