Legendary Spa on the horizon for Das

The next round on the BRDC British Formula Three Championship calendar will take American driver, and up and coming racing star, Cameron Das to the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium. The circuit, known for its changeable climatic conditions which inevitably lead to exciting and dramatic racing, will host the fifth round of the 2017 season. Das currently sits joint third overall in the standings and looks ahead to the weekend which will see him make his racing debut at the Belgian circuit.

Das, a rookie in the championship, has already tasted an impressive victory this season and will once again take on a brand new circuit in the form of Spa-Francorchamps with some of the most famous corners on the calendar. The seven km track is also the longest of the season meaning that every second on track will count in helping Das get up to speed and in tune around the circuit. Its position within the Ardennes forest also provides some extremely exciting and fast-changing weather conditions – such can be the extreme nature of the weather that one side of the circuit can be perfectly dry while the other drenched in rain.

The circuit has played host to a myriad of racing series including Formula One as well as countless junior category races making it perfectly placed on the calendar for young drivers like Das. The circuit also benefits from multiple overtaking opportunities around the course of the long racing lap.

The weekend will mark the start of the second half of the BRDC British Formula Three season which has already seen Das take part in four rounds, where he’s taken pole positions, a race victory and set fastest race laps in the process. The strong start to his maiden season in the championship ensures that as a rookie he currently sits in a great joint third position as the field leave British circuits for the first time this year. Das’ consistency throughout the four rounds so far at Oulton Park, Rockingham, Snetterton and Silverstone has easily seen him become one of the drivers to beat in the series.

Das said of the upcoming weekend, “Spa is a long track so we have less total laps than we would at a normal track during practice. Maximizing each lap is really important for the overall data collection of the weekend as well. Spa really is at the top of my list of the tracks I’ve been to so far; the combination of high speed and low downforce means that drivers are on the edge all of the time.

“Because of the extent of distance covered at Spa, exits are key in order to maximize the straights and according to data from when we tested there before, I was able to manage that well.  Pouhon is one of the fastest corners in motorsport, so mastering it with a low downforce car will be key for a good middle sector time.”

For the reigning US F4 Champion the fifth round of the season will see him pushing to be back at the front and challenging for wins. He added, “At this point, I’m more than familiar with the car and the format of European racing; now I’ll be focusing on the details of my race craft and Spa is one of the best places in the world to do that. Every day, I’ve learned something new and the quality of my driving from the beginning of the year to now has massively improved. I’ve attained staggering amounts of knowledge from the team, my teammates and competitors, so I really couldn’t have picked a better championship for this stage in my career.

“The points are really tight at the front end of the field but I certainly think I’m capable of a top three or even championship winning year as long as I continue to grow as a driver during this crucial final half of the season.”