Ollie faced a tough weekend in Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix. Despite the difficulties, Ollie’s determination and passion for racing shone as he balanced Formula 1 and Formula 2 commitments.
F1 Free Practice
Friday afternoon saw Ollie back behind the wheel of the MoneyGram Haas Formula 1 Team car for the first of two FP1 sessions scheduled within three back-to-back race weekends. Ollie shared his excitement ahead of the session:
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the rhythm of things with the Haas car. My personal goal is to keep improving myself and keep working on what I’ve identified as weak points when I drive in F1.”
When asked about balancing his Formula 1 duties with the Formula 2 commitments, Ollie explained,
“On a weekend like this, I am very busy. I have a lot of mental pressure, a lot to take in.”
Despite the challenges, he was keen to emphasise how much he has enjoyed the journey so far, especially since making his Formula 1 race debut in Saudi Arabia earlier in the season, describing the last few months as “pretty full on.”
Qualifying
Back in the Prema Racing car for Formula 2 qualifying, the session was incredibly tight. Less than a single second separated P1 from P19, with a mere 0.105 seconds dividing the top five drivers. This level of competition highlights the fine margins in motorsport and the ongoing learning curve for Ollie, who secured P15 in qualifying with the Prema team still struggling to get the most out of the 2024 F2 car.
Sprint Race
In Saturday’s Sprint Race, starting from P15 meant that Ollie did not benefit from the reverse grid system. The race itself was tough, with the car setup causing significant tyre degradation early on. Despite his best efforts, Ollie finished the race in P21.
Feature Race
The Feature Race brought a mix of challenges and opportunities. Ollie made a strong start, gaining positions from P15 in the opening laps. When contact sent Victor Martins and Dennis Hauger spinning into the gravel at Turn 2, avoiding opening lap chaos meant Ollie climbed to P9 as an early Safety Car deployed.
Ollie held onto P9 until the Pits opened. On Lap 12, Ollie rejoined the track in P16, falling to P18 as he warmed his new tyres. With just under half of the race remaining, Ollie climbed to P15 and was gathering pace - climbing to P12 by Lap 33 of 37.
In the closing laps of the race, some of those around Ollie, on varied race strategies, passed him - including Prema Racing teammate Antonelli. Ollie crossed the line in P15. After time penalties were applied to other drivers, he ended the weekend in P14.
While he could not replicate his success of last season at the Spanish track, he still holds the record for the fastest F2 lap at the circuit - achieved in 2023.
Looking Ahead
We don’t have to wait long to see Ollie in action again as we head to Austria next weekend for Round 7 of the season, from 28-30 June.
