Hitech take on the streets of Monte Carlo for Formula 2 Round 4
Round 4 - Monte Carlo - Preview
The FIA Formula 2 Championship arrives at its most iconic venue this week as Round 4 takes Hitech to the streets of Monte Carlo and the legendary Circuit de Monaco – the first race of the European leg of the season, and one of the most prestigious events on the global motorsport calendar. Steeped in history and exuding prestige, it has captivated fans for generations and remains as compelling as ever.
The team heads to the Principality equipped with the learnings of a challenging but ultimately rewarding weekend in Montréal, where Colton Herta delivered a composed and determined drive in Sunday’s Feature Race to claim P7 and six points. Ritomo Miyata was unfortunately forced to retire late on from what looked set to be a strong result, after contact in the closing stages caused front wing damage.
Herta’s result underlined an impressive run of Sunday form, as the American – in his debut Formula 2 campaign after switching from IndyCar – has now scored points in every Feature Race to date. Miyata sits ninth in the Drivers’ standings on 22 points, with Herta close behind in 12th place on 16 points.
The Circuit
The Circuit de Monaco is unlike anywhere else on the Formula 2 calendar. The 3.337km street circuit winds through the famous tunnels and harbourside roads of Monte Carlo with virtually zero margin for error, demanding total precision and confidence from the very first lap. Barriers line almost every corner, and the consequences of a mistake are immediate.
With overtaking opportunities limited around the Principality, qualifying carries enormous importance. Friday’s session will be split across two groups, placing a premium on finding the right window and extracting the maximum from a single lap.
For Colton Herta, Monaco will be a first taste of one of motorsport’s greatest stages. For Ritomo Miyata, now into his third Formula 2 season, it represents an opportunity to combine the consistent race pace he has shown all year with a stronger grid position – and translate that combination into a result that reflects the team’s true potential.
Conditions in Monte Carlo are expected to be warm and largely dry across the race weekend with only a slight chance of rain. After the disruption and changeable conditions that shaped the weekends in Montréal and Miami, a dry Monaco should allow the team to build consistently across sessions and focus on maximising performance through the weekend.
Monaco also opens a demanding run of four races in five weeks for the Formula 2 field, with Barcelona, Spielberg and Silverstone following in quick succession. A strong result at one of the season’s most prestigious rounds would provide the perfect platform as the European campaign gets underway.
Jan Sumann, F2 Head of Race Engineering:
“Monaco demands a different approach to anywhere else on the calendar – qualifying is the priority, and we are focused on finding the performance we need on a single lap. We’ve been on the podium six times in our five visits there, so we know how to prepare for this race and the drivers have been hard at work in the simulator to optimise and get ready for the level of precision this race demands. The pace is there and we hope to use it from a better starting position this weekend.”
