The Ecuadorian/American driver Juan Manuel Correa, who will race again this season with the ART team in the FIA Formula 3 championship, is satisfied with the two days of testing carried out at the Bahrain circuit, where the season will start coinciding with the F1 Gran Prix, March 18 to 20
Juan Manuel was testing the ART F2 at the end of last year in Abu Dhabi, but opted to attempt the assault on the F3 title in a second season, after his return to the track last year. The man from Quito is already in top form, after a year 2021 that was a contact with the competition, after his accident in Spa in August 2019. Last season he improved as time went by and at the same time his physical condition evolved favorably for the demands of the competition.
Juan Manuel Correa has not rested this winter, alternating the tests with a prototype of the LMP2 category, with which he will also participate in some races of the Le Mans Series LMS, which has made him arrive in top form at these tests, in which the team has prioritized with Juan Manuel the settings for the race and the tire tests, which suffer a high level of wear on this track and this factor is one of the keys to a good performance in the F3 race.
Juan Manuel was unable to contest the first of the three test days due to an inconclusive COVID test, which fortunately was quickly resolved with a second test in which he was negative, being able to take part without problems in the last two test days.
“I am happy to have been able to carry out two days of testing. The scare of the first day lasted a few hours and fortunately on Thursday I was ready to reconnect with the number 9 of my car and start working, especially thinking about the performance in the race. It’s been two days of a lot of work, of set-up changes that sometimes meant losing time in the garage, but we wanted to prioritize the long runs and the behavior of the tyres, which last year were the key to the good or bad results of many drivers. Taking advantage of these two days was essential to get to the season-opening races with a competitive car”, says Juan Manuel, who is optimistic about the campaign that starts in 14 days, with the first free practice sessions at the Sakhir circuit .
“In these tests we have found a circumstance that can also occur on the weekend of March 20, sandstorms. Today it affected us quite a bit, in fact at one point the visibility was so low that they ordered us to turn on the signal lights that are used when there is rain, since very little could be seen. This factor is very important on this track, as those storms fill the track with sand and change the whole picture, which is why we have worked so hard with the tires and the race conditions, forgetting to make time to shine on the time table. . The first day I already saw that the car was fast, when I was fifth in the first session and I saw myself perfectly ready to push the limit and then we dedicated ourselves to another type of work, which I hope will pay off in the races. I am giving a lot of importance to the tires that are the key and having been testing the endurance cars, where taking care of the tires is one of the keys, has also helped me to obtain the best performance from the tires with F3”, comments Juan Manuel .
“I have looked very good physically, in top form I would say, and that reaffirms my decision to return to F3 to try to fight for the title. Now it’s time to go back to London and rest a bit, fine-tune my physical preparation and return to Bahrain to take ART to the top” concludes Juan Manuel Correa, radiating optimism for the 2022 season, which will be one of the most complete in his career. sports career, alternating F3 with the Le Mans Series.
