The Spanish-based racing team will contest a second home round this weekend with excellent aspirations for Nerea Martí, Lola Lovinfosse and Maite Cáceres
The ultra-busy schedule of F1 Academy will continue in the Iberian Peninsula this weekend. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is set to host the third date on the calendar with Mercantile Campos Racing entering their three-car army for Nerea Martí, Lola Lovinfosse and Maite Cáceres. One of the collective preseason testing took place on the circuit in the outskirts of Barcelona, so it’s a well-known track for everybody.
Recently, just after the Valencia round, the category scheduled another in-season test on the same circuit and Martí topped the timesheets. Mercantile Campos Racing took advantage of it to try new set-ups and it finally paid off. Spaniard Martí scored a double-podium finish in Cheste and she will set her sights on extending the streak of rostrums. At the moment, Martí sits third in the standings and a strong performance in the triple-header would strengthen further her title bid.
Teammates Lovinfosse and Cáceres will be expecting to fight up the front. France’s Lovinfosse stepped third onto the podium at the Red Bull Ring and she will be pushing to put herself back in contention for new rostrums. Cáceres is continuously making progress on her debut on the European motorsport scene. Valencia saw her enhanced performance in comparison with Spielberg and this weekend should be another step forward in terms of results.
Barcelona is probably the best-known circuit for every driver on the calendar. It features a good number of different corners and asphalt is particularly demanding for tires due to abrasion and lateral forces. However, weather forecast predicts rain for the whole weekend and it could definitely be a game changer.
Both free practice sessions will take place on Friday, but qualifying sessions are scheduled on Saturday at 11.20 and 11.40 this time. Race 1 is set to start at 15.05, with usual length of 30 minutes, on Saturday. Later that day, Race 2 consisting of 20 minutes is scheduled at 19.00. Sunday’s Race 3, with its 30-minute format, will get underway at 11.05. All times CET.
Adrián Campos (Campos Racing Team Principal): “Our drivers have finished on the podium at the previous two events. After a positive test in Valencia, we have further improved and our goal is to continue regularly on the rostrum and, why not, achieving our first victory in the category. Rain will add up still more spice!”
Nerea Martí (Mercantile Campos Racing Driver of F1 Academy): “Barcelona is the second round on home soil. I’m delighted to race there. It looks like a rainy weekend, so everything would be uncertain and the title fight will be even harder. Our goal is to finish as high as possible and bringing as many points as possible home in order to close the gap on the series leader. Our recent testing in Valencia will be very helpful for Barcelona as we gathered valuable data.”
Lola Lovinfosse (Mercantile Campos Racing Driver of F1 Academy): “I’m super excited for this weekend. I’m ready to fight once again. It’s a track that I really like and where I feel comfortable. We will work hard to put the Mercantile Campos Racing colors on top.”
Maite Cáceres (Mercantile Campos Racing Driver of F1 Academy): “After Valencia testing, in which all went according to plan, we definitely made a step in the right direction and I’m looking forward to proving it in Barcelona. It’s a very technical circuit and, without the very last chicane, I enjoy it a lot! There is prediction of rain for the races, so it looks like a challenging weekend but I feel motivated.”
