The opening round of the 2018 Euroformula Open Championship will get underway this weekend as Cameron Das returns to the cockpit of his Dallara F312 car in Estoril, Portugal. In anticipation of the brand-new season, Das has already taken part in three successful pre-season tests bringing home the first trophy of the season for his Carlin team following a strong podium in the Winter Series event at Paul Ricard.
2018 has already been a productive one for 18-year-old Das; heading to New Zealand in January, the 2016 US Formula 4 Champion raced in the five-round Toyota Racing Series. This event saw Das work on his race craft and produce a stand-out performance during which he impressed with a daring last corner overtake on the final lap while approaching the chequered flag – the bold and brilliantly executed move was recognized at the Championship’s conclusion as being the best overtake of the Series.
Since then, Das has kept busy with his pre-season preparation after announcing his return to the highly competitive Euroformula Open Championship. Over the course of three pre-season tests in Barcelona, Paul Ricard and Jerez, Das has not only been strong with his pace but has also been providing crucial information back to his Carlin team in regard to car set-up and handling ahead of the season.
Das now looks ahead to the opening round of the season which gets underway at the Autódromo do Estoril, Portugal this weekend. The 2.5-mile circuit, 30 minutes west of Lisbon, will provide a new challenge for the talented American who once again takes on the intricacies of a track unfamiliar to him. Das has been working hard in the simulator ahead of the season and will have two action-packed days of testing on Thursday and Friday in which to get back up to speed, before the first qualifying session of the 2018 Euroformula Open season gets underway on Saturday morning. This will set the grid for the race on Saturday afternoon before Das will have to do it all over again on Sunday with a second qualifying and race to look forward to.
Das said of the upcoming weekend, “I’ve greatly enjoyed my time back in the car recently during winter testing. While it has been cold, I’ve gained tremendously valuable experience on the Michelin dry and wet compound tires. We’ve made progress with the setup as well for a variety of circuit types which we will encounter this season. Estoril seems to be an exciting track with a good mixture of high speed and technical bits, so I’m eager to see our ultimate pace. The forecast looks mostly wet this weekend, but I think that will provide the perfect opportunity to show our slippery condition performance.
“During the testing ban in January and February, I had the opportunity to race in the Toyota Racing Series which utilized the same Michelin compound as Euroformula Open. It was good to get the racing “cobwebs” off and to enter that mindset early in the year. I honestly can’t wait for the starting lights to go out on Saturday!”
To find out more about the championship, or to keep up to date with all the action this weekend, head over to the official website: www.euroformulaopen.net.