2021 was a brilliant season for Cam who dominated when he needed to establish himself as a leader but also fought through adversity when he was forced to. In the end, he established himself as the champion of the Euroformula Open championship, taking the crown in style and a day early.
After the commanding triple race win in Portimao in front of the Formula 1 teams, Cam took control of the championship and never looked back. It all culminated in Barcelona, where Cam needed to finish the first race of the weekend in front of his main championship rival in order to secure the 2021 championship crown.
Historically the Barcelona round of the Euroformula Open features an extra day of private testing on the Thursday before the race weekend. This means teams and drivers get one more opportunity to fine tune their cars and their driving before the last event. Once you add the Friday free practice sessions into the mix, everybody goes into Saturday’s qualifying session more or less with their cards on the table. The spanner in the works in the qualifying session was the fact that the officials decided to delete the lap times of the drivers who used the outside kerb on turn 15. This rule had not been in place in free practice and was also not announced before the qualifying session itself. As a result, Cam had his fastest laps from the first set of new tires deleted. Heading into the final part of qualifying without a benchmark time on the official listings, Cam now only had two flying laps to put a competitive time in. Using a more conservative approach of turn 15 in order to avoid his time being deleted again, Cam adjusted and still produced a fast lap which was good enough for 2nd position, putting him ahead of his main championship rival.
The strategy for race 1 was clear: Cam had to stay in front of Louis Foster, his only challenger for the title, and make sure he didn’t crash. Still 2nd after the start, Cam had superior race pace to the car in front and launched an attack for the first position but a strong defense from the driver in front meant Cam had to make sure he doesn’t damage the car and finishes in front of Foster. A couple of laps before the end a warning came up on the dash of the Motopark car and Cam decided to nurse the car towards the checkered flag, settling for 2nd in the race but claiming the Champion crown mathematically.
“At the end of that race, I was getting pretty nervous with the warning on the dash and some strange gearbox noises. I wanted to challenge for the win once more, but I decided to make the arguably smarter move which was to clinch the championship. It was an incredibly rewarding result, and I’m very happy so many supporters, friends, and family could be there to experience it with me. Although, the honest truth was that I spent a whole five minutes celebrating before my mind had already shifted back onto Sunday’s races.”
Races 2 and 3 took place on Sunday. With Cam already champion, Cam decided to go extreme on the setup in order to maximize his chances to overtake in the reverse grid race. This compromised his outright race pace and didn’t really pan out, meaning Cam had to settle for 5th, managing only the 4th fastest lap time towards the starting grid of the final race of the season.
Going again extreme with nothing to lose in Race 3, Cam managed the best launch of the line of the season, heading into turn 1 wheel to wheel with the leader but ultimately settled for second not wanting to crash. Finishing in P2 meant Cam brought home the 14th podium of the year and with it concluded a brilliant season adding the Euroformula Open title to his US F4 championship title.
“We gambled with the aero level in Race 2, and it didn’t pan out. It was worth a shot, and it certainly made for an interesting Race 3 starting P4. My engineer and I basically concluded that we were going to go all or nothing on the clutch pre-load, so the start was going to be a monster, or I’d be sat stalled on the grid. Luckily, it ended up being the former, and I found myself challenging for the lead into T1. In the end, I finished P2 which is a great note to finish a long season on.”
The 2021 season would not have been possible for Cameron without the support of some key people and partners.
“There are a lot of people to thank. Our partners: System X Ceramic Coatings, Proteqnic, Hunt Valley Horsepower, APC Detail, Towson Watch Company, all made this year possible for me. I simply couldn’t have done it without them. Also, racing is very much a team sport, and I have the fantastically talented Motopark crew to thank for providing me with a platform to develop on and ultimately succeed with. Specifically, Andy, Timo, Niko, Gabriel, and Ollie were right at the forefront of delivering that platform for me. I must also thank my manager, Horia, for being the ‘puppet master’ working behind the scenes to make sure all parties involved are successful. Finally, my family sacrificed so much to help me my entire life regardless of the result, so for that I thank them dearly.”
The future looks bright for Cam, who will go into winter preparing for his transition into “big cars”. More information on Cam’s future plans to follow soon.
]]>The young American drove well from the first free practice session, setting the pace early. Qualifying was run early on Saturday with all the drivers trying to find the best track position on a circuit with long straight lines which favor towing, especially in such aero-dependent cars as the Dallara F320.
Cameron managed to work very well together with his team mates and put in a stellar lap which saw him lead the field by almost 3 tenths on a circuit which usually levels the cars because of the aerodynamic factor.
Starting from pole position, Cameron had a very good getaway and after the second corner found himself alone and was feeling confident he could develop a gap which would keep him safe from the aero tow. Unfortunately, that was not the case as an incident in turn 1 prompted the deployment of the safety car, causing Cam’s advantage to disappear. What ensued was a hard fought race in which Cam had to drive without making the smallest of mistakes, not to allow the cars behind to pass using the slipstream advantage. It was a masterful drive which gave Cam the sixth win of the season.
Race 1 quote: “I was so proud of the pole position, especially since the lap was so dominant, but in the back of my head, I knew that pole position at Monza meant absolutely nothing in terms of race position security. The slipstream always makes for some amazing racing, but it means leading a race is more difficult than anywhere else. I placed the car in every defensive position I could muster, and it worked!”
Sunday’s races were heavily affected by thunderstorms with race 2 starting under safety car to avoid any crashes at the start. Cam’s win in race 1 meant he was starting 6th for the second race. He managed to win a position but because of the low visibility, he had to settle with 5th bringing in valuable points towards his championship tally.
Race 2 quote: “Race Two was a bit of a points game. I had pace to potentially move further forward, but the amount of spray was so thick that more overtake attempts would have likely caused an incident. I could barely see 20m in front of me on the way into brake zones let alone see the car I was trying to pass.”
The third and final race in Italy was again very wet with Cam starting on the front row. A safe and fast getaway meant Cam was again at the top of the pack in the lead when a couple of drivers cut the chicanes and gained an advantage. Cam managed to overtake one of them on track in a decisive move while the second driver was given a 3 seconds penalty and was now virtually behind Cam. The race was stopped because of the very wet conditions and Cam took home his 7th win of the season and with it a hefty 63 points lead in the championship battle.
Race 3 quote: “Honestly, Race Three was one of the most dangerous of my career. For the last few laps before the red flag, the car was hydroplaning at 150mph down the straights, and it was only a matter of time before I would crash, but thankfully, the red flag came just before that could happen. I was happy just to have survived the race in one piece, but the win was just the icing on the cake.”
This stellar performance in Italy means Cam is now heading to the last event of the season with a hefty 63 points lead in the Euroformula Open championship. The last races will take place on the famous Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona on the 23rd and 24th of October.
]]>Known for its changing weather conditions, especially in late summer, the Red Bull Ring track offers a short yet challenging layout in which every mistake is amplified by the small number of corners. Cam started the weekend well, setting the pace in Free Practice 1 with the fastest overall time. The second free practice was voluntarily conceded to the drivers who elected to use new tires and “burn” one set from their race allocation to try and get on pace with the Motopark cars.
Heading into qualifying with the mindset to score his first pole position of the season, Cam did everything right but was nudged from P1 by the smallest of margins. Second on the grid was still a very good result and Cam was hopeful for what was going to come, especially since his main championship rival was behind him on the grid.
Race 1 was a roller-coaster with Cam having a solid start but being overtaken by a car abusing the limits of the track in Turn 1. Cam put his head down and tried to fight back using his superior race pace, but because of the very limiting overtaking opportunities he was forced to settle for third, which gave him another podium finish and a good starting position for race 2.
Race 1 quote: “Race 1 was honestly just frustrating. When your main rival overtakes illegally and doesn’t get penalized for it, it hurts- especially when the lead of the championship was lost as a result of that move. ”
In the second race of the weekend Cam had a less than perfect start and was quickly relegated to sixth. What happened next was remarkable. On a track on which overtaking is almost impossible, Cam managed to recover two places fighting fiercely with two very competent drivers who have competed in the FIA F3, who put up strong defenses. Overtaking twice to move up to 4th overall was a feat in itself, yet Cam topped that by also putting in the second fastest lap time, which secured him 2nd on the grid for Race 3.
Race 2 quote: “I really enjoyed the battles of Race 2. With everyone being so close in pace, any overtake opportunity had to be executed fully on the limit which made the successful overtakes taste even sweeter. ”
In the final race of the weekend Cam drove well and managed to pull away from the drivers behind him while keeping his eye on any mistakes the leader might do. The car setup used for this 3rd race was mainly supposed to help Cam while fighting wheel to wheel. Once in “clean air”, closing in on the leader was really possible to launch an attack given the setup, and Cam had to settle for 2nd, which gave him another podium, and with it the championship lead going into round 7.
Race 3 quote: “I was very happy to have another podium in the bag. We really needed those points to propel us back into the championship lead. The Motopark car was such a blast to drive this weekend. The car was on rails in sector two and three.”
The last two rounds of the Euroformula Open will take place on famous Formula 1 tracks. The next one is the Italian race in Monza, while the season finalé will take place in Barcelona.
