Victor Bernier continues his inexorable progression in the sphere of international motorsport. World Karting Champion in 2018, French F4 Junior Champion in 2019 and the revelation of the German F4 Championship in 2020, he has just brilliantly won again in F4 in Germany on the prestigious Hockenheim circuit. The Frenchman is determined to finish the 2021 season in style! This is unarguably a very good omen at a time when 2022 is already on everyone's mind...
Victory remains Victor Bernier's number one objective in any situation! At Hockenheim on October 23rd, his immense joy could easily be seen under his mask, when he mounted the podium of this monument of German motorsport. For the man who has been one of the great French hopes among the drivers racing in a single-seater championship for the past three years, this Formula 4 race was far from easy. Victor was keen to put this performance into the context of his rather special season...
"When I decided to start again in 2021 in the German F4 Championship, while taking part in a few races in the Italian Championship, it was clearly with a view to aiming for the title with the R-ace GP team," Victor explained. "Unfortunately, we quickly realised that two teams had done a better job than us: Van Amersfoort Racing and US Racing. From the first meeting of the season, their drivers were able to keep a much better pace than us, both in Qualifying and in the race. I was a bit frustrated, but I never gave up. In every race I gave my best and pushed as hard as I could to improve our performance level. It paid off in the end, even though I had to revise my initial objectives."
VICTORY FOR VICTOR!
Although Victor managed to evolve as the leader of the R-ace GP team and to be more competitive than his team-mates in the Championship, he continued to fight for the podium whenever he had the opportunity. He would also have liked to confirm his ease in the rain, but the treaded tyres were almost always left in the garage due to the mild weather conditions during the season. "Maybe this will change for the last race at the Nürburgring on November 6th and 7th, which would not be a bad thing for me," admitted the Frenchman.
If success was slow to to greet the talent of the Frenchman, Victor used his experience and maturity to be extremely consistent at the front. After a series of top six finishes at the Red Bull Ring, Zandvoort and Hockenheim, the Ancenis-based driver led some superb attacking runs at the Sachsenring to reach 4th place in Race 1, before taking the third step of the podium in Race 2 by setting the fastest lap in the race.
"When I arrived at Hockenheim, I wanted to keep the momentum going. As is often the case this season, Qualifying did not allow me to get on the front row of the grid. Here again, the other teams kept their advantage during this important moment of the meeting, where perfect use of the new tyres is essential. Fortunately, my race pace was much better. From my 7th position in Race 1, I overtook several times and benefited from a penalty given to another driver for unsportsmanlike conduct to finally win Race 1 with the fastest lap." Still very fast in Race 2, "VB" added another 3rd place to his tally.
Victor Bernier is currently a solid 4th in the Championship. "In November at the Nürburgring, I will first look to consolidate this position, while hoping to win again. The points gap is quite big to the driver ranked 3rd, but you never know! After that, it will be time to think about the 2022 season with Stéphane Guerin, my manager, my supporters and my partners. I hope to find the best solution for my future, in a category and a team that will allow me to show my potential, as well as my determination."