David Positive after Spa treatment

Sri Lankan racing driver Yevan David believes his FIA Formula 3 momentum remains intact after a disrupted Spa-Francorchamps weekend that delivered stronger execution than the final results suggested.

Competing with AIX Racing, David arrived in Belgium following his historic Silverstone breakthrough, where he became the first Sri Lankan driver to stand on an FIA Formula 3 podium. While Spa ultimately proved a more complicated weekend, the 19-year-old was encouraged by the way he and the team handled a difficult qualifying session, a compromised Sprint Race and an early end to Sunday’s Feature Race.

Qualifying was shaped by rain, traffic management and a late red flag after David was involved in a multi-car incident during preparation laps. The session was not resumed, leaving several drivers unable to improve as conditions deteriorated.

“Although it looked like a difficult weekend from the outside, I think we still executed pretty well in qualifying,” said David.

“It was a tough session with the rain and the need to manage the tow, but we made the best of it. We were around the mid-pack, which was okay in those circumstances, and overall I still think it was another step forward in terms of execution.”

David’s qualifying session ended after contact with another car, with the subsequent official penalty decisions confirming that the incident was not initiated by the AIX Racing driver. While frustrating, David felt the team’s first representative lap had still put him in a workable position.

“It was obviously frustrating to end qualifying in a crash with another car, especially in an incident that was out of our control,” he said.

“But in the end, nobody else got to set another lap. We all had one real chance before the rain came, and I think we executed that pretty well.”

“There were still things we could have done better with the tow, and we need to keep working on improving on the second lap as a team, but overall it was not a bad qualifying. Looking at the whole year, we are still taking steps forward in position and execution.”

The damage from qualifying also affected David’s Sprint Race tyre allocation, leaving him at a disadvantage compared to several rivals. Despite that, he was able to make early progress, race strongly after the restart and finish where he started after post-race penalties were applied.

“In the Sprint Race, I think the racecraft was better than the final result suggested,” said David.

“We were a little compromised because we had to use older tyres after the qualifying incident, so there was already a disadvantage. Even so, to finish in the same position we started, P16 after penalties, was a decent job.”

“I made up positions in the opening laps and again after the restart, so there were positives to take from that side. In terms of driving technique, I could have managed the pace better, and that is something I need to improve.”

“The tyre situation was a disadvantage, but I am not using that as an excuse. I need to build on my weaknesses and keep improving because there was definitely more than what we showed.”

Sunday’s Feature Race offered the possibility of a stronger result, with David starting on newer tyres and looking to move forward immediately. His race, however, was over on the opening lap after he was caught up in contact at Les Combes.

“I had a very good start in the Feature Race and was alongside the cars ahead going into Turn 1,” he explained.

“I backed off a little because I wanted to get a strong slipstream on the Kemmel Straight down to Les Combes. I had a good tow and went to the outside to try to make the move.

“In the end, I backed out slightly and left space on the inside, but two cars went down the inside. Three into one was not going to work, and I was hit from behind and the side. That was the end of our race.”

“It was unfortunate, especially on lap one when we had basically only done the start. These things happen, and now the focus is Budapest.”

Despite leaving Spa without points, David does not see the weekend as a step backwards. Instead, he believes the execution shown across the event confirms that the confidence gained at Silverstone can be carried forward.

“I still think Spa was a very good weekend for us in terms of how we executed,” he said.

“From Silverstone, we can definitely continue this momentum into Budapest. Momentum is a big thing in motorsport, but we also have to keep turning things around quickly in Formula 3.”

“It felt quite similar to Silverstone in some ways because we executed well; there were just a few Spa-specific things we needed to build on. I have no worries that we have taken a step back. I am very confident that we can do the same in Budapest as we did at Silverstone, and if anything, even better.”

Budapest brings the final race weekend in a demanding run of European events, but David says he feels energised rather than fatigued as he prepares for the Hungaroring.

“My eyes are on Budapest now,” he said.

“Even though it comes at the end of a busy run, I feel more energised and excited than ever. The team morale is up, my morale is up, and I am honestly very excited to build on what we have done.”

“We know what we need to work on, and now it is about improving those areas and putting everything together. I have never been more excited or more focused, so I am really looking forward to it.”

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

The FIA Formula 3 Championship continues at the Hungaroring from 24–26 July, with David aiming to convert the execution and confidence shown at Spa into another strong result before the summer break.