Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd
ART Grand Prix’s Victor Martins will start both Formula 2 races at Spa-Francorchamps from last place on the grid after yet another technical problem struck him in qualifying.
The Alpine junior came to a halt on track at Stavelot with an electrical issue before he had even set a timed lap.
“We are still investigating,” ART GP’s team principal Sebastien Philippe told Formula Scout in the paddock after the session. “We had an engine cut like if we had switched off the engine. When we came back here and restarted it was working again. So probably electronics, but we don‘t have a clear answer yet.
“We would have fought for pole, at least P3 or P4. This morning he was strong and there was no reason he wouldn’t have been as strong this afternoon.”
Later on Martins confirmed on his Instagram account that it was an “electrical issue” what had stopped him in qualifying, and affirmed that “we have the pace” to fight back in the races.
Since he did not set a laptime in qualifying, the permission of the stewards was required for Martins to take part in this weekend’s races. He was also investigated for crossing the track after he vacated his car [pictured above] when it cut out, but did not get penalised.
Mechanical problems had already impacted Martins’ results this year. A driveshaft failure left him last in qualifying at Imola, and an anti-stall issue meant he dropped from second on the grid to outside the points at the start of the feature race at Monaco, costing him a potential podium finish.
ART GP and Martins struggled to “get a consistency on the car balance also and to get a good understanding” as well as “with the overall grip in the car” early in the year. However, the steps forward made in recent rounds have taken them to fight at the front of the field again.
At Silverstone, Martins qualified second and was fifth in the feature race. He then finished second twice at the Hungaroring. Earlier in the season he won the Barcelona sprint race.
The Frenchman currently sits in eleventh place in the drivers’ standings with a tally of 57 points to his name.
Sebastien Philippe interview by Roger Gascoigne