]]>Visiting the legendary Imola for the first time is no easy task for any driver, and the difficulty is amplified when you are up against competitors who have prepared and raced here before. Despite this disadvantage, Cam approached the race weekend in his consistently professional manner and was ready to take on the new challenges head on. The soaring heat and the very high air humidity made the weekend particularly difficult. To add to the difficulty, the replacement chassis was found to be structurally damaged after the weekend was over, so it’s very likely the car imbalance Cam experienced through the weekend may have been influenced by the damage.
A very old and technical circuit like Imola is always going to reward those who have raced here before. The lack of a Thursday test limited the Baltimore native who had less time to learn the “tricks of the track”, and unfortunately this was further amplified by Cam having to miss the majority of the first of only two free practice sessions on Friday morning due to an engine cooling issue.
Already several steps behind for no fault of his own, Cam had serious work to do before qualifying the next day. In order to accelerate his learning and maximize his chances for a good result, the young American’s race engineer elected to run three sets of tires instead of the normal two. This allowed Cam to squeeze enough performance out of the session for a spectacular 2nd position in Qualifying but came at the expense of losing one new set of tires which would compromise him during the races to come.
A slightly off-beat start meant Cam lost a few positions at the launch of the first race. As he was finding his rhythm and starting to charge forward, a driver in front lost control of his car, went off the track and returned precisely in Cam’s way, blocking him, resulting in a loss of momentum. The result was a 5th place overall, below his expectations given the strong qualifying. However it placed him in favorable second position for the reverse grid start of Race 2.
“Race one didn’t really go our way. I still didn’t feel 100% confident in the track knowledge, so when I became held back by some incident traffic, I used the rest of the race to hone my driving. While the result wasn’t the best, I came away from the race feeling confident for the final two.”
The less than ideal launch in the second race meant Cam was again having to fight hard for track position. As this was going on, the rear left tire suffered a puncture and Cam was forced to enter the pits losing virtually any chance to gain valuable championship points. The lack of new tires meant the young American had to bolt on used rubber from qualifying. This together with an in-balanced car meant Cam had little chance to charge for the fastest lap time as he did in Hungary and had to settle with the 4th fastest lap time of the race and the same starting position for Race 3.
“The tire puncture was super unlucky. I thought it stemmed from contact with another car, but it turned out to just be a freak accident. It was the last thing I wanted to happen, but starting 4th still put me in a position to potentially finish on the podium in Race 3.”
Imola was slowly becoming the most difficult race weekend of the year for Cam and Race 3 was his last chance for a positive result but the starting position meant this was not going to be an easy feat. Cam delivered, and overtook the driver in front of him on the first lap. Cam was now in 3rd overall but the car balance was again difficult to manage, but the Baltimore native fought with everything he had to fend off teammate and championship runner up Louis Foster for most of the race. Cam did a splendid job defending and ultimately pulling away just enough to secure his first podium at Imola, and with it, securing the lead in the Euroformula Open championship going into the break.
“We once again really struggled with the car, but once I made it into the top 3, I knew I had to be ultra to defend against my two teammates close behind. There were a few close calls, but I came away with the podium in the end which is exactly what we need to maintain the championship lead heading into the summer break. Later, we found out that the chassis had structural damage which was the likely culprit for the strange behavior through the weekend.”
The Euroformula Open will now take its summer break, the next appointment being the Austrian Red Bull Ring event in mid-September: a track which Cam knows very well and on which he will charge again for the first spot on the podium.
]]>Round 4 of the Euroformula Open Championship took place on the Hungaroring track, the Formula 1 track in Hungary, next to Budapest. As the slowest, yet most technical track of the calendar, this circuit has often been described by the Formula 1 drivers as “a street circuit without walls” because of its layout, which means overtaking is virtually impossible if the drivers are evenly matched and do a half-decent job at defending. The qualifying position and a good start are very important at the Hungaroring.
The race weekend started with a collective test on Thursday, in which teams and drivers had the opportunity to assess the track, tune the cars and master the driving. Cam was fastest on this day by a good margin but knew he would have to continue pushing in the official sessions to come on Friday.
Friday was reserved for the official free practice sessions ahead of Saturday’s qualifying. Unfortunately Cam’s chassis was damaged surprisingly quickly because of a very small contact with a kerb in the first session of the day. The Team Motopark crew did an amazing job changing chassis in record time and truly demonstrated their strength under enormous pressure. They managed to get Cam back out in a fully rebuilt car at the end of the second free practice session. The car had just been “bolted together” and there wasn’t any time to apply any setup elements.
Qualifying the next day meant the “new” car was a bit of an unknown, as the chassis element is pivotal to the behavior of the car. Even so, Cam managed a solid session with a strong second in qualifying and front row starting position for Race 1 which was going to take place that same afternoon.
A brilliant start from Cam and a trademark getaway from the pack meant Cam was comfortably leading Race 1 and heading for a clear victory. Until disaster struck and his brakes failed spectacularly, and he had to retire in a sandpit.
Race 1 quote: “We did everything right, but sometimes the result is still out of your control. After the perfect start, and six laps running away from the field, it was looking like the perfect start to the weekend. The brake failure came suddenly with no warning, so it was a bit of a shock. I’m really glad there was enough run-off at the part of the track where I went off, and thankfully no damage was irreparable for Sunday’s races. ”
Because of the nature of the weekend format, the result in Race 1 meant Cam would start Race 2 at the back of the pack, but a good performance in that race could bring him back to the front for the start of Race 3. Unfortunately Race 2 started with bad luck and Cam had to pit after the warmup lap because of an electrical problem. The team quickly adjusted what they could and changed Cam’s steering wheel, but the young American was now chasing the pack which had already started the race.
The very strong pace Cam had in this race meant not only did he catch and overtake a couple of drivers to get back into a points scoring position, but he also set the fastest lap time of the race, which earned him pole position for the final race of the weekend in an epic twist of faith.
Race 2 quote: “I was hoping and praying for the thunderstorms which were forecasted, but they came a little bit later than expected. The Hungaroring is such a difficult place to overtake in the dry, so I made sure to put my focus on maximizing Race 3 by setting the fastest lap of the race. Luckily, all that pushing for fastest lap also allowed me to catch the pack to regain my position in the points, even after pitting with the steering wheel issue.”
After an already incredibly abrupt weekend, filled with unknowns and last minute changes, Race 3 threw another curve ball at the drivers who now had to face an horrendous storm after running in nothing but sunshine the rest of the weekend. Cam was in a good position for it though as he was now starting on pole and knew the Motopark car is strong in wet conditions. The race began behind the safety car, which lead the drivers around a couple of laps before letting them race. Immediately at the launch, Cam set off and got away from the other drivers in a truly commanding way. An incident further down in the pack later on meant the safety car came back out which canceled Cam’s advantage. The restart was again under complete control of the Baltimore native who got away from the pack once more and managed to score an incredible win in very tricky track conditions to turn the weekend around and secure his top spot in the Championship standings, which he now leads by 19 points at the mid-way mark.
Race 3 quote: “Race 3 was the recovery drive we needed. There was a crazy amount of standing water on the track, but that’s my favorite kind of wet condition to drive in. I followed my gut in terms of picking a wet line early on, and then I adapted to the drying track later on in the race. I believe that is my first win in the wet, so it definitely put a massive smile on my face!”
The next race will take place on the 24th and 25th of July at the legendary Enzo & Dino Ferrari track in Imola, Italy. This will be the first time Cam will be driving on this epic track, which he only knows from his simulator preparation sessions.
]]>Notorious for its long straights where slipstreaming makes for both exciting racing and tricky overtakes, the Spa circuit went through a series of changes due to recent flooding. A tunnel running under the track had collapsed, taking with it half of the old Formula 1 pits and straight line. Both the circuit officials and the Belgium authorities have made huge efforts to rebuild the track in time for the Euroformula Open weekend and deserve a lot of praise for doing so.
After trying different aero settings in the free practice sessions which have taken place on the Friday, Cam and his race engineer have come to the conclusion that the strategy in Saturday’s qualifying had to revolve around Cam getting a clear lap on his own, without chasing the slipstream from other cars. This was a risky strategy, seeing how finding a good tow at Spa can give you up to a second of lap time, but going “on his own” meant that Cam could exploit his advantage in the more technical part of the track where he was clearly the fastest of the field. In order for the strategy to work, the other cars had to “get in each other’s way” but unfortunately this didn’t happen, and the others worked together to find the perfect towing situations. As a results Cam had to settle for third on the grid in race number 1 which was to be run on the same day.
Starting 3rd meant Cam could use the slipstream advantage and charge for the lead from lap 1. After a quick start in which he immediately overtook the car who started in 2nd, Cam went for the attack at the end of the first long straight. Unfortunately a series of moves triggered by the car in front meant Cam was sandwiched between the two cars around him and even though he managed to avoid hitting the car in front, he was slammed into by the car behind in a spectacular crash which saw the other car airborne. Cam managed to bring his car into the pits for a quick tire change but was now the last car on track, with a damaged car. A couple of fast laps and good moves meant Cam made back several positions despite struggling with the car balance. Cam’s determination to never give up was heroic, but the team had at that point decided to ask him to come into the pits for his first DNF of the season because the car was becoming unsafe to drive.
Race 1 quote: I think we did really well to qualify as well as we did without a tow. It’s unfortunate that we were taken out so early, but I’m very proud to have still been on for a podium even after the pitstop with a damaged car. The damage was increasing lap by lap, and it was only a matter of time before the left rear suspension was going to fail in Eau Rouge, so the team made the right call to retire the car.
