David Set for Searing Silverstone
Sri Lankan racing driver Yevan David heads to Silverstone this weekend ready for one of the fastest and tests of his rookie FIA Formula 3 season, with once more high temperatures forecast for the race weekend.
Competing with AIX Racing, David arrives at the historic British circuit for the fifth round of his FIA Formula 3 campaign after a demanding opening sequence across Melbourne, Monaco, Barcelona and Austria. With high temperatures forecast across the weekend, Silverstone is set to provide another important examination of driver confidence, tyre management and high-speed commitment.
The 18-year-old has already gained valuable experience in hot conditions during recent rounds in Barcelona and Austria, where tyre warm-up, tyre management and race execution became major focus areas. Those lessons could prove particularly relevant at Silverstone, where rising temperatures are expected to add another layer of complexity to one of the most demanding and high energy circuits on the calendar.
For David, however, the focus is also on opportunity. Silverstone’s fast, flowing layout is one he believes can suit his natural driving style.
“Silverstone really suits the way I like to drive,” said David.
“I enjoy carrying speed into corners, especially with the downforce we have in these Formula 3 cars. The high-speed sections are what I am most looking forward to. Maggotts and Becketts, Copse and Stowe are the kind of corners that make Silverstone special.”
Silverstone also carries major historical significance. The circuit hosted the first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950 and remains one of the most revered venues in international motorsport.
“Honestly, it is a dream for me to be racing at Silverstone,” said David.
“This is where the Formula 1 World Championship started in 1950, and it is such a historic track. So many great drivers have won here, including Lewis Hamilton, Nigel Mansell and Jim Clark, and I am very excited to race at a circuit with that kind of history.”
A central focus for David and AIX Racing this weekend will be continuing to improve the car’s balance and giving the Sri Lankan driver the confidence to fully attack Silverstone’s high-speed sections.
“For me, the key is having the confidence to commit the steering into the corner and trust that the downforce will support the car,” he explained.
“As a team, we have been working on different areas in both high-speed and low-speed corners, and it is about maximising those areas from the driver side and the team side. If I can build that confidence with the car, then my driving will keep improving.”
David has taken encouragement from the progress made during his first four FIA Formula 3 weekends. While he acknowledges there is still more performance to find, he believes his understanding of the car and belief in his own ability have grown significantly since the start of the season.
“After four weekends, I am more confident than ever in my ability to drive the car,” he said.
“In terms of results, there are still things we need to find and work on as a team, so I am not putting expectations on exactly where we should be. But in terms of my confidence to maximise qualifying and the races, it is higher than it has ever been.”
Having repeatedly shown his ability to move forward in races, David believes the next step is to start higher up the field and give himself the chance to fight inside the top half of the order from the beginning of the weekend.
“A step forward would be qualifying in the top 15 and finishing there,” he said.
“We want to be in the top half of the field, but the bigger target for me is to put together a complete qualifying lap and a complete race weekend where I am fully confident in myself.”
“I want to believe in myself, trust what I am doing and drive with the feeling of wanting to win, rather than letting any fear or doubt sit in the back of my mind. Those doubts can always be there, but the important thing is to use them in the right way and turn them into hunger.”
Yevan David’s racing is supported by Lion Beer 0.0%, Maliban, Dimo Group, Nations Trust Bank, and the Ceylon Motor Sports Club (CMSC).
FIA Formula 3 action at Silverstone starts with practice (08:50-09:35) and qualifying (14:00-14:30) on Friday, the Sprint Race (09:35-10:15) on Saturday then the Feature Race on Sunday (08:25-09:10). All times local.
