I learn with every kilometre driven.
Mazatis: Comeback chases at the Red Bull Ring
Benjamin Mazatis contested his second race weekend in the ADAC Formula 4 at the Red Bull Ring. The youngster on his weekend.
What did you do on your second race weekend?What have you learned in ADAC Formula 4?
Benjamin Mazatis: Quite a lot! After all, I'm learning with every kilometre I drive in my first season in Formula racing. After qualifying and an early retirement in the first race following an unavoidable collision, I really did feel like burying my head in the sand for a moment. But I told myself: put it behind you and carry on. In the following two races, I gained a total of 13 places. That shows that things can definitely move forward. I just need to work on my qualifying performance. But I have a good team around me and I'm sure it will go better next time.
Qualifying is one of the keys to success in the ADAC Formula 4. What went wrong at the Red Bull Ring?
Benjamin Mazatis: It went really well for me in the first few laps. Unfortunately, towards the end I couldn't improve my lap times as much as some of my competitors. I was relatively happy with my sector times – I just couldn't quite manage to deliver that speed over the entire lap. The individual sectors don't count in the end, but they show me that I could have been further up the field. Unfortunately, I mostly had to do without the slipstream of the car in front, which cost me a few tenths. We need to work on that in the future.
After the difficult qualifying session, you had to start the race from the back of the field. What was that like in a field of almost 40 cars?
Benjamin Mazatis: When you start from the back, it's all about getting a good start and getting through the first few corners cleanly. I managed to do that really well in all three races – I also got off to a great start in the first race, until the guy behind me crashed into my rear and destroyed my car. In the chaotic third race, with two red flags, I improved by eight places. If the race had lasted longer, a better result would have been possible. Although it unfortunately wasn't enough for points at the Red Bull Ring, the results don't reflect my performance. That gives me a lot of confidence.
Hundreds of thousands of fans were able to watch your three races live on Sport1 at the weekend. How did that feel?
The interest in ADAC Formula 4 is enormous. Naturally, we drivers also benefit from this. It makes me quite proud to hear from friends and acquaintances that they've seen me live on television. This motivates me even more to achieve good results and score points. Here at the Red Bull Ring, some of my friends from back home visited and cheered me on from the grandstands. That was a fantastic thing, and I want to thank them for their support.
In a fortnight' time, you'll be back at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. What are your expectations for the race weekend in Belgium?
Last year I tested at Spa for the first time, and I enjoyed the track from the very beginning. I'm expecting good things there. Fast corners suit my driving style, so Spa should suit me better than the Red Bull Ring. At the season opener in Oschersleben, I was very fast, especially in the demanding corners like the Triple or the Schöller-S. And there are plenty of 'courageous' corners in Spa too...