Starting 9th in race 2 – because of the results of race 1 –, Cam was determined to bounce back after the tricky start to the weekend. The Baltimore native drove an amazing race, getting the fastest lap for the #28 System X car while managing to finish 2nd. The 7 places he made up meant extra points for most gained positions while the fastest lap meant race 3 would be started from pole position.
Race 2 quote: Race 2 was the recovery drive we needed. With the new format, issues early in the weekend can really compound on themselves, so Race 2 was my last real chance of showing what I was capable of. All of the overtakes were clean and methodical, and I'm very happy with how I managed that race. It was also my first time experiencing our race setup given the crash in Race 1, and the Motopark squad nailed the balance despite the lack of data we had.
The third race was another example of Cam’s strategic mind. The System X car had a perfect launch and Cam managed to slowly build up an advantage of more than 3 seconds to the cars behind, which in normal conditions would have meant a dominating win for the American. Things changed dramatically on the very last lap, when a car crashed forcing the Safety Car to be deployed. This brought the field back together, canceling Cam’s advantage and putting him in the clutches of the car behind, who took advantage of the slipstream to overtake Cam despite his best efforts to fight against the unavoidable.
Race 3 quote: I was obviously very disappointed to have lost the win on the very last lap, but sometimes luck just isn’t on your side. What I did come away with was my 8th podium of the season thusfar, so I still lead the championship by a healthy margin which is certainly the primary objective. Spa is always full of surprises everytime I race there, and this weekend was no exception. We’re shifting now to Budapest which is really the opposite to Spa in every way, so I’m looking forward to changing up my driving style for that.
All in all, Cam’s speed meant he has managed to bounce back in the face of adversity and hold on to the championship lead going into the fourth round, which will take place in Hungary early in July.
]]>The Paul Ricard Formula 1 Circuit in the South of France hosted the second round of the Euroformula Open Championship. The races were preceded by an official Thursday test, which was followed by two official free practice sessions on the Friday. In the last of these two sessions, Cam managed to pull away from the rest of the field by a healthy margin, which put him in strong position for achieving a pole position on Saturday morning.
Qualifying was well prepared and all looked likely that Cam would manage to get the first position sealed. But a slow puncture on the second set of tyres, together with the ever-changing track conditions restricted Cam’s ability to extract the last bit of grip the tyres had to offer, and he settled for second position on the grid.
Race 1 also took place on Saturday. Cam had a solid start, matching the pole sitter, but not enough to challenge for the lead off the line. Challenging the lead driver was going to be difficult since the team made the decision to set the car’s aero at a slightly higher level in preparation of a potentially damp track to a prediction of light rain. This restricted straight line speed, so Cam would have to drive a strategic race to ensure he maintained his position. He did so brilliantly, finishing in second place and securing a healthy number of championship points.
“Race 1 was tough. I knew I had the pace to challenge for the win, but we gambled with the higher downforce level expecting a downpour which never came. It was a risk that didn’t pay off, but I’m happy to have still managed to bring it home in 2nd place.”
The second race was a reverse grid exercise with Cam starting 5th. After a good start, and battling a slightly unbalanced car, Cam managed to push forward, gaining 2 positions and finishing once again on the podium in P3, while also managing the 3rd fastest lap time of the race; positioning him on the second row of the grid for the final race.
“Everyone was struggling with tire graining massively in R2 since the race started damp, and the air temp dropped significantly from Saturday. My graining came in earlier than the others with the balance choice I had opted for ahead of the race, so it was a really hard race to finish let alone finish on the podium. We hunted down the 3rd spot even with the issues, so it was a decent result in the end.”
The third race was the one everybody was waiting for. It was all about advancing the setups, and giving the drivers the opportunity to show their best. Until now, issues, although small, had made just enough of a difference in Cam not being able to show the pace demonstrated in the practices. The team had worked relentlessly to turn the car around after identifying the deficiencies in race 2, and felt confident Cam had the weapon he needed to challenge for a win.
What resulted was arguably one of the best races the Euroformula Open has ever put on display. On a circuit known for its highly processional racing, the first three drivers on the grid managed battles worthy of any racing compilation, with Cam coming out triumphant. It was a very strategic race for Cameron, who waited for the right moment to make his moves, and clinch the win. Cam overtook on the outside for second twice, then was forced to concede the position each time, and in the end secured the lead with 6 laps before the end and never looked back, winning in his usual controlling fashion.
“Race three was awesome. It was a true display of pace, race-craft, and strategy every single lap. At one point, I had made an overtake on Jak around the outside of the high-speed double right hander of T11. The following lap, I made a mistake and gave the position back in T15. I was super upset with myself for making that error, and I knew the only way of rectifying it was to win the race. The rest of the race was about executing calculated and precise overtakes and driving at the absolute limit every single corner until the checkered flag was waived. It was honestly one of the best races I’ve ever been a part of, and being the winner of it is just the cherry on top.”
Cam now leads the championship with a total of 137 points, managing 4 wins and 6 podiums in the first 6 races in the Euorformula Open series. The next event will take place on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium, one of Cam’s all-time favorite venues.
]]>The 2021 season started with a bang for Cam who managed to impress despite a winter testing season like no other. Travel restrictions had prevented Cam from doing his usual on-track preparation, with the young American jumping in the Dallara F320 for just two days of official testing at Barcelona before the first race of the season. Great things were in sight though. The Motopark Academy driver managed to impress by setting the fastest time of the official test.
What makes his 3 win tally more impressive is that Cam had never set foot on the Portimao race track before this weekend, and for the first time, Euroformula Open was the support race for Formula 1. This meant there was no additional testing opportunity before the official sessions that is typical for a first race weekend. It was show up and go!
Returning to the Euroformula Open with Team Motopark was a decision based on Cam’s strong finish of the previous campaign with the German squad, as well as the opportunity to continue his development by working directly with legendary technical director Andreas Kohler who is recognized in the industry as one of the best race engineers in single seaters, at any level.
The race weekend in Portimao started with a first session in which both Cam and the team made contact with the track and set the stage for what was to come. By the time the second session came, the car was tuned and ready to go whilst Cam understood exactly what and how to do it when he got on track. A late red flag took the opportunity from Cam to show his true pace, but as he himself later said “this only kept the others guessing.”
The format of the race weekend is brand new for 2021 in the Euroformula Open, as there is now only one qualifying session. Cam approached the session with confidence and managed the second fastest time overall which placed him on the front row for Race 1.
A brilliant start from the young American meant the driver who started first was immediately put under pressure by Cam and then forced into a mistake. After taking the lead, Cam never looked back and won the race in a commanding way for all the Formula 1 teams watching from the pitlane. This was the Cameron’s first win the Euroformula Open Championship series.
“The first win was such a relief. I knew I had the pace for pole in Quali, but I made a mistake. I was really gutted about it leading into Race 1, but I couldn’t put my mind at ease until I rectified it. We were far from 100% on the car setup in free practice, but they put in crazy hours on Friday night to figure out a solution, and it paid off. Many thanks to Motopark Team for their efforts. ”
As part of new format of the weekend, Race 2 is a reverse grid where the winner of Race 1 will start 6th - where Cam would start. The goal of the second race is not just gathering as many points via passing and final position, but the driver must also set a fast lap which determines the starting position for Race 3. Cam, once again, had a solid start and immediately put the drivers ahead of him under pressure. Overtaking was critical to find “clean air” presented the opportunity to go for a fast lap. In strategical fashion, Cam executed one overtake after another displaying a masterful combination of speed and intelligence. Once again, he put his Dallara F320 in first position while also scoring extra points for the most overtakes of the race. While leading, Cam set a very fast lap time which was only topped by two drivers who stopped mid race for fresh rubber with the sole goal of having a good position in Race 3. One of these drivers was penalized, meaning Cam had not only won Race 2 but was also starting 2nd for the final race of the weekend.
“After winning Race 1, my mindset immediately shifted. On one hand, there was a weight that lifted off my shoulders. On the other hand, I knew it was time for champi- onship-mode which I hadn’t been in since F4 United States. Because setting a fast lap in Race 2 is so crucial for the final race, my priority was on lap time. I quickly re- alized that I was only going to be stuck in the aero wash of the cars in front, so I had no choice but to go for tactical overtakes, and that led me to P1.”
The third and final race of the weekend was a masterclass and a show of strength by Cam. Taking first position with an overtake on the outside of the first corner, the Baltimore native never looked back and pushed until the very end winning by an advantage of almost 12 seconds to the second place driver while also setting the fastest lap time of the race on the very last lap. This third and commanding win reminded everyone about Cam’s total domination of his debut season in the Formula 4 United States when he won the championship in a similar manner.
“I really couldn’t believe it. The overtake was borderline, so I wasn’t sure if a penalty was applicable or not, so I just put in quali laps every single lap. I wanted to reach a 10 second gap because that’s what I thought the worst-case penalty would be, and I think the gap was almost 12 seconds at the end. It was intense race for me, but it was so rewarding having been on an absolute knife’s edge for so many laps with no mistakes. I was also so happy with progression my engineer made with the car through the weekend. By the 3rd race, we had a balance I couldn’t make a single inkling of a gripe about which is astonishing considering where we were in FP1.”
