After celebrating his maiden podium in Formula 2, ART Grand Prix’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak reflected on his career and expressed his hopes for the upcoming season.
On His Maiden Podium
Claiming his first Formula 2 podium marked a significant milestone in Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak’s rookie campaign. After delivering a composed and competitive drive, the Thai driver reflected on the achievement and what reaching the podium means at this stage of his season.
“It feels really good. It’s been a long time since I’ve had champagne […] but yeah, overall, a good week for myself and the team. I think we have been on it since Red Bull Ring now and being more consistent over the last few races. I’m really happy that we can put it together in the feature race today, even though it was a messy race overall with the red flags and stuff, but happy to be standing on the podium.”
Winning Potential
A run of consistent performances has seen Inthraphuvasak establish himself as a constant points scorer, with his first Formula 2 podium further highlighting his progress. After continuing his strong form, the Thai driver was asked whether a maiden victory now feels within reach before the end of the season.
“The goal is to get a win for sure. But I think, yeah, the approach every weekend continues to stay the same. I think that it’s a good sign that we’re starting to be fighting at the front with the championship contenders now. I’m pretty happy with how the team and I are working and we’ll continue to push forward.”
From Teammates to Rivals
Inthraphuvasak spent much of the race locked in an intense battle with Nikola Tsolov, with the former teammates racing wheel-to-wheel while avoiding costly mistakes. After securing his maiden Formula 2 podium, the driver reflected on how they managed to keep the fight clean despite the constant pressure and risk of penalties.
“I had a good start off the line. I think I got into the lead and then really struggled with the pace on the first stint, so I was not so optimistic about how it was going to go after the pit stop and after the red flag. But afterwards we found ourselves having really good pace and having a good fight with Nico [Tsolov]. I didn’t have to do to do so much with the guys in front because they had a penalty so I just tried to manage my race from them.”
Navigating Changing Conditions
The Spa Feature Race was defined by changing conditions, with a red flag, Safety Cars and evolving strategies keeping drivers on their toes. After securing his maiden Formula 2 podium, Inthraphuvasak noted on the importance of staying composed throughout the race.
“I think it was a very messy race. Didn’t expect the red flag definitely. I mean for myself on the on the first stint we had a good start but then I dropped back a lot. I was just trying to trying to control myself after the pit stop because we were not in the best position but then when we had the the red flag I think I got the chance to to talk to the team and kind of cool down in that moment to kind of reset for after the red flag and I think it went very well.”
Having shared a garage in Formula 3, Inthraphuvasak and Tsolov reunited on the Formula 2 podium at Spa after also standing together at Monza last season. Reflecting on the moment, Inthraphuvasak spoke about the significance of sharing another podium with his former teammate and the qualities he most admires in Tsolov as a driver.
“Nico [Tsolov] has been on the podium since the start of the season but this is my first one. It’s great to share the podium with him as well. We have a good relationship off track so yeah it’s always nice. He’s been really consistent this season and it’s really good to see.”
Tyre Management and Turbulent Weather
The nature of the Feature Race, combined with cooler temperatures, made tyre management a crucial factor throughout the afternoon. Tasanapol was asked how difficult it was to keep the tyres in their optimal operating window under constantly changing conditions.
“The temperatures were very different to yesterday. I think it was very cold this morning so during the warm-up laps it was quite hard to bring the temp into the tyres and then after the red flag we also got just an outlap before the start of the race. So yeah just trying to manage the tyres as best as I could. Today was also definitely a big factor especially on the super softs. We all expected it to to deck a lot but yeah I was really really struggling on the first and so yeah just trying to manage as best as I could. I think we did a pretty good job.”
An All-Rookie Podium
An all-rookie podium at Spa highlighted the strength of Formula 2’s newest generation, with the leading trio proving they can compete at the front despite stepping up from Formula 3 this season. After securing his maiden podium, the Thai driver reflected on what the result means for the rookies and the statement they are making in the championship.
“Yeah for myself obviously I haven’t been as consistent as these two have in front but I think the last few weekends for myself have turned around quite a bit. I think we’re starting to show the potential we have now and hopefully for the rest of the season I can fight in front with these guys and yeah like you said it’s great to see that all the rookies from last year are fighting at the very front.”
Formula 2 returns to Budapest from 24 July – 26 July
Featured Image Credits: Formula 2 on X