Alex Palou says he and his Hitech Bullfrog GP team are having a tough FIA European Formula 3 Championship season, which has not lived up to his own high expectations.
The Spaniard has scored three podium finishes in the opening eighteen races but could only manage two seventh places at Silverstone last weekend, and currently props up the top ten in the championship standings.
Palou feels that the team are struggling to find the pace to run at the front of the field, and if they do find it, they cannot maintain it for more than one session, which often leaves them fighting amongst the midfield.
“It was really bad, it was really tough,” said Palou to The Checkered Flag after race three at Silverstone on Sunday. “We are having a tough season.
“[It’s] not what we were hoping for. We are having a lot of problems, like we cannot get into the pace, and once we get to the pace, it’s like we are on the pace for one session only. We’re struggling a lot.”
Palou was unable to translate a positive weekend at Spa-Francorchamps three weeks ago that saw him take a second-place finish but struggling to get the most out of the car leaves him somewhat compromised in Qualifying, and once down the order, the it becomes increasingly difficult to make gains in the races.
“In Spa we were really strong in Quali 1, so we started P3, and once we start P3, it’s pretty easy, but already we went to Quali 2 without changing anything, we weren’t there,” admitted the Spaniard.
“And once you start P10, P11, you pretty much are done. I think we made some places in Spa on the first two laps but after otherwise we didn’t have the pace.”
The championship quickly moves on to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this weekend and after a strong-looking pre-season test there, Palou hopes to be able to have a strong weekend in Italy, stronger than he had at Silverstone.
“We have to change something, we have to do something,” said Palou. “We have to work on it, we have little days to work on it, but we were strong there in pre-season.
“We went there, we know the car’s been good there, at least for me. I think we can do a good job, we have to turn our performance on and I think we can do a good job.”
