Victor Martins has outlined what he needs to change at Monza this weekend compared to his performance at the track in Formula 2 last year.
The Frenchman has endured an inconsistent season, scoring no points in the opening two rounds as he got to grips with the new car.
Martins has improved significantly and has taken a couple of second places in Hungary, but he still sits in 12th place in the FIA F2 standings.
He was very fast at Monza last season, taking second place in the Sprint Race, but retired from the Feature Race after a DRS issue struck.
Victor Martins believes qualifying is where he needs to improve at Monza
Martins is yet to take a pole position in qualifying this season, but he was very quick over a single lap at Monza last year.
The ART driver qualified in fifth place, two-tenths slower than his compatriot Theo Pourchaire, who took the pole position on his way to the championship in 2023.
Martins could have taken the top spot, but he made a small mistake on his fastest lap, so he had to settle for the third row of the grid.
The 23-year-old pinpointed qualifying as a critical area for improvement as he returns to Monza during his second Formula 2 season.
He told the official Formula 2 website: “Anything can happen here, so being prepared for anything, no traffic, track position and delivering the lap. Last year I would have done pole if I didn’t make a small mistake in the chicane so just to change some things in Quali.
“I know I will have the same performance that I had last year with what we have shown for the last three rounds.
“We have been in the top three of every session in the last three rounds, so I am really positive about getting the car to do it this weekend. I think it’s a good way to start the last four rounds and we will have a lot of fun.”
Victor Martins hasn’t put together a title challenge despite his immense talent
Martins joined Formula 2 at the start of the 2023 season after winning two championships in Formula Renault and FIA F3.
Throughout his Formula 2 career, the Frenchman has shown moments of brilliance but hasn’t put together a campaign good enough to fight for the title.
He has taken two victories so far in FIA F2 but suffered from multiple retirements which stalled his career and chances of reaching Formula 1.
The Alpine junior’s options of getting to F1 are now very slim, as the French team recently announced Jack Doohan for 2025, and returning for a third F2 season is rarely beneficial.