The second race weekend of the 2021 Euroformula Open will take place at the Paul Ricard Formula 1 race track in France between the 14th to 16th of May with Cam leading the board with a total of 79 points, 37 points clear of the second place driver in the championship.
]]>The 2020 Euroformula Open championship will feature brand new cars, named F320 and built by Dallara in Italy. The cars’ philosophy is based on that of the classic Formula 3, adding downforce, power, and the FIA required Halo to a championship which races predominantly on Formula 1 tracks.
Deciding to build on the experience gained during the previous season, Cam will stay with German powerhouse, and series champion, Team Motopark and will be fighting for the top positions of a championship which features extraordinary races in historic venues such as Pau in France and Pergusa in Sicily.
“I am delighted to be back with the Motopark squad. I really enjoy being a part of their process. They have a unique workflow throughout race weekends, and I’ve learned tremendously from it. The EFO championship also offers plenty of track time in what I’ve been told is one of the best built race cars ever, so I’m very much looking forward to it”, said Cam.
The 2020 Euroformula Championship and the previously announced FIA Formula 3 championship will only have one overlapping race in what will be a very busy season for Cameron Das, who is looking at gaining as much experience from this dual program.
The first Euroformula Open race will take place between the 25th and the 26th of April on the Paul Ricard Formula 1 track in France.]]>The Carlin Racing story started in 2017 for Cam Das, who join the British team after winning the inaugural US Formula 4 season in a dominating manner. The first season in England proved to be a very strong for Cam with the young and inexperienced American driver managing to put his British Formula 3 car on pole position at the first two races of the season in which Cam ended up finishing with 7 podiums, 4 pole positions and 4 fastest race laps.
A special memory of Cam’s 2017 Carlin British F3 season was scoring the 1000th podium for the British team in all competitions - an achievement of which he is very proud.
The International Formula 3 is going to be a real challenge for Cam, the tires and the car being completely foreign to him with some of the tracks also representing complete novelties, but the young American is determined to fight every step of the way and to impress in his inaugural year in the competition.
“I’m ecstatic to be back with Carlin this year. Although it’s a new championship, I already know most of the Carlin team members so I feel right at home. The car looks mega too in all aspects. I’ve been itching to try out a V6 with DRS, so the Bahrain test can’t come any sooner. Even with just sim experience, I’ve found this new generation International F3 very different to what I’m used to, but I’m certainly up for the challenge. I’d like to offer a huge thank you to my sponsorship partners this year, and to the Carlin team for making this dream a reality” said Cam.
Trevor Carlin was very happy to have Cam rejoin the team and said: “I am extremely happy to have Cam back in the team. We’ve made some really good steps forward with the car at the end of 2019 and in Macau and I’m looking forward to working with Cam and the other two drivers to build on this during 2020!”
Cam’s campaign will start with a three day official test in Bahrain at the beginning of March. This will be the first contact Cam will have had with the FIA F3 car, and that is will add to the excitement as we head into the season. The first race of the year will take place in Bahrain 20 - 22 of March together with Formula 1 and Formula 2.
]]>
True to Monza, Friday’s free practice was a cat and mouse game set around different tire and slipstream strategies, but the team’s planned race run scheduled for the afternoon session was cut short by a red flag which put an early end to their plan to develop the car for the race distance.
The first qualifier on Saturday was set around drivers jockeying between the best positions for the all-important slipstream game needed on Monza’s notoriously long straights. Cam was in the middle of the main group but only found himself with one “clean shot” at a lap right at the end. Even so, the young American pushed at the right moment and “squeezed” a sixth place out of the session. Slightly disappointed considering the previously demonstrated pace, Cam went into Saturday’s race determined to show his true colors, and that he did. Despite struggling with understeer throughout the race, Cam battled his way into second position and fought closely with the drivers around him in a masterful effort showing commitment and skill while facing adversity. In the end, the understeer progressively worsened and Cam saw himself sliding back to sixth position over the final few laps where he ultimately finished the race.
Determined to finish the season strong and to make Sunday’s event a memorable one, Cam went into qualifying charged and ready. Sadly, the tow-game took a strange twist and Cam was tangled up with some of the back markers, meaning he could never benefit from a strong enough slipstream. To compound the issue, Cam missed the start of his last flying lap by 60 milliseconds when the checkered flag came out; he was 3rd at that point. All of the drivers ahead of him made it through for one more flying lap, dropping Cam to eighth position on the grid for Race 2.
As the saying goes, “when it rains it pours.” Cam’s car stalled on the grid at launch putting the young American in last place on lap one of the race with a gap of nearly 10 seconds to the next car. What happened next was both spectacular and disappointing. With such a gap, Cam had to pursue the “train of cars” without a slipstream as the others were benefiting from. In theory, catching the pack was an impossible task. Putting his head down in a masterful effort, Cam managed to not only catch the cars in front at a spectacular rate, but he also set the quickest lap of the race in the meantime - a record which stands despite of what happened next. In fact, he closed the 10 second gap within 6 laps and overtook two cars immediately, but then disaster struck. Two cars fighting in front of Cam touched and generated a spectacular accident where one car spun mid-air before landing wheels-up in the gravel. The incident generated a safety car. As Cam approached the scene of the incident, a thick cloud of dust made debris invisible to the American driver who was then hit by a 5lbs flying driveshaft from one of the damaged cars which launched Cam into the gravel with significant damage to his car. The incident ended Cam’s race and season. Cam showed great pace, but was unfortunately unable to convert his talent and pace into a win.
Cam Das is very fortunate to be able to pursue his dream of becoming the next American F1 driver. He is thankful for the immense support of his partners for making this possible. The fantastic people at FREEDOM by Data Federal, Opticoat Racing, Wildlife, Druck + Visceral and Hunt Valley Horsepower are part of that endeavor, as are technical partners Team Motopark, Racing DNA and Sportline Management.
News about Cam’s future plans will follow shortly.
]]>The weekend started early with a full day of testing on Thursday, where Cam discovered the intricacies of the Motopark Euroformula Open car relative to the technical and demanding Spanish circuit. Friday was used mainly for tuning the car around the race setup rather than the performance laps for qualifying which had been developed on Thursday. In a series of unfortunate events on Friday, two red flags prevented Cam from using the fresher set of his tire allocation, and the day ended with the young American’s fastest time, 16th overall, not reflecting his outright pace potential.
Ready and eager to impress on Saturday morning, Cam was very happy to see the rain clouds gathering above the Formula 1 track, as he knows he is one of the quickest drivers in the championship in wet conditions. Unfortunately the rain quickly turned into a severe thunderstorm which resulted in the session being canceled altogether, and the grid positions were now determined by the Friday free practice times. This extremely rare and unfortunate situation put Cam in the last position on the grid for the race number 1, and he was not able to demonstrate his quali potential.
As the rain continued to pour, rumors in the paddock suggested that the race itself might be canceled. Rain still fell at the time of the race start, but the storm toned down considerably before the lights went out. Cam’s outright pace in the wet, together with his ability to navigate the “blind driving” due to the spray from the cars in front, allowed Cam to quickly overtake seven cars to finish in the 8th points scoring position. It was a very brave and impressive drive by the American F1 hopeful, where his pace was on par with that of the driver who ultimately won the race.
“The wet race was one of the most difficult races I’ve ever had to do. Visibility was treacherous, and I almost ran into the cars ahead several times because of exaggerated accordion effect going on. I managed to maximize the grip and complete some great overtakes. It’s a shame we had to start that far back as we would have brought the fight to the people in front, for sure!” said Cam.
The lack of driving on good age tires in the Friday free practice sessions, coupled with the very wet Saturday running meant Cam’s engineer, Niki Laa, decided to change the strategy for Sunday morning and run three sets of new tires rather than the usual 2 in quali. The ever changing grip level of the track made it difficult for Cam to find the right approach under the time limit of the short qualifying session. Three stints compounded the issue. The result was not as expected and Cam started 11th on Sunday. The team, however, walked away with valuable information for the future under the 3-tire strategy.
With a great launch, Cam quickly climbed 2 positions to 9th by the first corner but was then run wide off track in turn two by a competitor, and he found himself again at the bottom of the pack. With a brilliant drive, Cam managed not only to match the best outright speed of the race, but was also the only driver to successfully overtake in the race. With two very spectacular moves “around the outside”, Cam climbed to 12th.
The final race of the season will take place at the legendary F1 circuit in Monza, Italy on the 12th and 13th of October. Cam and his partners Wildlife, Opticoat, FREEDOM by Data Federal, Druck & Visceral, Hunt Valley Horsepower, Racing DNA and Sportline Management will be trying to end the season on a high, putting the Team Motopark car on top of the field.
]]>Silverstone was an important and pivotal weekend for Cam. Transitioning to Team Motopark mid-season meant the American was on the back foot with a new car, different setup, and an unfamiliar track. After two race weekends, Silverstone would set the stage for how he adapted to the change and ultimately finish the season.
With limited time in the new team there was little “holiday” for the American, since most of his summer break was focused on returning to the front of the pack where he belongs. Besides preparing physically and mentally on his own, Cam traveled to Germany at the Team Motopark headquarters for pre-race preparations including simulator sessions and a test on the Oschersleben DTM track.
