Interview
Going by the standards of the 2020 season so far, the almost two-week gap between Round 3 and 4 was considered to be an extended break, and yet, Charouz Racing System’s Igor Fraga resisted the urge to lie by the pool, or have any form of rest, and instead, put all his energy into training.
The Red Bull Junior has quickly learned how imperative Qualifying is in Formula 3, with a grid of 30 competitive racers, and some of the most challenging tracks on the planet. It’s for this reason that his focus in the break was on improving his Qualifying performances on the Charouz simulator.
“Qualifying is really, really important,” he explained. “It is not easy to overtake, so your weekend really starts in there, and if you struggle, then it makes it really complicated.
“On the simulator, we have been focusing on Qualifying work and this is so that we can really be prepared in the limited time that we have. We cannot run much in Free Practice to learn and prepare for everything, so we have to maximise the time that we do have.
“When you are actually out there in the field, you see how competitive it is. There are only two or three tenths between us, and a mistake here or there can cost you five or six positions.”
Fraga has suffered a tough introduction to life in F3. The Brazilian is yet to score a point in the Championship, but he has shown flashes of quality.
This week, he will also have the challenge of learning a brand-new circuit, having never previously raced at Silverstone. This made his time on the simulator all the more vital.
“Obviously, it has not been the easiest debut,” he continued. “We had issues with the car on the first two weekends, which was frustrating, especially when they happened during races where I was feeling more confident and stronger on the pace.
“At the Hungaroring, in the races, we began to develop in terms of my driving, and the car setup. Especially in the second race, we were very quick at the beginning, so that makes me hopeful.
“I have never been to Silverstone before, but the team have had good results here in the past, so we have some good data, and hopefully we can get the points that we need.”