2022 Round 2 Feature Race: Thoughts from the top 3

FIA Formula 3: Roman Stanek, Formula 3 race winner, how does that sound?

Roman Stanek: After a long, long, wait since 2020 it's good to come back on the top step and we work hard with together with Trident to achieve this result. But the season is not finished yet, so we keep pushing. We already start working for Barcelona tomorrow. Yeah it was great!

FIA Formula 3: Let’s talk about the race because it was quite eventful. We did enjoy watching it from the screens but how is it from the car?

Roman Stanek: It was quite tough on the beginning because half the track was dry and half the track was wet, so it was a bit hard to find the braking points and to really push on the edge. Yeah, we had a couple of safety cars, then the track was improving and improving. By the end the track was dry. I'm really sorry for my teammates Zane because he deserved to be on the podium today also because he had a great pace.

FIA Formula 3: Let's talk about that fight with Oliver Bearman where you retook the lead, so first he passed you and then you had to really push it until the final laps to get past him. How was it?

Stanek: I saw pushing and he was really leaning on the tyres and sliding a lot so I was just, let's say saving the tyres and just waited to overtake him because I knew he will struggle by the end. I just took the slipstream, overtake him on the straight and then since then I was leading the race which is which was quite easy because you are not in the dirty air. Also, Jak was very fast on the on the last laps. But also I was slow because I didn't want to do any mistakes. By the end, we did a good job I think.

FIA Formula 3: Looking forward, obviously you said that you were going to start working on Barcelona from tomorrow. It really feels that something clicked between you and Trident so what is it exactly, and what can we expect from you?

Stanek: I would say there was another click because also in Bahrain we had a great pace, we had the place to be on the podium and maybe to win. But I was very unlucky with two punctures but in the second race we managed to do well. Also the team we always work, I mean I haven't been at home 4 weeks. We spend the time in the workshop preparing for the race, doing simulators, doing gym, so I think it's really paid off.

FIA Formula 3: Thank you Roman and congratulations for today. Jak Crawford, P2 in today's Feature Race at Imola. It's a strong result, it was a very eventful race. Do you think that you could have won today, and something was missing? And if that is the case, what was missing?

Jak Crawford: Yeah, I mean for sure we could have won. I think me myself, I struggled a bit at the beginning just getting my tyres warmed up and after that, you're always you're always playing catch up. The others all we're always finding the braking point earlier, so I was always having to adapt very quick because I don't think my tyres were very ready. So yeah, I just missed a bit myself at the beginning, but in the end it really paid off, because the final five laps always really, really flying up, so yeah, it's a shame we didn't get the win, but I'm still really happy with the second this weekend.

FIA Formula 3: Overall, a pretty strong weekend from you, and from PREMA. How would you summarize it, and how much confidence does that give you looking to the next rounds?

Crawford: It gives me a tonne of confidence. Obviously P3 in Quali, P3 in the reverse grid, and P2 in the in the Feature Race. So yeah, really consistent, solid results. We were always up there during the weekend so you know, we scored lots of points. It gives me a lot of confidence when in Bahrain I didn't have a good round and you know you, I'm sort of doubting myself ahead of time. Once you come into really good results, you feel really good about yourself and yeah I'm feeling good about Barcelona.

FIA Formula 3: Good job this weekend. Isack Hadjar, P3 in today's Feature Race at Imola. What a race even before you, finished on the podium we were thinking of getting your quotes because you've had an amazing race. How is it from the car?

Isack Hadjar: Yeah, I mean it was very special, like the conditions were so tricky and in the first few laps I thought I wasn't even going to get a point. I’m not going to lie, it felt like it was over, but the track was drying very quickly, and we suddenly had a lot of pace. A lot of cars were pitting also, so it helped. It's a fantastic result for the for the team, yesterday we also had the pace to beyond the podium. Even in Bahrain we were competitive, so I just feeling very confident at the moment.

FIA Formula 3: Can we rewind a little bit and talk about yesterday, because you said earlier that it was hard to swallow. So can you tell us exactly why?

Hadjar: I mean wehad a brilliant pace in the whole race. We had great overtakenz, it was a very fun race until the last lab with the unlucky race incident with Caio. Still managed to score good points, but should have been a podium and yeah it’s great to be on the podium today.

FIA Formula 3: You got on the podium, and I would say you were at the right place at the right time, you had the right pace. But what were your thoughts when, you saw the incident between Bearman and Saucy?

Hadjar: First for the majority of the race, I was just sitting down behind them, I just couldn't overtake. There was no DRS the whole race, although it was completely dry and so I was really trying to manage the tyre and sometime try to overtake Gregoire but it wasn't possible. But in the last lap I saw Ollie who was struggling a lot and Gregoire putting a lot of pressure on him on the last lap and I saw that crash coming. That was for sure in the in the last corner, it was obvious that the two wanted to go on the podium. So I just took it easy and made my way through the chaos to be on the podium.

FIA Formula 3: You seem to have adapted quite quickly to Formula 3, you showed great and strong pace. You already have a win. You have a podium. How comfortable are you behind the the wheel of this car?

Hadjar: Yeah, I mean since the pre-season testing in Bahrain, we've been very competitive. In Jerez, in Barcelona test we were also very quick, so I think we were on a on a good momentum and it looks good for the rest of the season.

FIA Formula 3: Next up isn't Barcelona. What can we expect from you? Do you like this track?

Hadjar: Yeah, I mean it's a it's a cool track. It's quite tough for the tyre and and we also had great testing last time we came so I expect to score good points and why not a Feature Race win.

FIA Formula 3: Thank you, good job.