The effort in the workshop, on the sim, and on the track paid off as Cam and the team were “on the pace” straight away from the very first practice session at Silverstone. The limited track time on the Friday meant everything had to be fine-tuned very quickly- an exercise in which engineer Niki Laa proved to be proficient. Adding the input from expert driver coach Luca Persiani, Cam delivered an impressive third fastest lap time in the free practice sessions, a tenth off the fastest time.
The first qualifier of the weekend took place on Saturday morning. Again, Cam achieved a respectable third fastest time after the first set of tires. In response, Cam and his crew reacted with a slight change to improve the balance of the car. Unfortunately the track surface change dramatically before they fitted the second set of tires and Cam was forced to settle for fifth at the end of the session, a best result of the season, but not matching the potential Cam had demonstrated in free practice. Due to the nature of the Silverstone track, the young American led a processional race and held his position until the end, finishing where he started in 5th.
Sunday’s qualifying was supposed to be an uphill battle since Cam only had a single used set and a single new set of tires for the session compared to the other drivers who had two new sets. In a demonstration of skill, Cam managed to stay in the top 5 on the used set of tires, and he looked strong before putting on the set of new tires. Then, drama struck with only 3 minutes left in the session. Another driver went off the track causing a red flag and the session was cut short. All cars had to queue in the pit lane getting ready for a one lap shootout on new tires. It was Cam’s moment to shine and prove he was ready for the task. He faced the pressure with calm and clinical precision, orchestrating a great lap which saw him end the session with the second quickest lap time and his first front row start of the season.
Sunday’s race appeared to be another tedious affair with drivers unable to overtake on a track which offers little room for passing. Cam was holding strong his second position. Suddenly, on the penultimate lap, a driver behind him lunged in an ambitious attempt to overtake him, making contact with Cam’s car and forcing the American to finish in sixth. Cam did well to stay on the track and limp across the finish line with a broken front wing and suspension, but rather unfortunately lost out on a podium position.
“I am happy with the pace we had this weekend. We were fast from the very beginning, and I think we showed that we are back where we should be. Sunday’s race didn’t go our way, but that only makes me more determined to do well in the next rounds and to bring some trophies home! I’d like to thank all of our partners for affording me the opportunity to race. I simply couldn’t pursue my dream without their belief in me. Wildlife, Opti-Coat, FREEDOM ERM by Data Federal, Druck and Visceral as well as my friends in the Hunt Valley Horsepower community are responsible for making this dream come true. Also a big shout-out to Team Motopark for showing professionalism and great engineering skills and also to my coach Luca Persiani from Racing DNA. I’m very much looking forward to Barcelona in only two weeks!”
The next race in the Euroformula Open calendar will take place at the Formula 1 track from Barcelona on the 21st - 22nd of September.
]]>Every story starts by setting the scene and in our case the context is probably as important as the outcome. Cam Das’ first ever appearance at the Red Bull Ring came on the week after the race in Hungary, requiring the team to go directly to Austria resulting in no time to respond to the issues discovered in Hungary. Moreover, some of the Team Motopark Euroformula engineers, including Cam’s own Niki Laa, were committed to the Japanese Super Formula round at Fuji that same weekend. Although the replacement engineers were very experienced, some of the electronics issues in the gearbox that hampered Cam in Budapest, once again appeared at Red Bull Ring.
The weekend didn’t benefit from a Thursday test, thus limiting track time, and Cam spent the better part of Friday's 2 sessions working with the team on solving the electronics issues rather than learning the new track. Saturday’s qualifier was a testament to this, qualifying 11th.
Race 1 was truly entertaining, and after a spectacular start, Cam found himself in the top part of the pack, marching to P6 as the race was starting to look promising. Unfortunately two drivers collided, one pushing the other into Cam, resulting in a damaged front wing. The young American had to pit so that the team could fix the damages and once again was relegated to the back of the pack. Without hesitation, Cam charged forward and effectively used the race as a test session, producing a respectful result, finishing in the points with a solid 9thplace.
Going into Sunday, a mechanical hiccup resulted in Cam’s gearing to be off in the second qualifying session. And what seemed to be his chance of making everything right on the Sunday, disappeared in the rev limiter of the 6thgear. The result was last place in qualifying and a “make or break” moment in Sunday’s main event.
Not giving up, Cam once again drove hard in the second race and fought his way from the back of the pack, finishing 8th and successfully gathering points from both races in Austria.
“I was disappointed after the second quali session as I knew I had done a good job in race 1 and had the track figured out for the Sunday event. The car felt good and the balance was “there” for me to be able to charge to the front of the grid, but the gearing issue put an end to that. I stayed focused and I did my best in the race. It’s not always about being perfect and on pole, but also about making the most out of a difficult situation and I believe you can’t win if you’re not mentally prepared to fight back when you get in trouble. I had fun in the races and I am sorry Red Bull Ring didn’t show our true potential, but I am very much looking forward to the next race, at Silverstone.” said Cam.
The Euroformula Open races at Silverstone will take place on the 7th and 8th of September. Cam Das would like to thank his partners FREEDOM powered by Data Federal, Opti-coat, Sportline Management, Hunt Valley Horsepower, Druck and Visceral, Autobahn, Racing DNA and of course the Motopark Academy for believing in him and supporting his dream of competing in Formula One.
]]>In efforts to continue his development, American Cam Das has chosen to switch teams and join the Motopark Academy for the remainder of the season. Transitioning mid-season for any driver introduces several challenges as they often have to learn a different way of working with a new team as well as adapt to a car’s setup most likely tuned on a different philosophy, requiring a significant modification to the driver’s personal driving style. In this case, Cam was presented with all of these in transition, with the additional risks of a new car requiring further break in and a limited tire allocation per regulation. Cam approached these challenges as opportunities for development, and learning how to quickly adapt to a new environment.
The first on-track session for the #25 FREEDOM Euroformula Open F3 car took place on the Thursday before the race weekend when the American made his first acquaintance with the new single seater in a racing environment. The initial feel was good, and the car worked well on the Michelin rubbered-in track, as demonstrated by staying close to his team mates in raw pace, who had driven the car all season long.
On Friday, Cam once again further improved, and was quickly up to speed in Free Practice 1, ultimately leading the field until the last tyre run where he finished less than two (2) tenths from P1, in a respectable P4. Things changed on Friday afternoon when other race series joined the weekend and covered the track in different types of tyre compounds. Furthermore, Cam was limited to just one set of tyres due to changing teams. This gave an advantage to the other drivers and unfortunately set the scene for the following days.
What followed was a struggle to regroup as he was immediately on the back foot. The American showed good progress, underlined by the fact that he was the fastest driver of the team in many corners, but had to finally concede that there is work to be done in the next coming weeks to bridge the gap to P1. But Cam knows if he stays determined and focused, his hard work will eventually pay off.
“Although the final results don’t show it, I am pleased with the initial transition to the team. We knew entering into the new environment there would be a lot to learn given the team’s very different philosophies and car setup than I have been working with in the first half of the season. I am confident I will be able to adapt, and that was evident when I was on an even playing field in Free Practice 1. I am very excited to continue my development with Motopark and show my potential. I have never been to Red Bull Ring and I look forward to this new challenge and gaining that experience next week.”
]]>There were other star drives in Pau, besides Billy Monger’s. Fortec Motorsports’ Cameron Das finished eighth in the grand prix, despite staying on slick tyres throughout the wet race.
“Slicks was an agreed decision with the team before the race started,” Das said. “Could’ve gone in our favour, but it didn’t obviously. It was the hardest race I’ve ever had to do. I was inch-perfect everywhere, no mistakes, or else I would be in a wall. We didn’t have any crashes at Pau, which is an achievement in itself, and not a lot of other people can say that. So I’m really proud of that race.”]]>
Cameron Das ended his 2018 Euroformula Open Championship season with stunning pace in the season finale in Barcelona, Spain which saw him produce a magnificent fight back to fifth position from the very back of the field. Good pace in testing was replaced with difficulties during both races this weekend including an incident with his teammate which sent him off track and left him stuck right at the very back of the field in the early stages of the race. Das persevered and fought from 15th, and last, all the way up to fifth marking an incredible and determined fight back in the face of awful luck during the final round of the season. Das ended the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship in fifth overall taking a total of four brilliant podiums, 1 fastest racing lap and 12 top six finishes.
At a track Das enjoys he was looking likely to be a protagonist from the get-go throughout two days of testing on Thursday and Friday which once again saw the 2016 F4 US Champion prove his outright pace. However, on Saturday morning for the opening qualifying session of the weekend, things didn’t quite pull together during the 30-minute shootout and Das ended up starting the opening race of the weekend from fifth position.
From there, he tried to make an impression on the race but found himself to be at a disadvantage in regards to his tire life in juxtaposition to those around him; leaving him unable to capitalise on his raw pace from the previous days meaning he took the flag in sixth.
Following on from a second tough qualifying session on Sunday morning in which Das was quite out of position on the grid in seventh, he put his head in the game and was prepared for a fight from the minute the overhead gantry lights went out.
However he came upon an uphill battle when he was tagged by his Carlin team-mate Matheus Iorio which pushed him far off track as everyone else streamed by. Re-joining the track with thankfully no serious damage to his Dallara chassis, the talented American was at the very back of the field with a challenge to face. Getting stuck in, Das immediately gained one position as he muscled his way through. From there, he set about to execute beautiful passes on countless drivers ahead.
