Good morning and welcome to Silverstone, England for the Team Representatives’ Press Conference ahead of this weekend’s British V-Prix – round seven of the 2023 Formula Virtual World Championship. Joining us today, from left to right, are; Harry Westwood of TotalEnergies Peugeot Team Westwood, Bradley Downton from Downton FV Team, Alex Easton of Royal Phoenix Motorsport, and then finally William Ingram from Corsair Ingram V-Prix. Welcome to the four of you. Scott Parkin – FVTV: We’ll begin today with you, Bradley. This season so far has been unbelievable for Downton; out of the six races we’ve had, the team has four wins and a further seven podiums. The only other result was Klaas’ 14th place in Dubai after being involved in the incident with Powers. Downton’s first six races in 2023 has eclipsed all other points totals by any team after six races in the history of the sport. Did you expect to be quite so strong? Bradley Downton: Honestly, no! Pre-season suggested we'd be in quite a tight battle with AMR at least - and I think in qualifying they have been really close. It's just that we have maximised our race performances, but even then we're not running away with dominant 1-2 results every time. I think the reason we look so good is because we have a strong car combined with a team who have fought at the top before for many years, whilst our closest rivals at AMR are learning how to fight at the top. They're a brilliant team, but it does take a shift in mentality to adapt. SP – FVTV: It’s an intriguing dynamic this season between Downton and AMR. Harry, the first six races this season have produced some exceptional results for Peugeot Westwood, especially Thierry’s win in Malaysia and podium last time out. The team seems to be on a strong upwards trajectory and you’ve outscored all but Downton and AMR over the last two races. Does the team feel this is the result of 18 months of hard work with the Peugeot partnership, or are you just getting started? Harry Westwood: Thank you - it has been quite the start this season! To answer your question, I think it's sort of the best of both worlds. It's definitely a result of all the hard work behind the scenes from all involved parties, but we are also just getting started. We got it right this year, but it's all changing again next season which means we still have plenty of work cut out for us. We can't exactly rest on our laurels when we haven't got any! But seriously, the goal is to show this is more than just a flash in the pan, and we have long term objectives to meet as well as short term, both of which we are currently happy with. SP – FVTV: Very exciting times for the Westwood team. My final question before we do the Fan Questions is for Alex and Will. With this weekend being the British V-Prix, I was looking at it yesterday and realised that we now have just four British teams in the field; Downton, Ingram, North Star and Phoenix. This figure has dropped from previously having seven British teams and one Irish team from 2020 to 2022, after Franklin, Lucas and Highwind left, then Peugeot Westwood changed their nationality to French – although remain firmly based in Bolton. So, to the pair of you; have you felt a distinct shift in the nationalities of Formula Virtual teams and has it affected British support for each of your teams as each of you now make up a quarter of the British contingent? Alex Easton: Yeah, I mean as you say we’ve got Peugeot Westwood just down the road from us in Bolton but there definitely has been a shift in the nationalities of FV teams – I think it reflects the globalisation of the series over the last few years. If you look at Formula Virtual, back when it started in 2013, it was predominantly British teams and that legacy continued for a while until I suppose last year when we lost Franklin, Lucas and Highwind, as you said. But it’s great to have so many new teams from all corners of the globe. We had Andromeda from Brazil, Excelsior from America, then ARROW joined who’re based in Germany. Then this season we’ve had Maserati from Italy, SRT from Germany and Kowhai, all the way from New Zealand! I think it’s a sign of Formula Virtual’s growing popularity. As for how it’s affected support for Phoenix, that’s difficult to say really. There’s certainly more support for Phoenix than a few years ago but I think that’s probably down to us being in such an incredible position over the last couple of years compared to pre-2022. William Ingram: Thanks Scott, I agree with what Alex has said - the sport has definitely grown in recent years and we have a more cosmopolitan paddock. Personally, I don't think we've noticed a huge increase in support in recent years - there are plenty of diehards but we're yet to really punch through to the point you'd see someone walking down the street with their Ingram kit on, you and Ahmed Cheema excluded of course Alex! I like to think we're some people's second team. I have seen a lot more AMR rep in the build-up, partly down to the Powers effect of course but also their brilliant performances thus far. SP – FVTV: AMR certainly do seem to be more and more popular with fans across the globe. Right, we’ll do the Fan Questions now. The first one here is for Bradley. “If van Snelheid bottles it again and doesn’t win the title this year, is his drive at risk?” BD: I feel like we get a question like this every other press conference, so I'll give you the same answer as always. Klaas has a contract to race with us next season. We are happy with his performances and he is happy with the team - so he'll still be in orange whatever happens. SP – FVTV: Yes, could we please keep these Fan Questions from descending into slander in the future please! Right, the next one here is for Harry. “Can you rank Westwood’s three race wins in order?” HW: Wow wow wow... That's a tough one. As they say, you never forget your first, and China was good for that reason. But Japan and now Malaysia were such impressive defensive displays that it's hard to say... Probably Malaysia '23 first for being such an underdog performance, then China '15 second for being our maiden win, and Japan '15 in 3rd. But it's close! SP – FVTV: That was a tough one, but great answer Harry! Okay, Will, the next one is for you. “It’s common knowledge that Vasquez and Kangur are two of the best drivers without a title to their name and are so far performing well as a partnership for Ingram. Do