Felix has labelled the Autódromo Internacional Algarve a “great fun circuit”, after getting his first-ever taste of the Portuguese venue in FA1 testing on Tuesday.
Featuring massive elevation changes and an array of blind corners, the 4.692 km lap in the heart of the Algarve countryside represents a major driving challenge – leaving Felix excited as he stepped out of the 550-bhp Team Sweden machine he’s set to race over the up-coming weekend.
“The circuit is great fun, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place quite so undulating,” Felix said. “There is one section of the lap, after Turn 7, that is pretty incredible; you go at full speed over a couple of crests and you don’t even see the circuit. To add to that, the tarmac is very rough and bumpy, so it’s quite a physical track.”
Tuesday marked the first of two days of pre-event testing going into this weekend’s FA1 season-opener, which headlines the brand new ACCELERATION event platform blending motorsport with live music shows and entertainment.
While the full identity of the FA1 field for this weekend is yet to be revealed by the organisers, Tuesday testing saw the appearance of several well-known names armed with large amounts of single-seater experience. Joining Felix on track were the likes of Nigel Melker – a regular GP2 and World Series by Renault frontrunner – and 2011 F2 champion Mirko Bortolotti.
“It was a good day today,” Felix concludes. “There’s obviously a lot to test and I’m still quite new to this kind of car, but we’re getting there bit by bit and there’s no doubt the racing this weekend will be competitive. The cars are fast and loud, so I think it’s going to be quite a spectacle!”