It was a challenging start to the event during practice with misty rain preventing any on track action for the first half of FP1. When the field eventually took to the circuit, a red flag just as Calan was about to start his first flying lap brought them back to the pits. Unfortunately this repeating, and the session came to an end with no flying laps on the board for Calan.
Qualifying in dry conditions started very well. Calan was showing great pace and after the first set of tyres was in P8, 0.5 secs off P1, and this considering his quickest lap was impacted by traffic throguh the final two corners.
Completing an extra flying lap on the first set (as no practice laps were complete), he would only have time for a single important lap on the second set. Unfortunately a small error in sector 2 cost his dearly, and a top 10 starting position was eventually P18 with times through the field so tight.
Calan got away to an outstanding start of the line in the Sprint Race on Saturday. Starting from P18, his launch and opening corners put him up to an increadible P12 by the end of the Kemmel Straight on lap 1. From here his pace was good, however the field setlled into a "DRS train" and further overtaking was difficult.
With 5 laps to go, a safety car presented an opportunity to pit for the quicker soft tyre and create the opportunity for a late charge. Emerging in P15 and 3 laps to race he would quickly make his way back to P13, however the tyres overheated badly and Calan would finish P16. The gamble didn;t pay off, but it was certainly worth the chance to push for points.
Starting on the medium tyre for the Feature race, Calan would again get away well and his pace in this tyre saw him progress into a strong position. This included a daring move past Zendelli up through Eau Rouge. At this point with the soft tyre runners falling away, a top 10 finish was in sight.
However, on lap 8 he was unlucky to pick up a puncture through debris which forced an early pitstop onto the soft tyre. Calan now had the challenge to make this tyre which was expcted to last 6 laps, last for the remaining 17 laps of the race.
Obviously attacking would be impossible, but through strong management and good pace, Calan still managed to progress forward to P15.
Overall it was a weekend of very strong promise, so he looks to take the positives forward to Zandvoort.
