David Gains Ground in Searing Spain

Sri Lankan racing driver Yevan David produced an encouraging recovery drive through the field during the FIA Formula 3 Sprint Race in Barcelona, gaining nine positions in challenging conditions as he continued his development with AIX Racing.

Competing in just his third FIA Formula 3 event, David arrived at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya looking to build on the confidence gained during an encouraging Monaco event just a weekend before. While a difficult qualifying session left him facing an uphill battle, the 18-year-old responded with a determined Sprint Race performance before Sunday's Feature Race was compromised by early contact.

Barcelona presented a fresh challenge for both driver and team, with soaring temperatures and high tyre degradation creating one of the toughest technical tests of the season.

"Overall, it was a productive weekend from my side," said David.

"It was my first time driving in Barcelona in these hot conditions. The next few races are likely to be similar, so it was important to understand the tyre management, qualifying execution and how to get the most out of the car in those temperatures."

Qualifying ultimately proved decisive. Both David and AIX Racing found it difficult to optimise tyre warm-up and extract maximum performance during a session where track conditions differed significantly from previous events and testing.

"As a team, I think we struggled with the hot conditions and the tyre warm-up in qualifying," he explained.

"It was quite different to what we're used to, so executing as a package was difficult. Looking back, there were things I could have improved as a driver as well in adapting to those conditions. Starting near the back made the races more challenging, but it also gave us a lot to learn from."

Despite lining up 28th for Saturday's Sprint Race, David delivered one of his most competitive race performances of the season so far, climbing nine positions to finish 19th while displaying strong overtaking ability and tyre management.

"The Sprint Race was very productive," he said.

"We went from 28th to 19th and made up nine positions. The start was strong, we made some good overtakes and our pace towards the end of the race was very encouraging."

"The tyres were in good shape and the consistency was there. It was definitely easier to race here than in Monaco and it was satisfying to keep moving forward through the field."

David's progress looked set to continue in Sunday's Feature Race before contact on the second lap caused significant front-end damage and a puncture, forcing an unscheduled pit stop.

"Unfortunately, we had contact on lap two and had to pit for a front wing change and a front-left puncture," he said.

"There wasn't really much we could do about the incident, but the team did a really good job with the stop. After that, the race became an opportunity to gather information and understand how the car behaved over a longer run in those hot conditions."

Although the final result failed to reflect it, David believes the data gathered after the pit stop was among the most valuable aspects of the entire weekend.

"I was able to drive consistently and at a good pace after the stop, which gave us useful information for the future," he said.

"I learned a lot about tyre warm-up, tyre management and the driving techniques needed to get the best out of the car in these conditions. Those are lessons I can now take into the simulator and apply at future races."

The Barcelona weekend marked another important step in David's FIA Formula 3 learning curve, following his debut in Melbourne and encouraging progress in Monaco. While the results sheet may not tell the full story, the Sri Lankan driver believes the foundations are steadily being built for stronger performances ahead.

"Every weekend we're learning more," he said.

"It's only my third FIA Formula 3 event and every session teaches you something new. I'm understanding more about what it takes to compete at this level and how to maximise the package we have."

Attention now turns to Austria and the Red Bull Ring, where David plans to use the upcoming break to analyse the lessons from Barcelona and continue building momentum.

"I'm very hungry to win," he said.

"Over the next few weeks I'll be working hard, spending time at home, using the simulator and making sure I'm as prepared as possible. Red Bull Ring is a great circuit and I'm excited to get back in the car and keep pushing forward."

The FIA Formula 3 Championship continues at the Red Bull Ring in Austria on June 26-28 with practice and qualifying on Friday, the Sprint Race on Saturday then the Feature Race on Sunday.

Yevan David’s racing is supported by Lion Beer 0.0%, Maliban, Dimo Group,Nations Trust Bank, and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC).