Wurz: Top 12 the goal with promising Spielberg pace

28 June 2024

Charlie Wurz started his home race weekend in Spielberg on the front foot, topping Free Practice for Jenzer Motorsport. He set a 1:21.182 to end up quicker than the rest of the pack, with the team focusing on their Qualifying preparations at the end of the session.

Wurz says that the team’s focus on Qualifying was beneficial and has given him a lot of confidence heading into the session later on Friday.

“We got to do a lot more laps than in Barcelona where we only got one lap,” he said after the session. “It definitely helped that we got a lot of running in, learned the track and found the references. I know this place well and that helps. We went on the Soft tyres at the end just to get a reference for Qualifying and to get an idea of what balance we should be running.

“I think the balance was quite good, it was where we wanted it to be so I’m looking forward to Qualifying now. It’s nice to be at the front in Free Practice around my home track but now we have to stay there for Qualifying.

“It’s really nice to start on top. I’ve had quite a lot of support here, so that’s nice, especially at a track like this, it’s really cool to be P1 at the moment but the job is far from over. We know Qualifying is very tight around this track and I know I need to make sure that I do a good lap in quali to stay there.

“Luckily, we’ve learned a bit from this session for quali and hopefully we’ll have the edge on some drivers that didn’t put the Softs on. We managed to stick to our run plan and that’s the most important thing, let’s see how it goes.”

With the Red Bull Ring’s short track layout, margins are always slim in Qualifying and Wurz expects this year’s session to be no different.

Wurz says the team's promising race pace means a top 12 start should reward them with strong results

What has changed though compared to last season is the policing of track limits, specifically the new gravel traps on the exits of Turns 8 and 9 especially tricky for drivers. Push too little and there will be margin and therefore time left on the table. Push too hard and there is always the possibility of having a time deleted regardless of the deterrent added in 2024.

Wurz says that he will be pushing hard to secure a spot inside the top 12 and therefore put himself in strong contention for points in both the Sprint and Feature Races.

“My goal is to be in the top 12 to be in the reverse grid positions,” he continued. “It’s going to be super tight. Even with the track modifications, you can still get track limits so that’ll have an impact and play into things. It’s definitely riskier now with the gravel, which makes it more fun for the drivers.

“It doesn’t change the approach though, you have to push 100 percent and it just makes it more fun. You’re already on the edge and you might dip into the gravel which, as a driver, you want to be on that limit of a pole lap or in the gravel. That’s part of the game and it’s nicer like this than having to worry about having a lap deleted later on. I think it makes it more exciting.”

Wurz has been on the edge of the points in recent rounds, missing out on the top 10 in Barcelona but showing promising race pace. It’s the speed Jenzer may well have this weekend in the races that means a top 12 start is so important, with Wurz adding that the team can fight for strong points this weekend if they manage a top 10 start especially.

“I think if everything goes well and I get a good tow, do the perfect lap - I think with the feeling I have with the car, we can. Realistically, it’s going to be quite difficult, but my aim is the top 10. From there, we know the race pace is good, so that’s the goal.”