Sacha Fenestraz’s performances during the 2022 Super Formula championship should be enough for him to open doors into the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, according to Michael Krumm.
Krumm, a multiple champion across different series’ across the globe including Japan, was brought in by Kondo Racing during the 2022 campaign to aid Fenestraz when it came to navigating the language barrier between the Japanese team and the Franco-Argentine driver.
Fenestraz, a former member of the Renault Sport Academy, finished second behind Tomoki Nojiri in the championship, winning once at Sugo and taking three additional podium finishes along the way.
And the German believes that Fenestraz was one of the standout performers across the season and would do well should he be given an opportunity to race in Formula 1 in the future.
“I have been very impressed with his speed, his performance level,” said Krumm to Motorsport.com. “I didn’t expect that we would get such good results from the beginning.
“I was thinking at the start of the season to be in the top ten would be good, but he started with a podium finish [at Fuji], and he won the race at Sugo.
“We as a team failed a couple of times strategy-wise, which is a shame, so we should have had some more points. Also he had the brake failure at Fuji [Round 2], we lost a lot of points. In my opinion, he had the pace to win that race. Then he had a big accident at Fuji [Round 6] as well. Without those, he would have been very close to Nojiri.
“But to be second in the championship and still in with a chance of winning the championship until the final round is not something I could have imagined at the start of the season.”
Krumm says Fenestraz, who will race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with the Nissan Formula E Team in 2023, has qualities much like those seen by current Formula 1 star Pierre Gasly when he competed in Super Formula, and he believes he could succeed at the highest level of single seater racing should he be given the chance.
“He’s made very few mistakes,” added Krumm. “He’s generally very good at handling a loose car, when the rear is unstable. He’s extremely good at tyre management.
“For me, he deserves to be in F1. He would be ready for that. If you can show that kind of speed in this championship at his age, then you belong in F1, like Gasly.
“Overall, I have been very impressed with his speed, his motivation, his focus. His performances have been absolutely superb.”
