Competing against the best ‘will help me to improve’ says Campos’ rookie Cordeel

Campos Racing’s Amaury Cordeel feels that being around motorsport’s cream of the crop can only help to improve him as a racer, as he looks to rediscover the type of form that led him to the Spanish Formula 4 title.

Joining Formula 3 on the back of a frustrating campaign in Formula Renault Eurocup, where he finished in 15th with 33 points, Cordeel admits that he fell short of his own high standards in 2020 but is confident he can return to his best this year.

“There are a lot of competitive drivers from all over the world in F3 and this is where I need to be,” said Cordeel. “Battling with these drivers and being at this high a level will help me to improve as a driver. That’s the main reason why I chose this championship.

“Last season was difficult, and I don’t really know why I struggled. It was hard to explain because I expected it to be a better season, but for whatever reason it just didn’t go to plan.

“I have been training a lot in the off-season and doing a lot of simulator work to improve. I have friends who are into other sports, like boxing, cycling, and swimming, and we’re planning to have a training camp here in Belgium before the season starts.”

Winning the 2018 Spanish F4 Championship, Cordeel’s pathway to Formula 3 is somewhat unique. The 18-year-old never karted competitively and started single-seaters at the age of 14.

Still, Cordeel has regularly been inside of the cockpit since the age of eight, whether in a go-kart or a single seater. It’s also pushed him to work harder to hone his racing craft. They’re all factors that have played a role in his development.

“I tested a lot in karts, but I never did a championship,” he explained. “I started testing in F4 from a young age as well to learn the car. Then I went into French F4 when I was 14.

“I had to learn a lot when I stepped up because I was battling drivers who had more experience in races, who knew where to position their cars in a battle. Over the years I have worked hard on that aspect of my driving, learned more and more, and now it’s second nature.

“Now, I think that I’m good at being fast in the first session, but I need to work on putting it all together. I’ve been working hard on that and I will continue to do so this season. I feel like Campos are a good place to start my first season in F3. I have not set myself any specific targets, but I want to develop as much as possible.”