Guest Column
Lia Block’s Jeddah Weekend Round-Up: It’s all a learning curve
Experiencing your first Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend is always a special moment in every racing fan’s life. For Lia Block, it was an even more monumental moment as she took to the track for her first F1 ACADEMY weekend on the streets of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Three months after first setting foot in a single seater, the Williams driver was quickly in the hunt for points. Rebounding after spinning out of Race 1 on the penultimate lap, she found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time in Race 2 but tried to recover lost ground once she had pitted for repairs.
Giving her lowdown on the season opener, Block said it was about learning from her mistakes, after the American demonstrated the grit and determination to never give up throughout Round 1.
PRACTICE – P3
“We had a set-up change that we wanted to try in the first half which didn't end up working for us, but it was good that I felt comfortable coming in because of testing. I was able to get right into the track, know where I'm going and know my way around. It ended up really coming down to the last lap and securing P3 in the first Free Practice on my F1 ACADEMY debut is something to be very proud of.
“This is my first-ever time being at an F1 race and my first time racing on a Grand Prix weekend, which is really, really cool. But also, I'm just getting everything thrown at me at once. Honestly, it’s been a pretty steep learning curve, but it’s been a solid three months over in Europe.
“From the first time stepping into an F4 car to being here is really, really cool. We counted the days yesterday and it's been 106 days since I got in an F4 car, so that's like no time compared to everybody else here. It's been really fun and I've had Williams and the team behind me, giving me as much support and testing as possible to get me ready.”
QUALIFYING – P7 (FOR RACE 1) & P13 (FOR RACE 2)
“Unfortunately, we didn't get to put down the lap we wanted. The pace was there and we just weren't able to hold on to P4 in that last lap. For my first F1 ACADEMY weekend, I'll take that any day. It’s just about going up from here.
“I think in the race anything really can happen. Obviously, I’ve never raced against any of these girls before, so it's going to be hard to see what they're going to do — if I go for a pass or they go for a pass, so it's going to be interesting to see. To get a good start and make it through the first two corners is going be very important and if I finish in the top 10 today, I'll go home happy.”
RACE 1 – DNF
“It was a bad ending to the race, but there were a lot of positives. Starting P7 from Qualifying was a very good position to be in for this first race. Honestly, the start was not the greatest for me, but I think salvaging some places and getting that third fastest time overall in the race was a very, very positive thing. So, unfortunate in how it ended, but just another learning curve.
“I think making those errors is a very good way to learn how not to do things, but I'm glad I'm getting them out of the way here in this first round — just learning from them and trying to catch up on all the experience I am missing. I think every time I go out in the car, I learn something new and hopefully it's going to pay off sometime soon.
READ MORE: 'Nothing to lose' for Hamda Al Qubaisi in Race 1 points fightback
“I’m learning to be more consistent with the car, not making as many mistakes and definitely going to work on that start for the next race. Obviously, we've looked at the reaction time, it was very, very good, but it looks like we didn't drop the clutch as much as I should have for the acceleration. That definitely hindered us, but honestly all in all, it wasn't too bad.”
RACE 2 – P11
“Another race with lots of positives, but I think starting from the back was very hard. That's definitely not where we should have started, but we were just trying to salvage as much as possible. Making a lot of passes in the first two laps was a really, really a big confidence boost for me.
“Just really unfortunate with the spin with Lola (Lovinfosse) and we had to replace the wing, but there was another Safety Car. We got to catch up to the rest of the grid and salvaged some more positions. We came across P9. Unfortunately, penalties again dropped us to P11, but I still think for the amount of stuff and unlucky situations we had this weekend, it was still an okay finish.
“Honestly, I would say it’s a very, very good first round. From the experience that I do have and the amount of time I have had in a car, it's honestly a big positive for me. Even though it didn't end as well as I wanted it to, it just shows how much I need to work for the next race and just looking forward now.”
NEXT TIME OUT – APPLYING ALL SHE’S LEARNT ON HOME SOIL IN MIAMI
“To be mostly at home – where I was born in California is a bit far away from Florida – but to be around the American fans is going to really, really, really cool, especially in an F1 Grand Prix setting. I'm just super excited to take everything that I learned from this weekend, hopefully apply it there and have some better luck.
“I think it’s going to be hard with the fact that most of the girls have raced there before, so it’s not great for me not having testing. At the same time, this entire year has been putting me in different cars at different circuits that I haven't been on. I've been in this routine of learning the tracks, so hopefully we can get up to speed as quick as possible and just see what else we can do.”