Mental improvements are ‘starting to show now’ says Williams after scoring first F3 podium

Scoring not just his first points, but also his first podium in Formula 3, Calan Williams was naturally delighted with his performances in Round 2 of the season, with the Jenzer Motorsport driver once again hailing the mental strides he has made in 2021.

Qualifying 12th, Williams put himself on reverse grid pole for Race 1, and although the Australian wasn’t able to hold onto the place during the race, he managed to snatch the final podium spot. Williams had remained in contention in fourth and benefitted after third-placed Ayumu Iwasa was hit with a five-second time penalty.

It wasn’t only in Race 1 that Williams impressed, as he made up two positions in Race 2 for eighth, after playing “the patient game.”

“I was really happy,” said Williams on Race 2. “I got past (Juan Manuel) Correa on the second lap and was happy with that move because he certainly fought for it. More than I expected. We were two-wide through Turn 3, so I was happy to pull that off.

“The move on (Ayumu) Iwasa at the end of the race was sort of a slow burner. I knew that he was struggling with his tyres and that I had a few laps left. As soon as he dropped out of DRS range, I knew that I could have him. It was all about playing the patient game.”

Williams had spoken in the build-up to Race 1 about his work with an Italian based company called Formula Medicine, which specialise in ‘medical assistance, athletic and mental preparation.’

The 20-year-old has been working on his tendency to overthink both before and during races, and he said he was pleased to see it pay off at Paul Ricard.

“I took a huge amount of confidence from Races 1 and 2,” he said. “To run at the front confidently and to have performed well, I am really happy with that.

“I think it is huge for me and huge for the team. A really strong couple of results and they show the pace that I have and also the pace that the team has.

“They gave me a really good car and I think that all of the work that I have been doing since November last year, with Formula Medicine, with myself and with everyone that I work with, is absolutely incredible. I think that it is all starting to show now.”