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Luckless Fontana to ‘start from scratch’ in Hungary

Swiss racer hoping to bounce back after run of bad form

Alex Fontana is hoping to put his recent run of bad luck behind him and 'start from scratch' during the next Formula Two rounds at the Hungaroring (7-9 September).

The last two meetings at Brands Hatch and Paul Ricard have both proved to be frustrating weekends for the 20-year-old with Fontana coming away with just six points from four races, dropping him to ninth in the drivers' standings.

After starting his maiden season with a double podium at Silverstone, the Swiss racer has yet to finish in the top three again, only managing a best of fifth despite showing strong pace.
"It's like someone has cast a spell on me!" says Fontana. "The opening race at Brands Hatch saw my first retirement of the season after eight straight points finishes. In the first race Max Snegirev spun right in front of me and I had nowhere to go and then was shunted by Kourosh Khani, another innocent victim. Race two was another fight back coming from 12th to seventh after two great passes.

"Paul Ricard was possibly one of the most miserable weekends of my career with zero points from two races. In the opening race, Bulgarian driver Plamen Kralev spun right in front of me, blocking the exit to a slow corner during the first lap. I managed to restart but after overtaking five cars I made a mistake under braking and spun myself to finish 14th. In the second race I stalled at the start of the parade lap so I had to start from the back of the grid. After this I tangled with Hector Hurst on the Minstral Straight and we both ended up spinning and I retired two laps later. It's like I always have to come from behind, overtaking and putting on a show!"

He added: "We'll be starting from scratch in the next race. What's important is never to let your head drop because the car is not going to drive itself so it's better to be positive, concentrated and up for it."

Fontana now hopes to bounce back at the next F2 rounds at the Hungaroring, Budapest, which take place on 7-9 September. For more information visit our event guide here.