Richard Verschoor has opened up on a ‘painful’ race in Formula 2 that he says is more damaging than his disqualification in Budapest.
The 23-year-old is in his fourth season in Formula 2 and currently sits 13th in the drivers’ standings racing for Trident this year.
Verschoor has come close to victory on a number of occasions in 2024, with two being taken away from him in Jeddah and Hungary for his car being not compliant with the regulations.
But speaking with RacingNews365.nl, the Dutchman lamented his heartbreak in Monaco and claimed it was far more painful than either disqualification.
Richard Verschoor finds his Monaco heartbreak ’10 times more painful’ than his disqualification in Hungary
Verschoor had crossed the line to win the sprint race in Hungary having started in first place, but the Dutchman was disqualified after the race.
The plank on the floor of the 23-year-old’s Trident was found to be thinner than the regulations permitted, with Kush Maini inheriting the win.
The ordeal left Verschoor frustrated at Trident after what was his second disqualification of the Formula 2 season, later saying that his actions were ‘necessary’.
Earlier on in the year at Monaco, Verschoor had taken pole position and was leading for the first half of the feature race.
However, a driveshaft issue forced him to retire and according to the Dutchman, this retirement was harder to take than Hungary as it has been a lifelong dream of his to take victory around the streets of Monte Carlo
“Monaco is much more painful, maybe 10 times more painful,” he said.
“That is a race that I have wanted to win all my life. At first, it was a dream to one day drive pole position there in qualifying because, of course, you know that you have the best chance you have to win the race.
“And during the race, the start and the pit stop can still go wrong. But even with the problems, we should have won that race and that was painful.”
Verschoor is yet to win a race in Formula 2 in 2024
Verschoor has taken victory in every previous Formula 2 season that he has competed in, but horrible luck in Monaco and disqualifications in Jeddah and Budapest have denied him a win so far this year.
The Dutchman endured a difficult start with just five points finishes from the opening eight rounds and a best finish of sixth in the feature race in Australia.
But the Trident driver has seen a recent upturn in form as he bounced back in the feature race in Hungary to finish third, his first podium of the season.
Spa was his best weekend of the season to date, as Verschoor again finished third in the sprint race and climbed up to fifth in the feature race.
The 23-year-old has amassed 45 points thus far, trailing championship leader Isack Hadjar by 120 points.