Swiss Formula 2 driver Louis Deletraz will be on duty for Haas on day two of the Pirelli tyre test after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, 21-year-old Swiss seeking to impress the American team with an eye on the future.
Deletraz, son of former Formula 1 and Le Mans 24-Hours driver Jean-Denis Délétraz, who is backed by UAE concerns told MN ahead of the race weekend at Yas Marina Circuit, “Gene Haas and Guenther Steiner are sports people and they have a good mentality.”
“I think they like the challenge and they see potential in me, they are happy to test me and to see the result and where we can go after that. I think Haas has a really good car, they are one of the first teams outside of the top three, so it’s something we’ve worked on for a while.”
“The key thing here is I have 42 superlicense points so I am available for it. To validate that you have to do an F1 test,” he explained.
A new generation of young guns are making their mark in the top flight and Deletraz knows a seat on the grid in 2019 won’t happen but beyond that the top flight is very much on his radar, “I hope that’s the next step, next year might be too early, all the seats are taken, but F1 is still the goal. The first step is with testing.
“The main focus will be for me to learn the processes of F1 and the car and to be as quick as possible, so that when I am in the car I will be able to be quick and give proper feedback. It’s a 2019 tyre test so it’s not only about me but about the team.”
“Of course I want to show my potential and speed, but it’s also about working with the whole team, teams are much bigger in F1 and its about data for them as well. They trust me to get in the car and do a good job, and I will learn as much as I can on the day and do my best to help them move forward.”
Deletetraz is mid-table in his second Formula 2 season with the finale this weekend in Abu Dhabi. Driving for Charouz Racing he has been on the podium twice this season but has yet to win in the series and his gutsy performance in Monaco was a highlight of his season.
Luck deserted him more times than not, his season would have been a great deal better had he not been the innocent victim of several incidents during the course of the year.