STEP Motorsport faced a weekend full of challenges as Ring Djursland’s 1,750 meters welcomed the Formula 4 field back from summer break.
An entirely unfamiliar track for the drivers, which they had only experienced through onboard videos and simulators, combined with high temperatures and an extra heat, was exactly what was needed to challenge Julius Dinesen and Victor T. Nielsen.
In qualifying, it was Victor T. Nielsen who emerged as the best STEP driver, setting the third-fastest time, just eight hundredths of a second ahead of Julius Dinesen. These positions could have secured good points in the first heat if not for a major blunder that resulted in both STEP drivers and most of the Formula 4 field being disqualified from the first heat:
While driving to the grid behind the safety car, one of the most important rules in motorsport is that the safety car must not be overtaken when its lights are on. A competitor misinterpreted the safety car’s movements and overtook it—and nearly everyone else followed suit. Such infractions lead to disqualification.
-It was a clear mistake, so there’s not much to do except laugh it off and move on. We’ve teased both of them about it, but mistakes like that happen when you’re learning your craft, so we won’t hold it against them, says team principal Morten Dons.
The starting lineup for the second heat was decided by a lottery due to the mishap on Saturday. The disqualified drivers had to draw for positions from 7th to 12th place. Julius and Victor were lucky, drawing the 7th and 8th positions, respectively.
On Sunday, in the three heats, Victor T. Nielsen demonstrated that his summer break was spent finding improvements. The first heat of the day was also Victor’s best result to date, finishing in second place, close behind the leader. Along the way, he also set the fastest lap of all drivers. In both the third and fourth heats, Victor applied heavy pressure on his teammate; however, he couldn’t get past—some competition is necessary between teammates.
For Julius Dinesen, the weekend was a tough one. While his starts were good, they cost him on the distance, and in the latter part of the races, the championship leader struggled with pace. Nevertheless, he collected a decent amount of points, keeping his lead intact, though slightly diminished.
-It has been a hard weekend, I think. I haven’t quite had the pace I would have liked. Some of it might have been in the tires, but I also haven’t been quick enough, so there’s a bit to work on before the next race, said a candid Julius Dinesen.
The team principal is generally satisfied with the performance—except for certain elements of the weekend:
-We knew there would be some challenges here, and I think both drivers came through well overall. Victor has found pace in the car and has shown that he can compete at the front, so that needs to carry into the next round of the championship. Julius fought hard this weekend, and even though he’s not super satisfied, I’m confident that today’s setbacks will make him even stronger for the last two rounds, says Morten Dons.
The next race is at Night Race on Padborg Park on September 8-9.