FRECA, Round 5 - Zandvoort, Race preview with Tim Tramnitz
The two rookie wins achieved by Trident in the two races held at Le Castellet motivated the whole team as it is ready for the fifth round of the season, scheduled for the June 17th-19th weekend at the Dutch venue of Zandvoort.
The Italian team’s Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine already brought four rookie wins in the first four rounds, with 17-year-old German Tim Tramnitz managing to do it all again in Le Castellet after taking the honours in race 2 at Imola. The 2021 Italian and German F4 vice-champion also secured two overall points finishes in France and now stands in 12th place overall with 10 points.
As we prepare for the upcoming round, we had the chance to ask Tramnitz about his expectations for the 2022 season.
In Le Castellet you claimed your second rookie win of the season, scoring overall points in both races. What do you think of the first part of the season, what were your expectations?
“Well, I think the goal is to at least score points in every race, which is also very important for the rookie championship! So I think we had good races, but also races where the luck wasn’t on our side like in Monaco. It wasn’t a perfect start to the season, but it could’ve been worse as well”.
You have already some experience in Zandvoort, tell us the secret of this track and what you need to do to be fast there...
“First of all, Zandvoort is one of my favourite races, I really love that place. I think a very tricky and important corner is the new banked T3 and also T13. You have to be good in these corners. You also need a lot of confidence in the car to be fast in all the quick corners”.
You came from two years in Formula 4, how was your adaptation to the Formula Regional car?
“The differences between the Formula 4 car and the Regional car are quite big. The car is heavier, it has more aero and more power. But I felt really good and confident in the car right from the beginning. Anyway the more you drive, the more experience you get, and this is of course an advantage”.
Are you excited to race on ten Formula 1 circuits?
“Oh yes! When I saw the calendar for this year, I was very happy and excited about all the tracks, which I used to look at on television when I was a kid”.
You spot a nice one-off helmet in Monaco, should we expect more during the season?
“No, unfortunately not. This was the only special helmet for 2022. I thought if I have to do a special one, then I would go for sure with Monaco”.
And finally, how is working with Trident?
“It’s really great! The team has a lot of experience and this helps me a lot. It feels like everyone is really motivated and always trying their best. Of course, there are still some little things to improve, because it’s the first year in the FRECA but everybody is working very hard and we are improving every weekend! I feel like home in the team”.