Vesti extends his lead in Barcelona
Again, Vesti did not have to look far for the points. In this weekend's race in Barcelona, Vesti achieved a harvest of points coming to a total of 21, which now increases his lead over the two closest competitors Théo Pourchaire and Ayumu Iwasa.
It is no exaggeration to say that Vesti impressed - even on top of last weekend's formidable Monaco performance.
Beginning with the practice session, Vesti turned out the fastest man. The expectations for qualifying got extra high, but here Vesti failed to live up to both his own and his team's expectations.
"I just didn't hit it. I didn't get the tires ready for this one crucial lap where we have to set the time in Barcelona before the tires are done. There is nothing more to say about it really. P8 was far from good enough - even if we were close.
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A cloudy Circuit de Catalunya ended in torrential rain and a very wet track for Saturday's Sprint Race, where Vesti started 3rd. It turned into a "rain dance" for Vesti and watching from the outside, quite a remarkable display. Vesti won the race and at one point leading the race with a 10 second gap down to his nearest competitor.
"From the outside, it probably looked easier than it was. It was actually a very difficult race. The wet track and rain were one thing, but there was just so much going on. I pushed hard and after a couple of laps was the front man after a tough battle in turn 1 with Jack Crawford, where we exchanged paint (!) and later I passed Amaury Cordeel. From then on I drove my own race before the expected safety car got deployed. A perfect restart was instrumental in keeping Victor Martins and Théo Pourchaire behind me.
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Saturday offered far more than a victory for Vesti. From up on high on the top of the podium, he could overlook and enjoy the applause and watch the joy in several other familiar faces other than PREMA and his personal team. Crown Prince Frederik and LEGO owner Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen were to be found at the Mercedes AMG F1 on Saturday and were both in place in front of the podium when the great tribute went to Vesti and he was hailed winner of the Sprint Race.
"What an honor this visit is. I am very proud and happy about this support from two very special people and representatives of my country. And I am about to burst with pride as a Dane when some of the world's best engineers at Mercedes AMG F1 tells me how play, learning, development potential and imagination through LEGO products was really the one thing that paved the way and turned them onto their career path in engineering and F1, and how LEGO products are used in their every day life. Simply amazing to think about!
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Sunday's Feature Race did not get Vesti on the podium, but a perfect strategy from Vesti's team, PREMA, could have given Vesti another victory. A safety car would have made all the difference. It didn't come.
"We chose to start out on the hard tires. It would give me some air and room to get the most out of my tires when my competitors on the soft tires had to pit after a good 10 laps. My tires lasted until lap 25 and with the new soft tires I consistently set fastest lap times and managed to make up 4 places and finish 5th. With the help of a safety car after lap 20, I had pictured myself at the top of the podium.
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"On a final note I would like to congratulate my team PREMA on a very strong weekend and amazing team effort and my teammate Oliver Bearman for winning the Feature Race.
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Now there is a 3-week break from racing, which will be spent for Vesti with physical training and work in the F1 simulator. And then come late June it is off to Vesti's absolutely favorite track, Red Bull Ring.
