Belgian Spa circuit is the next target
Jazeman Jaafar prepares for the next round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series which will be held at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium this weekend. The young Malaysian is keen to build on the success of last weekend’s Monaco race where he finished on the podium in third place.
Jazeman is riding high from a strong performance in Monaco, with the PETRONAS Talent Programme driver proving to be one of the front-runners throughout the weekend. Topping the time sheets during the practice session, then leading the way in his qualifying group, put Jazeman on the front row of the grid and he brought the car home in a third place podium finish after a gruelling race on the streets of the Monaco principality.
He now turns his attention to the Spa circuit which offers a very different challenge for the 20 year-old driver. The track is a favourite amongst drivers for its eau rouge and blanchement section which, with its blind crest at near flat-out speeds, is a test to the limit and needs the driver to be committed and brave for the perfect run through it.
Jazeman has raced at Spa in many years of his young career and enjoyed strong results, with a podium in British F3 in the last two years. He aims to keep up this level of performance in his Carlin Formula Renault 3.5 Series car and says,
“I’m still very pumped up after my great Monaco weekend and I want to take this confidence into Spa, using it to produce more good results and building on the experience I’ve already gained with the World Series car. My results and experience of the track in British F3 also give me confidence for this weekend. I love the Spa circuit as it is so challenging; it’s not easy to get the lap right and really achieve the potential from the car, but I’m feeling very positive and keen to get out on track.”
Weather is often a key factor in the challenge of the Spa circuit and Jazeman expects this to be the case this weekend. He says,
“Spa is notorious for rain and when it rains it is often torrential, as I experienced last year in British F3 when the conditions were so bad that the organisers had to cancel one of the races. The forecasts aren’t looking good for this weekend, but at least I know what to expect, so I can work with my engineer to put in place the optimum car set up and strategy for this type of weather.”
The weekend starts on Friday 1st June with practice sessions ahead of qualifying on Saturday morning and the first of the two races on Saturday afternoon. Qualifying for the second race is on Sunday morning with second race on Sunday afternoon. The races will be shown on Eurosport, check listings for full details.
Ends.