Held up only by two safety car periods Das managed to supremely work his way up from 15th to fifth as the flag fell on the very last race of the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship.
Reflecting on the weekend, “We certainly ended the final race of the season on a high. Our qualifying performance was not ideal and in the first race, we struggled a bit with older tires compared to a lot of the grid around us so there wasn’t much to do. The second race, however, was a completely different story. I started seventh but was quickly taken out by a damaged car on the first lap. I fell back to 15th, but I worked back through the pack methodically to finish fifth at the checkered flag.”
With the 2018 season complete, Das said, “I would like to thank everyone at Carlin for working with me this season. A special shout-out to Harvey, Paul, Guy, and Aydan helping out with the #28 machine! They are a group of incredibly hard-working people. I feel as though I’ve improved tremendously as a driver and now it’s onto the next chapter!”
]]>This weekend’s racing action in Barcelona will bring the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship to its conclusion for American racer Cameron Das. With 14 races down already, just two remain on the calendar this weekend as the 2016 F4 US Champion looks to round off the year in style following continued good form and pace in the past couple of rounds.
The 2018 Euroformula Open season started way back in April at the Estoril circuit and since that first minute on track, Das has used every lap to his advantage to gain valuable experience in the widely used Dallara chassis on a variety of Formula 1 spec circuits – including tracks currently on the calendar such as Silverstone, Hungary and Spa-Francorchamps. Since Estoril, Das has gone on to take an impressive four podiums, and 12 top six finishes – showing incredible consistency. Now, with just two races to go, Das is hoping to sign off his season in style.
The Spanish track, a popular venue on the Formula 1 calendar, features a variety of corners for Das to get to grips with. The talented American has already raced at the track in the past so will be using the two days of testing prior to the weekend to his advantage as he looks to refamiliarize himself and make an impression on the two qualifying sessions and races on offer over the weekend.
“Barcelona is a special track,” Das analysed the Catalonian circuit. “It has a wide array of different corners from technical chicanes to edgy sweepers and I find it to be one of the most enjoyable tracks on this year’s calendar to drive on. It also has a very long straight which presents a great overtaking opportunity.
“Currently, the weather looks a bit wet and less than ideal on Thursday and Friday for testing but I’m greatly looking forward to the racing in Barcelona no matter what the conditions. It’s always sad going in to the last race of the season, but at the same time it is a perfect opportunity to take the gloves off and fight for more good results.”
The timetable [local time] for Barcelona is as follows;
Thursday
09.00 – 12.00 – Private test 1
14.10 – 15.00 – Private test 2
16.20 – 17.10 – Private test 3
Friday
09.00 – 09.40 – Free Practice 1
13.10 – 13.50 – Free Practice 2
Saturday
10.25 – 10.55 – Qualifying 1
14.40 – Race 1 (17 laps)
Sunday
09.40 – 10.10 – Qualifying 2
13.15 – Race 2 (17 laps)
Starting the weekend in style the talented American was on the pace from the word go. Three 30-minute practice sessions on Friday saw the 2016 F4 USA Champion top the first session and set the second quickest time later in the day – ending overall with the second fastest time marking a good start to the weekend showing strong pace from the offset.
The first qualifying session on Saturday morning saw track limits become the major talking point – Das, making sure to keep out of trouble, looked strong but was unable to capitalise and convert the form from the previous day leading to a third row starting position of sixth on the grid.
As the lights went out, Das enjoyed a solid getaway but soon found himself stuck in a train of cars and unable to make an impression on the race. A relatively uneventful 18-lap showing developed with Das crossing the line in sixth – still managing to pick up a good haul of points though.
Ready to do it all again on Sunday, Das was quick out of the blocks in second qualifying. Topping the session early, he was keen to show his pace from the start and remained a front runner during his opening stint. The talented American continued to show good form after pitting for a fresh set of tires and was battling for the top three positions throughout the opening half of the 30-minute shoot-out. However, in the second half the tension grew further with everyone vying for pole. Fighting well, and once again respecting the track limits, he qualified well in fourth to take a great second-row start.
Race two saw Das get another good start as he made his way to the first corner, but sadly the issue remained the same; overtaking was next to impossible. Nose-to-tail throughout, Das was unable to find an opportunity to force a move which led to another race following the gearbox of the car ahead for 18 laps. Crossing the line in fourth Das concluded his weekend with further points to add to his championship tally where he currently sits fifth overall.
“We were very strong initially in practice here in Jerez,” Das reflected. “In the first qualifying, we struggled a bit more than we expected so we started sixth for race one. Unfortunately, the race was processional from turn one right up until the checkered flag. The entire race, I was on the tail of the two cars in front, but it was impossible to overcome the aero wash produced by the cars ahead.
“On Sunday, we improved our qualifying performance to go fourth – only .04s off third. But, like the first race of the weekend, I was locked on to the car in front all race long and no opportunities to overtake arose.”
Das will now have a short break before the season finale takes place in Barcelona on 20th-21stOctober.
]]>Last time out in Monza Das once again picked up an impressive result in the final race of the weekend seeing him take to the podium following a hard-fought race full of battles and great defending. Carving his way through the field, the 2016 F4 USA Champion picked up fantastic points for third place; making up for the previous day which led to him suffering innocent contact and irreparable damage to his car.
Looking for two consistent races this weekend, Das will be taking on the Jerez circuit in southern Spain for the penultimate round of the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship. At 2.751 miles the Circuito de Jerez consists of 13 turns where once again qualifying will be crucial – however unlike the previous round at Monza, slip-streaming will be less of a factor so pace should win out over on-track antics; making for an exciting prospect.
With four podiums to his name this season (achieved at Estoril, Paul Ricard, Silverstone and Monza) and a total of ten top-six finishes, Das can certainly consider the year so far a strong showing. Aiming now to continue his consistent point scoring ability and fantastic race pace, he focuses on cutting the gap to the drivers ahead of him in the championship standings where he currently lies fifth overall.
Looking ahead to the weekend Das said, “We’ve had a few podiums straight away after the summer break, so I’m looking to continue that good form in Jerez, with the aim being to reel in a top three finish in the championship.
“Jerez is an interesting place. It has some of the highest tire degradation of any track I’ve been to, and temperature greatly affects lap time. It has lots of run-off and smooth curbs so there is a lot of opportunity to find time in racing line optimization. Also, due to the nature of the corners, there aren’t many overtaking opportunities; qualifying will be everything this weekend.”
The schedule for the seventh round of the season (local time) is as follows;
Friday
10.00 – 10.30 – Free Practice 1
11.30 – 12.00 – Free Practice 2
13.55 – 14.25 – Free Practice 3
Saturday
10.40 – 11.10 – Qualifying 1
14.15 – Race 1 (18 laps)
Sunday
10.00 – 10.30 – Qualifying 2
14.15 – Race 2 (18 laps)
Thursday and Friday before the weekend properly got underway gave Das the opportunity to hone his skills around the so-called Temple of Speed. Enjoying the hours of testing behind the wheel the talented American was on the pace and looking good ahead of the weekend.
However qualifying on Saturday morning was a completely different prospect. As is often the case, traffic built up around the 3.6-mile circuit as every single driver looked to take advantage of the slip stream effect. Instead of lap after lap of competitive times, drivers slowed and bunched together; desperate for an advantage without giving an edge to their rivals. Unfortunately, this traffic coupled with a gearbox issue throughout the session, left Das unable to make an impression and meant he qualified in tenth.
In the race, Das’ luck failed to turn around. Despite a solid start he found himself squeezed tighter and tighter between two cars at the first corner during the second lap which caused contact and sent him off track with damage to his car, unable to continue.
Sunday provided the opportunity to do it all over again. Das fought well to find a gap and remove himself from the tactics on track but was once again at a disadvantage with the traffic. This meant that for the final race of the weekend, he lined up in sixth.
Looking to end the weekend on a high Das got a solid start but dropped a position following an incident ahead of him at turn one. From there, he continued to push hard in seventh position before a safety car came out on track to deal with a collision between his Carlin team mate Dev Gore and Aldo Festante.
A few laps later, Das began his charge in earnest and had taken position from Matheus Iorio as the pair carved their way through the field, avoiding incidents around them. Swapping positions multiple times in the final laps, Das made it up to third, the final spot on the podium, before his team mate Iorio stole it back.
As it was, the pair continued their battle right up until the checkered flag fell with Das brilliantly coming out on top and adding another podium to his season tally as he walked on to the third step of the rostrum.
Das reflected on the weekend, “I think we recovered as a team well on Sunday. On Saturday, we had a gearbox issue, so I had to start at the back for Race One. To make matters worse, I was sandwiched between two cars on the second lap which critically damaged my front suspension.
“On Sunday morning, we got unlucky with track position during the last two minutes of qualifying, but despite not having any sort of a tow we were sixth fastest. For the race, I was in a bit of survival mode for the first two or three laps, but I knew my strong pace would allow me to proceed ahead if I was patient. After working with my teammate, Matheus [Iorio], we picked off cars in between us and I eventually overtook Matheus and defended the podium position from him for the last two laps.
“I’m actually really happy with how we recovered as a team. I think we will be a force to be reckoned with in Jerez in a few weeks’ time.”
Das will take to the track for the penultimate round of the championship in Jerez at the beginning of October.