you see them both staying with the team for the foreseeable?” WI: I agree with you, James and Allar are two exceptional drivers and we have them under contract for the foreseeable future so it should be an easy yes, but you never know in FV. SP – FVTV: Thanks, Will. Okay, final Fan Question for you now, Alex. “King is looking great in the VWRS in her second season but you already have two great drivers in your FV team. What’s the plan for her in the future?” AE: Chloe certainly is performing exactly how we hoped she would this season so far, we’re absolutely buzzing with her development year on year! She’s certainly staking a claim to put herself in the conversation about a seat in Formula Virtual in the next year or two but that’s some way off yet. We do have a long term plan with everything – drivers included – but at the same time that plan can always adapt and change to current circumstances, so we’ll address that when we come to it. SP – FVTV: Okay, the Team Representatives will now take questions from the floor. Edgardo Agretha – Play Virtual: William, the last couple of races have been – to put it politely – less than preferable, with two retirements and a sole point to show for the team’s efforts. Do you believe that you’re about where you expect to be right now, scrapping for the final points paying positions? Or do you think the team has just been out of form of late? WI: I think there's been enough races to see this is where we are. With where the car is at the moment we hope for points rather than expect them. The right strategy and a driver nailing quali and I think we will still score regularly, but we can't afford any mistakes. Theo Parker – VM Magazine: Harry, Thierry and Tumo seem to be very competitive as teammates; usually not too far off one another in sessions and the races. Of course, the two are at opposite ends of their Formula Virtual careers, but do you see this partnership remaining the same for a number of years now? HW: Oh yeah, they definitely push each other to be their best - and that is exactly what I want from them. I think them being at opposite ends of their careers as you say has actually been incredibly beneficial, and I think it's helped them gel very well in the team. Tumo has been a fantastic mentor to Thierry in many aspects of this sport already, and Thierry is proving you can still teach an old dog new tricks by passing along a couple of tidbits he's picked up in junior racing. Nobody tell Tumo I called him an old dog though! We're very happy with our drivers and I don't see either of them going anywhere any time soon. Gianmario Angelino – Sportitalia: Bradley, everyone knows Klaas is the man at Downton. He is the favourite for the World Championship this season but so far, Matteo has the lead of the points. Of course, Klaas has the bad luck so far but for sure the development in Matteo from 2022 to now is incredible. Can he keep the challenge to Klaas all season? BD: I don't see why not! Matteo was disappointed with his performances in the first few races and has worked really hard to turn that around as we requested and get closer to his team mate, and I think we're seeing the results of that now. Klaas has more experience definitely, but Matteo is a very strong driver - and there's no reason he can't maintain the fight. Peter Duggan – FutureFV.com: Hi Alex. With Thierry claiming his first win in Formula Virtual back in Malaysia, how was that for you and the whole Phoenix team? Your team developed him in his first three years in the series so is there a feeling of pride, or sadness that it wasn’t in one of your cars? AE: Ah no, honestly mate, everyone was – and still is – absolutely buzzing for Thierry and all those guys and girls over at Peugeot Westwood pointing towards Harry with a beaming smile. One of the first things I did after the race finished was to head down to congratulate Harry and the team on their victory, they really deserve it. The Westwood team has had some amazing highs but also tough lows since their two wins back in 2015 and it’s been an exceptional journey to watch since their comeback in 2020. At Phoenix, we’re a team who always values and remembers our friends and Westwood certainly always have been good to us – from doing the deal with us for Sergio [Alvarez] when we joined in 2018 to just always being there for any advice and support, especially in our first few years – they’re a great team who fully deserve to be back on that top step. Bringing it back to Thierry; like Peugeot Westwood, he absolutely deserves the position he now finds himself in. I just knew from the very early days of Thierry joining us from the DS Automobiles Young Driver Academy that he’d be a V-Prix winner someday – and I’m sure he’ll add to that win plenty more times in the future. He’s always been such an analytical and calculated driver; never taking stupid risks and always knowing exactly how the car works best and which strategy to go with at any time – so it didn’t surprise me to see him make that hard tyre strategy work perfectly. But, as well as that, he’s always been fiercely determined to succeed and will defend his position like an animal if he has to – like we saw him do for so long at the Emirates V-Prix for us in 2021. It’s just a brilliant story for Formula Virtual for him and Peugeot Westwood to stand on the top step, you just have to tip your hat to them. Rebecca Parnell – XtremeV: Question for Bradley. In the past, especially from 2017 until last season, your team became used to battling the likes of Mathershaw and Franklin for wins and titles, which of course brought a lot of pressure and challenges – going up against such historically mighty teams. This season, however, you find yourselves fighting mainly AMR – a total newcomer to the winners’ circle – which poses a totally different challenge. Do you almost feel there’s more pressure than ever for Downton, given that your historical ‘old foes’ have gone and everyone just expects you to win? BD: Externally, yes. Mathershaw were such prolific winners, but the expectation was only that we'd win between us, so if we only came third and fourth behind them, it wasn't viewed as a failure. But now it definitely feels as though we're expected to beat everyone because we're the only team with significant winning experience. Having said that, we put more pressure on ourselves internally to always be the best, and even when we're