Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Enzo Fittipaldi managed to secure a front row slot for Sunday's feature race around the tight and winding Hungaroring circuit. With track position key around a circuit like the Hungaroring, the Brazilian racer will be banking on his improved race pace once again, to net a third consecutive feature race points haul.
It's not quite been a third Formula 2 season to remember for the Van Amersfoort racer, who endured a scoreless streak ever since his feature race win at Jeddah. It's not been quite the easiest to adapt to the new generation of Formula 2 cars, having raced the older generation cars for two seasons prior.
As the season has flown along, qualifying hasn't been the strength for the Brazilian racer. His feature race win at Jeddah came only from fifth on the grid, and second this weekend marks his best ever qualifying performance ever.
With the nature of the Formula 2 grid meaning drivers are separated only by slender margins on the grid every weekend, it becomes all the more imperative for the driver to make the difference. Being a veteran of the series, Fittipaldi banks on his prior experience to make the difference.
As the VAR racer pinpoints, his points scores in Silverstone are down to improved race pace over the course of the longer feature races, which also bring in an element of the strategy through the mandatory pit stop.
"The reason we've been able to get into the points is our good race pace, and our ability to recover (in the feature race), and I think that is about it," Fittipaldi spoke to DIVEBOMB and other selected media on his points scores.
Fittipaldi is a driver who has raced at the Hungaroring before, and this weekend marks the first instance of himself, as well as 21 other drivers taking to the 14-turn track in the new generation of Formula 2 cars.
When asked about the difference he experienced driving the two cars, Fittipaldi responded about the steering being lighter compared to the previous year.
"I think the steering is lighter than last year. If anything, the car has been slower. At every track we've been to, it's been a few seconds slower, although this can even be due to the track getting worn out every year. But I definitely think the car is slightly slower," the Brazilian remarked.
There's no doubt he would be looking to score a strong result around a track he has done well at in the past, when he finished third and second for Charouz back in 2022.
Starting from the front row around a track that is notoriously difficult to overtake on, Fittipaldi will be looking to notch up his second podium finish of the season, and ensure he climbs further into the echelons of the top ten in the standings this season.
Paul Aron took pole for the Hungarian feature race, with Fittipaldi starting alongside him in second. Championship leader Isack Hadjar starts third, while Gabriel Bortoleto was able to notch up fourth for Invicta Racing.
Victor Martins starts fifth, ahead of Dennis Hauger in sixth and Kimi Antonelli in seventh, while Zane Maloney continued a return to form with eighth on the grid, while Kush Maini starts ninth on Sunday, and Richard Verschoor rounds out the top ten for the feature race. You can read about the session here.
Although, Verschoor will be on pole for the sprint later today, at 14:15 local time (13:15 BST), ahead of Maini and Maloney. Can he finally win his first race this year? Or will Maini take his first Formula 2 win? Do make sure to tune in to the sprint race to find out!
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