2022 Round 7 post-Qualifying press conference

Thoughts from Collet, Maloney and Pizzi

FIA Formula 3: Congratulations to the top three Qualifiers of the FIA Formula 3 Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps. Starting in third place Francesco Pizzi for Charouz Racing System, in second place, Zane Maloney for Trident, and on pole position Caio Collet for MP Motorsport. Many congratulations Caio that was a fantastic performance by you. Your first pole in FIA Formula 3, how sweet does it feel to take it on a drivers' track like Spa-Francorchamps?

Caio Collet: It feels really, really nice. Also, we did it in really tricky conditions so I need to say a big thank you to the team and my engineer, we managed really well. We knew it was going to be everything in the last lap because the track was getting better and better and I think my engineer and I managed this really well. I'm really glad to deliver a lap when it matters and take pole position.

FIA Formula 3: You certainly delivered a lap. This makes it two poles in a row for MP Motorsport, do you feel that you and the team have found a sweet spot with this car now?

Collet: It's hard to say in tricky conditions like that, to be honest. It's all about getting a lap at the right time, at the right moment. Definitely, I think we've had good momentum since Budapest, we got pole and won both races. Now here in Spa, let's see what we can do in the Feature Race, but I'm really looking forward to it.

FIA Formula 3: Tell us more about the Feature Race on Sunday, where will this one be won and lost?

Collet: I think race pace here matters a lot. Regardless of if you are starting on pole, I think everyone inside the top five can win the race so obviously, you need a good start and to make sure you keep the tyres alive until the end of the race because that will be the key. Let's see what we can do.

FIA Formula 3: Well good luck with that, thank you Caio. Zane coming to you, great consistency from you, taking another second place on the grid. Do you think the pole was in reach today if perhaps you'd had a different track position?

Zane Maloney: Of course, well done to Caio firstly. A great lap by him. It was a bit unfortunate, I was one of the first to cross the line. Of course, in these conditions, the track is getting better and better, but the team did a great job again. Every Qualifying and every race this year we've been there, and there to fight for the wins. A great job by them and now it's just focusing on the races and doing the best job possible.

FIA Formula 3: Tell us a little bit more about the track conditions, how difficult was it to find the limit?

Maloney: Yeah it was very difficult. Of course, we took the gamble to go on slicks straight away after the red flag which a lot of people did. We knew that for the first ten minutes there was going to be nothing, so it was just about keeping it out of the wall and waiting for that track to dry. Still, in the end, some parts were dry, and some parts were still quite wet. It was very difficult.

FIA Formula 3: Zane there are lots of overtaking opportunities here at Spa, do you enter this Feature Race focused on the win? Do you think you can beat Caio?

Maloney: Of course, I would like to hope that I can fight for the win, we need to see what the race pace is like tomorrow and try to work on the car tomorrow night for the big race on Sunday. I'm going into this weekend the same as last time out and hope for a good weekend.

FIA Formula 3: Great stuff, well done to you. Francesco, coming to you now. What an absolutely fantastic performance by you. You must be delighted?

Francesco Pizzi: Yeah we are delighted because we didn't expect it at all, we went in knowing what we learnt from the Free Practice. I was unlucky to get my lap deleted there so, I was quite far back but we knew the pace looked better than usual. We know in tricky conditions, like in Imola, we are quite fast. In the end, we chose to go on the slicks under the red flag. We waited for a little bit to try and get the best conditions and luckily I was one of the last few cars to cross the line and get the best lap possible in. I'm just really happy for the team and for everyone because everyone worked really hard and we've put a lot of effort into this and finally we can see it pay off in results.

FIA Formula 3: How comfortable did you feel out there around Spa in a Formula 3 car?

Pizzi: I don't know because I didn't drive much here last year, I had covid before the race so I skipped the Free Practice and went straight to Qualifying and I never tested here. I was quite surprised to be honest because I didn't even look at the screen and my radio communication was not working for the last five laps. I was thinking I'm never on the screen anyway so I'm not even going to look. Then I got in and the scrutineering guy calls me in and I had a communication that I'm third and then we start hugging each other it was an amazing feeling.

FIA Formula 3: Very emotional for you, what is the goal for Sunday's race now?

Pizzi: I think I have to focus on my pace, our race pace has been good all season I could make up a few positions every time from where I started. I think we can do our pace and try to manage the gaps. It's really easy to overtake here so it's not going to be an easy race defending wise but I will look forward at the start. Of course, we have tomorrow's race where we're going to start from P10, so I'll learn the most from tomorrow and try to bring it to the race on Sunday.

FIA Formula 3: Best of luck to you for the rest of the weekend.