winning to push even further clear. It doesn't matter who we're racing, or the history they have - we want to be better than them. Rohan Navulari – V Sports India: Question for Harry, William and Alex. It is, of course, still early days yet in the season, but it does look like your three teams as well as Porsche and Ocelot could be embroiled in a huge scrap for ‘best of the rest’ behind the top two teams. Do you all feel that’s correct? And how do you rate your own team’s chances against the other teams in the battle? AE: Well, Peugeot’s performances in Sepang and France were obviously incredible but they struggled slightly in some of the other races so I think that battle could be very track dependant, swinging one way then the other all season. If that was the case, we’d be in for a spectacular battle for the fans! As for how I rate our chances against those four – if indeed we will make up the five teams in that fight – that’s really tough to say. We’ll be absolutely overjoyed if we find ourselves firmly in the fight for third with those four legendary teams, but ultimately we simply may not have the resources to keep up with some of them. We certainly won’t overstretch ourselves to try to gain an extra position or two. The long-term survival of this team is paramount, we know all too well about how quickly the bailiffs turn up at your door when things go wrong. HW: Realistically, I think the battle for third is so tight this year that it's hard to call. With points paying positions being so competitive, a good run for any team could be a huge leg up in the fight, so there's no margin for error whatsoever. And Alex does make a good point that our performances haven't been that consistent. However as the only team outside the top two to take a win this season, and a good track record at some of the upcoming circuits - I have to say we're quietly confident in ourselves. But anything is possible. In any case, to have our neighbours at Phoenix, our engine customers at Ocelot, and our old engine suppliers at Porsche being so close - all of whom we hold in extremely high regard - is an absolute delight to be part of. And if Ingram can get involved as well, which unfortunately I can't see happening with their current pace - sorry Will! - even better, as one of the three remaining original teams and with a stand-up bloke in charge it would be nice to see them in the scrap! WI: I appreciate being including in your question Rohan! I think Harry is right, we're a little off most of them at the moment. I think we've seen peaks and troughs from all the teams in the fight for third. We are as quick as a team in a trough! We aim to beat someone each week but our top pace is just not good enough. We see our main rivals as North Star! Neil Allenby – FVTV: Recently, the FVA revealed the brand-new car design for the 2024 season, with different variations of the front and rear wings being the hot topic from now until the teams roll out their cars next season. Could you all give your opinions on the changes and how you feel they will affect the sport and each of your teams? AE: I think the new cars look absolutely fantastic. To me, it really feels as if Formula Virtual is forging its own identity more than ever with the 2024 regulations and moving away from other motorsport series. For the series, I think it’s brilliant and I think we’ll see a wide variation of cars, giving teams much more individuality. As for how the changes will affect Phoenix, well, honestly… I’m excited but slightly anxious. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve got a fantastic little team of engineers but big regulation changes like this often put a strain on the resources. Whether it means ending development on the 2023 car early to put our resources into next season, or taking a cautious approach to the new regs and accepting a tough start to the new generation of cars – like we did for the last big change a few years ago – that remains to be seen after we make those decisions later this year, but every decision we make at Phoenix is with the ultimate goal of keeping the team afloat. HW: I definitely agree with Alex, the new design looks stunning. I'm a big fan of the new FV cars, especially with the freedom of aero configurations, which is unlike anything we've had before and I'm sure will lead to more distinct designs for different teams. I'm also sure Phoenix will have a good approach to these new regs - they've been proving themselves more than capable of punching above their weight against teams with more funding available after all! Admittedly, it's hard to get a regulation change right, but it is a huge advantage when you do. It can put a strain on resources, but every now and then it allows an underdog team to get it really right and get right up the order. But I do think the more seasoned teams and those with larger budgets will benefit most from this change - they have the resources and the experience on how to allocate said resources well. We're already confident of our direction for 2024, and with our works backing thanks to our partnership with Peugeot, a change like this is likely to be slightly in our favour; provided we don't go the wrong way! But a potential shake up of the order, more distinct car designs across teams, and a cooler looking car? That can only have a positive effect on the sport overall. WI: I really like the changes and I am really excited to see which direction all the teams decide to go. Alex and Harry have expounded on the potential pitfalls a new regulation can bring, but it's also a huge opportunity if you get it right. BD: I don't think I can add much more to what has been said. The new cars look fantastic and should provide even better racing. In terms of how they will affect our team, it's difficult to say. Regulation changes are always tricky, but we'll do the best we can - we have a fantastic team back at the factory who have nailed several changes already. However, there's obviously a chance someone else does a better job and we'll slip slightly in the pecking order, but if that ends up being the case, we'll just work even harder to fight back. SP – FVTV: Brilliant questions and answers there from everyone, thank you. That brings us to the end of the Press Conference today, make sure you join us tomorrow for Practice and Qualifying ahead of the British V-Prix!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
|