Hadrien David: “Fight for victory as quickly as possible”

He is I'one of the great talents of the new generation of French pilots. At 16 years old, the Royannais has a well-shaped head and already displays a destabilizing maturity. Covered by Éric Boullier, who manages his career, the French F4 champion has caught the eye of many racing teams. F1, some of whom asked him to join their junior program. It is ultimately under the aegis of the Renault Sport Academy that he will attempt to climb the demanding pyramid of car, with the natural goal of one day arriving in F1.

You have become the youngest FIA F4 champion in history. Not bad for a first year in single-seaters!

Yes it's clear ! It was a nice surprise actually, since I found out late that I was the youngest to achieve this. When the FFSA gave us the statistics, it made me very happy, that’s for sure. It was the icing on the cake. But that's all in the past now. There is a big adventure beginning in Formula Renault Eurocup. I will still be the youngest on the grid, so we will have to quickly get up to speed.

What assessment do you draw from this year 2019?

I would say it's one of my best since I started motorsport. I did a lot of things: a few Asian and German F4 rounds and, of course, the French championship which really allowed me to progress. In French F4, we have the same car, the same engine and the same settings, so everything depends on the driving. Then I remained in 2018 with results quite far from my expectations. I'm happy to have been able to prove to myself that you can miss a year and still come back stronger.

Skip from karting single-seater requires a lot of adjustments. However, you played directly up front in F4 last season. How to explain it?

What allowed me to progress a lot was the training I did last winter with the FFSA and F4 France. It allowed me to really get my bearings with the car and to flourish, because coming from karting, there are a lot of new aspects to master. When I arrived at the first race, I had already learned a lot. It was definitely positive.

What a long way we have already come since the first laps of the wheels in karting...

I remember my first time in motorsport very well. It was in July 2012 at the Royan karting. That day, I was with my grandfather, who was a finalist in the Shell steering wheel alongside Rene Arnoux. He put me in a kart and I immediately liked it a lot. At that time, I was doing motocross, but I wasn't 100% attached to the discipline, so I stopped to devote myself to karts. Eight years later, we arrive in Formula Renault Eurocup. It's great.

You have had quite a few offers from big teams to join the junior programs. Why did you choose the Renault Sport Academy? ?

It’s true that we were lucky to have several offers. But Éric Boullier, to whom I entrusted my career, if I may say so, and in whom I have total confidence, studied the proposals from the different teams. It was considered that it was with Renault that I could drive in the best conditions.

Arriving in Formula Renault Eurocup at 16, is it an advantage or a risk?

There are several ways of looking at things. For me, it's an opportunity. I have no pressure, I only have one year of single-seater racing behind me, so I am here above all to learn. I'm going to have work.

What is the goal for the season?

I would like to be able to aim for the Top 5 at the start, start winning races mid-season, and then manage to finish in the Top 3 at the end of the championship. It would be good.

Concretely, what changes between an F4 and a F3 ?

Many things. There is obviously the common point of the three pedals and the steering wheel (smile). But what essentially changes is the power. We go from a 160 hp car in F4 to more than 300 hp and a turbo engine in Formula Renault. It's starting to seriously send off. Then with the new Formula Renault, we have the Halo, the car is heavier and it looks more like an F1.

How did the tests go in Valencia at the beginning of March?

We had two very good days. The objective was to adapt to this new category, to get my bearings with the team and to get closer to my engineer, as well as to be comfortable in the car. It was all positive. In terms of time, we were far away, but we didn't perform well. There was no race to prepare for in Valencia, so we didn't want to wear out the car for nothing, which is why we didn't drive the afternoon of the last day. We preferred to keep the car for the Barcelona tests, where we wanted to reveal our potential, but that was ultimately canceled…

No regrets not to run for a French team ?

If I were a chauvinist, I would say yes. Afterwards, I did some tests with ART GP and R-Ace GP where it also went well. But I really preferred MP Motorsport. I think that working in a foreign team can help me a lot, it forces me to open up to foreign engineers and to the language too. I feel very good there.

You will notably find another Frenchman this season, Victor Martins.

It will be an exciting season, I'm sure. For me, Victor (ART GP. Editor’s note) is the big favorite. He is doing a second year in the category, so with his experience, he leaves with an advantage. Caio Collet will be tough too. He will be present from the start and is part of a great team (R-Ace GP. Editor’s note). I hope to be able to fight for victory as soon as possible.

Do you have a career plan in mind?

I think every pilot has one, yes. But this is only fiction, since reality often does not happen as we imagine. If I had to make an ideal plan, I would say that my goal would be to only do one year per category trying to perform directly. Because a second year is always risky: we have more pressure on our backs and we have to win or do exceptional things.

In the first year, the pressure is less, you can let go more easily. So if the upcoming season goes well, I hope to be able to access the FIA ​​F3. Afterwards, only do one year in FIA F2 may be complicated, because there are a lot of new things. Let's say that two years in F2 would be good, with a first year to get used to the new car, pit stops and tire damage. Then trying to perform in the second year, to join F1. But obviously, all of this is in an ideal world.

Can you tell us about the documentary that is being filmed about you at the moment?

Of course. We have started a documentary, but the goal is not to release it right away. It is rather something that takes place over time, over several years. The director, New Wave Production, has already made a film over more than 10 years called Sarah the Fighter, from Sarah Ourahmoune's beginnings to her Olympic boxing medal.

IT’S NOW ONLINE!!!
Share as much as you can pic.twitter.com/RWarAnvBAD

— Hadrien David (@HadrienDavid) January 12, 2020

It might seem a little pretentious to start so early… but I think it can make for some great images. The rest of the documentary will also depend on the financial aspect. And my performances on the track!