]]>With history all around the Italian track is legendary for the battles it has seen over the years, the atmosphere it provides thanks to the passionate fans as well as the iconic and challenging corners. A dream for slip-streaming, Monza often delivers the chance for exciting overtaking which can be fewer and far between at other tracks – as a result, the nose to tail action leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.
Das, who has raced at the 3.6-mile circuit in the past knows this all too well. Last year, in only his second Euroformula Open race weekend, the talented American racer fought well to secure two top ten finishes enjoying multiple fights for position along the way. The busy nature of the track means keeping focused throughout the weekend is essential; driving well to gain a slip-stream during the all-important qualifying, while not giving the advantage away to a competitor behind, can often become one of the biggest challenges of the weekend.
Monza will also provide an additional day of testing for Das with Thursday being used to work through what will no doubt be a busy but constructive test plan over the course of the five hours on offer.
Last time out at Silverstone Das drove well to return to the podium following a brilliant defensive drive in the final race of the weekend. Standing back on the podium Das now intends to add to his achievements from the 2018 season so far which total an impressive nine top-six finishes including three podiums and a fastest lap to see him sit fifth overall in the championship classification.
“Monza is one of my favorites on this year’s calendar,” Das said about the upcoming round. “I had the chance to race there last year which will serve me well for this weekend. It’s a circuit that is amazing to race on – I didn’t have a single dull lap in either of the races last year, so hopefully the case will be the same for this one.
“Running low downforce is a completely different feeling, so maximizing the practice time provided on Thursday and Friday will be crucial.”
The full weekend schedule is as follows (local times):
Thursday:
09:00 – 12:30 – Testing 1
13:30 – 14:15 – Testing 2
15:35 – 16:20 – Testing 3
Friday:
10:10 – 10:45 – Free Practice 1
13:55 – 14:30 – Free Practice 2
Saturday:
10:25 – 10:55 – Qualifying 1
14:45 – Race 1 (16 laps)
Sunday:
09:00 – 09:30 – Qualifying 2
13:15 – Race 2 (16 laps)
After nearly two months away from racing action the sound of engines firing up on Friday was a welcome relief and despite a somewhat short test period, consisting of only two sessions, Das made the most of the 80 minutes he had in his Carlin Dallara car. Finishing as the second fastest driver during the morning session, and fifth overall at the end of the day, Das was in good spirits going in to qualifying on Saturday morning.
As it was, Saturday provided frustrations instead with Das unable to prove his potential; after a hard fought 30-minute session, Das posted the sixth fastest time to set his starting position for the opening race of the weekend. But Silverstone remained true to its reputation as being a notoriously difficult track in which to overtake and provided a relatively uneventful race for the 2016 F4 USA Champion who found himself unfortunately unable to gain much of an advantage; eventually taking the flag in sixth.
A full reset for Sunday meant another frantic fight for position during qualifying. Dealing with the pressure well Das pushed hard throughout and brought his car home in third position to secure a strong second row start ahead of the all-important afternoon race.
As the lights went out at a warm and sunny Silverstone, Das blasted off the line brilliantly to hold third position as the field streamed through the famous Maggots Becketts complex. He came under some pressure from Marcus Siebert but was able to make his Euroformula Open car as wide as possible over the next few laps – keeping the Campos driver nicely behind him and positioning himself inch perfectly. The tense dual continued for the remainder of the race as the pair seemed tied together at points with Das pulling a lead over his rival before the gap closed in once again. Dealing with the pressure well, Das drove a calm and smooth race in the closing laps to take the flag in third place – going down in the history books by securing the 1000th podium for his Carlin team.
Das said of the weekend, “I had a decent start off the line and was able to hold Marcus [Siebert] back through Maggots and Becketts and then it seemed like it was quite tough for him to keep up with me, so I was able to make a gap from there. He then came right back at me and had better pace in the middle part of the race, so I had to do quite a bit of defending but our pace was still very good.
“It’s great to be back on the podium again – it’s been a couple of rounds but it’s definitely where we deserve to be and I’m now aiming for the next goal which is getting on the top step. Two months has been a long time away from the car but it’s good to be back, get straight back on the pace and come away with a positive result.”
With a great result in the bag Das focuses his attention on the upcoming round at Monza towards the end of the month.
-Ends-
]]>In the four race weekends so far this season, Das has come tantalisingly close to his first race victory in the championship. Solid qualifying sessions and race pace has led to two podiums, a fastest racing lap, and five top five finishes out of eight races, with the opportunities for further success heightened as he begins to return to circuits he has previously raced at in the past. His strong form means that he currently sits fifth in the championship standings with four rounds left to compete in this season after a consistent showing up to date.
Up next, Das will take on the challenges of Silverstone – known as the home of British motorsport. Its world-famous complex of thrilling corners such as Maggots and Becketts, as well as the brilliantly fast Stowe corner which follows the Hangar straight, make sure that the Silverstone GP circuit is regarded as one of the best events on the calendar. Das already has experience around the 5.891km track after appearances last season in the BRDC British Formula Three Championship as well as his debut race in the Euroformula Open Championship one year ago.
18-year-old Das has used the break in the year to return to his home in Baltimore, all the while continuing his fitness and training regime to ensure he comes back to the 2018 season in the same strong form he has shown throughout the previous eight races. Silverstone this weekend will kickstart the action before he heads to Monza later in the month followed by Jerez and the season finale at Barcelona in October.
Das said of the upcoming weekend, “Silverstone is just one of those tracks you always look forward to. It’s Carlin’s home GP and in a sense mine as well since I’ve lived in England almost two years now.
“The track has a plethora of corners and variation between them; it hosts some of the best high-speed corners in motor sports. This year will be particularly difficult with the new surface that is incredibly bumpy and prone to collecting water in inclement weather, so it will be a learning curve for sure but I’m excited for the challenge.”
As ever, both qualifying sessions and races will be streamed live on YouTube which can be accessed via the official website www.euroformulaopen.net
The weekend schedule is as follows:
Friday 31st August
09.00 – 09.40 Free Practice 1
13.47 – 14.27 Free Practice 2
Saturday 1st September
09.45 – 10.15 Qualifying 1
14.15 (35 minutes) Race 1
Sunday 2nd September
09.00 – 09.30 Qualifying 2
12.45 (35 minutes) Race 2
In the four race weekends so far this season, Das has come tantalisingly close to his first race victory in the championship. Solid qualifying sessions and race pace has led to two podiums, a fastest racing lap, and five top five finishes out of eight races, with the opportunities for further success heightened as he begins to return to circuits he has previously raced at in the past. His strong form means that he currently sits fifth in the championship standings with four rounds left to compete in this season after a consistent showing up to date.
Up next, Das will take on the challenges of Silverstone – known as the home of British motorsport. Its world-famous complex of thrilling corners such as Maggots and Becketts, as well as the brilliantly fast Stowe corner which follows the Hangar straight, make sure that the Silverstone GP circuit is regarded as one of the best events on the calendar. Das already has experience around the 5.891km track after appearances last season in the BRDC British Formula Three Championship as well as his debut race in the Euroformula Open Championship one year ago.
18-year-old Das has used the break in the year to return to his home in Baltimore, all the while continuing his fitness and training regime to ensure he comes back to the 2018 season in the same strong form he has shown throughout the previous eight races. Silverstone this weekend will kickstart the action before he heads to Monza later in the month followed by Jerez and the season finale at Barcelona in October.
Das said of the upcoming weekend, “Silverstone is just one of those tracks you always look forward to. It’s Carlin’s home GP and in a sense mine as well since I’ve lived in England almost two years now.
“The track has a plethora of corners and variation between them; it hosts some of the best high-speed corners in motor sports. This year will be particularly difficult with the new surface that is incredibly bumpy and prone to collecting water in inclement weather, so it will be a learning curve for sure but I’m excited for the challenge.”
As ever, both qualifying sessions and races will be streamed live on YouTube which can be accessed via the official website www.euroformulaopen.net
The weekend schedule is as follows:
Friday 31st August
09.00 – 09.40 Free Practice 1
13.47 – 14.27 Free Practice 2
Saturday 1st September
09.45 – 10.15 Qualifying 1
14.15 (35 minutes) Race 1
Sunday 2nd September
09.00 – 09.30 Qualifying 2
12.45 (35 minutes) Race 2
Das has enjoyed a solid start to his first full season in the competitive Euroformula Open Championship field. The 2016 F4 US Champion has already taken two podiums and a fastest racing lap but has also endured bad luck; most recently at the previous round at Spa. While looking likely to clinch a maiden race win, the victory was cruelly stolen away from him when a fellow competitor tapped him sideways and ultimately into the barriers – ending what had been an impressive and assured drive.
Das has well and truly put the heartbreak behind him to turn his thoughts and ambitions towards the Budapest round – often described as being like ‘Monaco without the barriers.’ The circuit, known for being somewhat tricky to overtake on, is placed just outside of the Hungarian capital of Budapest. Often drawing a great crowd from the city centre and surrounding areas the event also provides tight battles in the Euroformula Open series – from strong charges down to the first corner as the lights extinguish to nose-to-tail action through the subsequent turns, the Hungaroring will no doubt provide another great show this weekend.
