Zagazeta eager to get back on track in Barcelona after recovery from appendicitis

20 June 2024

Jenzer Motorsport rookie Matías Zagazeta says he is raring to get back into action after being forced to miss Round 4 due to a pre-race diagnosis with appendicitis.

The Peruvian underwent a successful operation and remained on the sidelines though was present in Monte Carlo, and after a break to get back to full fitness, says he cannot wait to get back on track in Barcelona.

“I’m fine now thank you very much. It has been a tough couple of weeks. After the operation, missing Monaco as well, a race we all want to compete in, but it was important to prioritise my health.

“I’ve been working hard to get fit and be back to 100% and now I’m feeling more than ready for this race. It was more about rehab in the beginning. I couldn’t do anything for the first week and a half, almost two weeks, and then I could get back into light training.

“It was about building a plan up with my trainers and the people supporting me and slowly getting back into full training. Carrying weight in the beginning was difficult but now the last couple of weeks I’ve been training have been really intense.

“I’ve gone back to the normal levels I was training at before and even a bit better. It was good to come back in this way and I feel super ready and excited.” An aspect that further counts in his favour is his familiarity with the venue in question, having driven during in-season testing in Barcelona earlier in the year.

Zagazeta is aiming to hit the ground running on his return to FIA F3 action

Zagazeta says that it is a confidence boost to know the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya so well ahead of his competitive return to racing.

“It’s a track everyone knows and for me, it’s a bit like a home race, even if it’s not a proper home event. I’ve lived in Spain for the last two years and I know a lot of people will be coming to support here, so that’s always nice to have a lot of people and friends that want to come and see you. So, it’s a nice event in that aspect.

“Also, the track, we know it well, we’ve done many, many laps around here so we know the track very well. We all know our references so it all comes down to Qualifying and who can cope with the pressure the best.

“Who can adapt to the changes in grip and make the least mistakes? That’s how Qualifying goes here, it’s going to be really tight here. We’re going to push as hard as we can and minimise those mistakes in order to do a really good lap.”

The Peruvian driver has a best finish of P15 so far but two races fewer under his belt as a result of the enforced absence in Monaco. But after testing he expects himself and the team to take a step forward in competitiveness.

The Jenzer driver says in-season testing will make margins even closer than usual in Qualifying

With the track familiar to everyone, margins will be small and Zagazeta believes it could go in his and Jenzer’s favour in Qualifying, but that it will be crucial to achieve a top 12 result in Qualifying to build momentum in the Sprint Race.

“It helped everyone understand where we were for this track. Of course now this weekend will be a lot warmer than it was in testing, so it still gives us an idea of what to expect.

“The teams and drivers have all come here many times before, but it did give us a good idea of what to expect from the car in Qualifying and in both races and what we want it to do in all of those.

“So it’s all looking really positive now, and I think we can have a really good weekend here. The main goal for now is to get into the points more consistently.

“We all want to win races and it would be nice to win a Feature Race, but I think it will be important to get start Qualifying in the top 12 to get into that reverse grid, then fight at the front in that race on Saturday to pick up valuable points.

“I think that’s the main goal this weekend and I’m pretty sure it’s possible. The team’s been working really hard, and I’ve been working really hard, and I think we’re looking forward to a really good race.”