At Silverstone, Stake F1 faces a crucial weekend as Zhou aims to uplift the team amidst challenges.
The Spanish Grand Prix had been more encouraging for Stake F1… but during the last race in Austria, the team’s performance declined again. Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou were driving the slowest car on the Red Bull Ring…
So, is there much hope this weekend at Silverstone?
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team representative, certainly hopes so. The team will, for example, try to come with refined settings this weekend in the UK.
“The last part of the triple-header of European races is an opportunity to bounce back and try to take a step forward at a crucial moment in the season. Such a succession of races has its advantages: racing every week keeps you focused and allows you to carry over lessons from one event to the next.”
“We have collected a lot of data between Barcelona and Spielberg: Silverstone will offer a completely different layout, but there will be elements where the experience from the last two races will prove useful. We must maximize our time on the track, getting the most out of each session, then execute everything perfectly during qualifying and the race. We are more determined than ever to take a step forward this weekend and get back in the fight – as was the case earlier in the season.”
Valtteri Bottas keeps asking for more upgrades from his team, from Grand Prix to Grand Prix. But apparently, it won’t be for this weekend…
“Silverstone is always a special occasion: it’s a classic circuit and, even in its current configuration, it retains all the elements that have made it special over the years,” the Finn rejoices.
“Silverstone is a fast track, it’s technical and it’s always a circuit where the driver can make a difference; it also offers overtaking opportunities, which promises a lot of fun.”
“Of course, we want to take a step forward and close the gap to those ahead of us: if we make the most of the free practice and put the car in the right window of settings, we can be competitive and have significant battles with the cars in front of us.”
Outpaced by his teammate in qualifying last weekend (3 tenths apart on a short circuit, the Red Bull Ring), can Guanyu Zhou avoid another Q1 elimination? Regardless, he expects to at least enjoy the high-speed corners of Silverstone.
“I’m looking forward to this race: driving at Silverstone is always fun, it’s one of those circuits, like Spa or Suzuka, that seems designed to push the limits of what our cars can achieve. Some corners, like Copse or the Maggotts-Becketts combination, are simply unreal from the cockpit, especially in qualifying. It’s also a good place for racing in general, with many corners that can offer opportunities for tight battles.”
“As we approach this weekend, we know what we need to work on to gain performance: it will be crucial to get the car into perfect conditions from the start, so we can refine the settings over the following sessions and extract every bit of performance. The margins are still very tight and, if we reach 100% of our potential, we can be in the mix.”
Stake F1’s Silverstone Battle: Zhou Aims for Upset. Stake F1’s Silverstone Battle: Zhou Aims for Upset
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