2020 Round 6 Race 2 Quotes

FIA Formula 3: Oscar Piastri, winner of the FIA Formula 3 Race 2 here in Barcelona. Congratulations. How was the race for you today?

Oscar Piastri: It was a really good race. Obviously, my start and my first lap made all the difference. I was really happy with that, it's where I've been struggling a bit so far this year - starts and first laps - so to have a start like that, where I went from fifth to first in three corners, was very positive. After that, I just hard to push quite hard early on to try and break out of the DRS, and then once I did that, I could manage the pace a little bit. The last safety car threw in a bit of a curve ball, but I just got out of DRS again so the last couple of laps weren't too tricky. Pushing to get out of DRS was the key after the start.

FIA Formula 3: You mentioned earlier that this was a great outcome to an otherwise average weekend. It's been a tricky season since Round 1 for you. Can you explain that?

Oscar: Firstly, we've had a lot of technical issues. I've had a technical issue every weekend so far. Luckily, this weekend, it was just for a lap in practice, but that's still not ideal. That's certainly hampered the last weekend in Silverstone. Before that, it was not quite maximising Qualifying. It's been my weakness so far, so that's something I need to rectify for the last three rounds. I can't keep relying on races like this to pull me through in the championship. Logan's (Sargeant) qualifying form has been pretty dominant. Round 5 at Silverstone really hurt me a lot with the technical issue in Qualifying. It's been various things, but Qualifying is the key one I still need to improve.

FIA Formula 3: Next up is Spa-Francorchamps. What do you expect there? Is that a track that you like?

Oscar: Yeah, it's my favourite on the calendar, so I'm really looking forward to going back to Spa. I always look forward to racing there. It will be quite interesting. It's not necessarily a track where pace is king. You've obviously got the long first straight, and up through Eau Rouge, so I'm feeling confident for it. I think we should be quick. We've been quick every weekend, so I just need to maximise Qualifying. I'm looking forward to Spa that's for sure.

FIA Formula 3: Alex Peroni, P2 in today's FIA Formula 3 Race 2 in Barcelona. It was a tough race. How was it from the car?

Alex Peroni: Yeah it was really tough. I guess it looks easy from the outside, when you are just doing laps and laps and not really fighting with people, but it was hard. I had to really push to keep up with Oscar, while keeping a gap to Nannini. The car felt pretty good, but the rears were struggling towards the end, so I was sliding around a lot. It was hard to keep the pace, but a pretty decent race.

FIA Formula 3: Take us through the start, because that was quite eventful.

Alex: It was a crazy start. I saw Matteo got a lot of wheelspin, so I went in his tow and picked the outside. I am not sure if he locked his brakes or if it was cold tyres, but he touched my rear and it put me wide over the kerb so I was a bit out of line for Turn 3. Oscar was able to get me into Turn 4. I was out of line again after that and Nannini stuck it down the inside of me. I was frustrated to go all the way back to where I started, but that’s how it goes.

FIA Formula 3: You mentioned over the weekend that it was about time you got back onto the podium, so this must be a satisfying result today?

Alex: It is satisfying. I guess it is not as satisfying as it could be though, because although we have made up a lot of points, we have a lot of points to catch up in the Championship. Every race from now on, we need to get pretty much perfect to be within that top five in the Championship. Honestly, we are learning, and I think we have rectified what we have done wrong, and hopefully we can put this towards the last three rounds.

FIA Formula 3: And you still got to hear the Australian anthem on the podium, with Oscar taking the win!

Alex: I haven't won once this year, but I have heard it twice! That is pretty decent.

FIA Formula 3: Next up is Spa-Francorchamps. What can you tell us about how comfortable you are there, and how much you either like, or don't like, this track?

Alex: I love how you always say, 'how you like it,' first, because every driver likes it, including me. It is a mega track, probably one of the best on the calendar, and I am super keen to go there - I love the area, and I love Belgium. I think we can do a good job there. As always, we will focus on what we are doing and being fast and I think we will be up at the front.

FIA Formula 3: Matteo Nannini, P3 in today's FIA Formula 3 Race 2 in Barcelona. It's your first podium, after getting your first point yesterday. That must be quite a satisfying result to your weekend?

Matteo Nannini: Yeah, of course it is. I'm very happy with this podium, even if I expected to be a bit closer to the other guys. My start was not as good, so I got passed in the first corner on the first lap and was already third. Then I managed to end the first lap in second place. Then there was the safety car, but Oscar was too fast and he gained a bit of space and was out of the DRS zone. In third place I managed to keep the guy behind me out of DRS range. I struggled a bit at the end with the degradation of the rear tyres, but I'm happy with this result.

FIA Formula 3: You mentioned yesterday that you've been working hard with Jenzer to get results like this. Where do you still need to improve to keep fighting for a podium next time in Race 1?

Matteo: We have to improve our pace in the race and manage the tyres. We've seen it's a bit different if you push too much in the beginning, then you have to struggle too much in the end. Today we managed it quite well. Maybe I could push a bit more a the beginning, because at the end I still had the tyres and in fact I closed the gap to Alex. I was in the DRS zone but the race was already over. We also have to improve in Qualifying a bit. We didn't qualify in P1, so I think that's the next key we have to look for in Spa.

FIA Formula 3: Talking about Spa, what are your thoughts about that circuit?

Matteo: I've never been there. It will be my first time there, so I think it will be a tough one, especially in practice where I have to learn the track but also understand the car and how it feels. I won't give up, but I think it will be more difficult than here in Barcelona.