Das, who is yet to visit the Hungarian track, said of the upcoming weekend, “This weekend will be my first time in Budapest. I’ve heard so many great things about the track and the city itself, so it’s definitely one of the rounds I’ve looked forward to the most this year. The track is one of the shorter ones on the calendar, but it hosts a lot of varying corner types, so I think it will suit our setup quite well. It’s quite a technical track which is something that has suited my abilities in the past.
“The halfway point of the season is almost upon us, and I’m content with what I’ve accomplished so far. The points are very close at the top, so I know that it could only take one or two races to be in second or third position in the championship at this point. I think I showed what I was truly capable at Spa, so I greatly look forward to doing that again in Hungary.”
This weekend will feature an additional day of testing on Thursday which will fully maximise the amount of track time that the 18-year-old will have in which to get nicely up to speed as he takes on the Hungaroring for the very first time. The full timetable for the upcoming weekend is as follows:
Event timetable (local time):
Thursday:
09:00 – 12:00 Private test 1
13:30 – 14:25 Private test 2
15:30 – 16:25 Private test 3
Friday:
10:10 – 10:40 Free Practice 1
14:10 – 14:40 Free Practice 2
16:40 – 17:10 Free Practice 3
Saturday:
10:40 – 11:10 Qualifying 1
14:40 (17 laps) Race 1
Sunday:
09:00 – 09:30 Qualifying 2
13:10 (17 laps) Race 2
From the very start of the weekend it was clear that Das was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Throughout practice on Friday he was consistent and fast in his Carlin car – topping the time sheets for the day. On Saturday morning the 2016 F4 USA Champion was once again one to watch throughout the 30-minute qualifying session. Das was a constant challenger and in the very final moments jumped up to secure second place as his own.
Starting on the dirty side of the grid Das held his nerve well as he ran up Eau Rouge and Raidillon to get a fantastic slip-stream effect and take the lead of the race with a brilliantly brave move. However his progress was halted a little when a safety car came out on track which also cut his lead down as the field bunched up. In turn, this allowed Marcus Siebert to close in on him and the pair fought over the next few laps – trading positions with Das holding the upper hand throughout.
Siebert made a challenge on Das for the lead of the race a short while later as the pair went in to Les Combes. Unfortunately, Siebert out-braked himself, speared out of control across the track and sent Das hurtling into the barriers; ultimately out of the race.
Putting the disappointment of Saturday behind him Das picked himself up and had another shot at things on Sunday. Once again, his pace was clear to see but traffic on his final flying lap would hold him back and see him qualify out of position in tenth for the final race of the weekend. Focusing on the challenges ahead Das was determined to prove his pace again and collect some well-deserved points. Getting a great start to the race he was fully lit as he made his way through the field – fighting with his team mate, who he cleverly overtook on the penultimate lap at the last chicane, Das took the flag in fifth position.
“It’s been a roller coaster of a weekend,” Das said of his first Euroformula Open race weekend at Spa. “Right from the word go, we were quick. On Saturday, we qualified second despite catching a slower car during the fast lap. In the race, I took the lead going into Les Combes and I held it until the safety car came out. Siebert and I battled back and forth for a bit until Siebert out-braked himself while trying to overtake around the outside into Les Combes. He unfortunately didn’t take safety into account when re-entering the track and ended up sending me into the wall while I was leading the race. I was quite disappointed that it ended that way, but our pace was undeniable.
“On Sunday, we were once again rapid in qualifying with a projected pole position time but we were unfortunately blocked by another driver who was preparing his own fast lap in the chicane. As a result, we started tenth for race two. Together with my teammate, we quickly worked our way up to fifth and sixth. Through ‘bump-drafting’ and ‘leap-frogging,’ we managed to close the gap significantly to the podium positions in final laps, but it wasn’t enough. Instead, we battled back and forth on the last lap for fifth which I ultimately was able to secure.”
]]>With four races of the Euroformula Open Championship already complete following rounds in Estoril and Paul Ricard, the Baltimore native will now return to a track he has raced at in a previous season: Spa-Francorchamps, the infamous Formula One circuit. The tricky circuit in Belgium is a driver and spectator favorite with the challenges often compounded by changeable weather conditions. All in all, this unpredictability makes any weekend racing in the Ardennes forest a thrilling spectacle.
As the longest track on the 2018 calendar at 7.004km, Spa features iconic corners such as Raidillon, Eau Rouge and Pouhon to name a few. Hosting incredibly tense battles over the years this weekend will no doubt provide more fantastic racing with slip streaming and overtaking in abundance as Das looks to take advantage of everything on offer at a track he enjoys driving.
“Spa has to be my favorite track in the world,” Das said of the upcoming round. “It was also my favorite track in the simulator before racing there for real last year in British Formula Three. The combination of long straights, technical and flowing switchbacks and low downforce make it a challenging place. For all the challenge though, there is a tremendous reward for doing well!”
Reflecting on the intricacies of the circuit he added, “One of my favorite parts of Spa is sector two – after Pouhon (which is barely a lift in sixth gear) there is the fast and flowing switchbacks of the Campus corners. On a normal downforce setting, these corners would be straightforward, but to maximize the massive straights in sector one and three, we have to make the car somewhat lively which is incredibly exciting.”
As ever, Das will have testing on Friday before a qualifying and race on both Saturday and Sunday to look forward to.
Event timetable (local time):
Friday:
09:00 – 09:30 Free Practice 1
12:46 – 13:16 Free Practice 2
15:50 – 16:20 Free Practice 3
Saturday:
09:35 – 10:05 Qualifying 1
14:15 (13 laps) Race 1
Sunday:
09:00 – 09:30 Qualifying 2
13:25 (13 laps) Race 2
The second round of the season got off to an interesting start for the 18-year-old Baltimore native with heavy rain causing tricky conditions and even disrupting proceedings on Friday afternoon. Despite this Das looked to use the track time to his advantage and after three Thursday test sessions and two Friday Free Practice outings he was more than ready for the weekend ahead with his Carlin team.
Heavy overnight rain meant that Saturday morning’s qualifying took place on a relatively green track. Despite dampness all around, the qualifying was run on slick tires as Das took to the circuit for the 30-minute shootout. As it was, wind conditions hampered his efforts somewhat and he found himself down the order having been unable to take advantage of, what turned out to be, an essential tow along the Mistral straight.
The opening race of the weekend saw Das produce a simply stunning start which immediately elevated him up the order. The 2016 F4 US Champion continued to race well throughout the 15-lap showdown where he was involved in multiple battles for position. After a hard-fought race, Das took the flag in sixth position – adding nicely to his points tally.
Ready to do it all again, Das looked to improve on his second attempt at qualifying on Sunday morning. Handling the pressure well, he was a front-runner throughout and took a top five starting position. Launching well from the third row of the grid as race two got underway, Das soon gained a position to fourth before starting to hunt down Guilherme Samaia ahead. Das went wheel to wheel with the Brazilian racer and pulled off a brave move which cleverly forced Samaia to out-brake himself; allowing Das to win the position and take the final step on the podium as his own.
Das said of the weekend, “While it was tough, I enjoyed this weekend at Paul Ricard. We had a variety of conditions in practice, but we were particularly good in the most treacherous ones. Qualifying was tough on Saturday having different track and wind conditions from the previous day. I managed to move up four positions with a good start and methodically charged through the field in the first race to finish sixth while also setting the second fastest race lap.
“Qualifying was much better on Sunday with still a little bit left which I know I will find next time around. In the race, we again set the second fastest race lap while hunting down Viscaal and Samaia in front. Once around them, I did my best to reel in my teammate Matheus Iorio but ultimately settled for a third place finish.
“As always, I want to say a huge thanks to the team and to my sponsors who afforded me this opportunity and continue to support me.”
]]>The Paul Ricard circuit, making its return to the FIA Formula 1 calendar later this year, is a 15 turn, 3.6-mile affair for Das to contend with. With its brightly coloured run-off areas the track produces great racing and is a circuit with which the Baltimore native already has a good relationship. Das returns to Paul Ricard having taken part in a Winter Series event with his Carlin team in March which resulted in a brilliant podium finish – incidentally holding the honour of securing the first podium for the team of the season. While this event was not part of the competitive 2018 race season, Das will no doubt endeavour to replicate this feat as he returns to the European circuit for the second time this year.
Das followed this fantastic result with a great opening round in Estoril last month; working well with his engineer to get valuable information during the pre-event testing, Das got to grips with the unfamiliar track in characteristic strong fashion and was quickly marked as a contender. Taking a storming podium position in the opening race, Das went on to show consistency with his point scoring which has left him fourth in the overall standings – well and truly in the mix.
Looking ahead to the second round of the competitive Championship, 2016 F4 US Champion Das said, “I’m very much looking forward to Paul Ricard this weekend. We had the Winter Series there a few months ago where it was literally snowing at some points but it was still an incredibly valuable test. This weekend should be completely different condition-wise, and we’ve learned quite a few things from Estoril which we can look to apply here. It’s a long track with a lot of interesting parts so it should throw up a couple of exciting races out there!”
Das will have the first chance to take to the track on Thursday morning with a busy day of testing to look forward to before two further practice sessions await him on Friday. Saturday will consist of a morning qualifying followed by an afternoon race while Sunday will offer the chance to qualify and race again.
Live timing for all sessions can be followed on the Euroformula Open website (www.euroformulaopen.net) and qualifying/races will be broadcast live on the Championship’s official YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/EuroFormulaOpen
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