Hubert: “Many more unknowns”

What are your goals for 2019?

They are difficult to evaluate. I have to settle down with Renault to determine them, because the contract was signed very recently. Joining Arden is a choice that has been accelerated through their technical association with HWA. I'm arriving as a rookie while some will have three, four or even five seasons under their belt. I prefer to wait for the winter tests to get a first idea. I have also never worked with Arden, because my Abu Dhabi tests were carried out with MP Motorsport.

Two great news today! First one is that I'm officially joining the @ RenaultF1Team Academy! And I'll be racing in @ FIA_F2 this season with @ArdenMotorsport ! Both of this news are a great step in my career, I'm already working hard to be ready for the start of the season! # AH2019 pic.twitter.com/JODfSNP9QE

— Anthoine Hubert (@AnthoineH) 23th January 2019

You explained your GP3 title by your regularity. Will this still be the main key in F2 ?
No matter the discipline, it is the most important to win a championship. However, last year the context was very different. I knew the car, the category, and I was racing in the best team (ART GP). I knew how to go about winning. Today, there are many more unknowns.

The Renault program churns out new drivers every year. Is this a form of pressure?

In 2018, I absolutely had to win otherwise I was out. If I do not achieve the objectives set in consultation with Renault, this would indicate that I do not have the level to go ahead. F1. I will do everything to stay in the program in the future.

Is it worrying to join Arden, who did not have good results in 2018?

Their association with HWA pushed me to join them. Arden has restructured itself by keeping the best elements. It is true that Arden was not at the forefront at all last year (9th out of 10 teams); this is what makes setting goals even more difficult. Certainly, the last two F2 champions were rookies, except that they started in high-level teams (Prema and ART GP). Arden is able to do better than their recent results thanks to their experience in car, there is room for improvement.

How will the partnership work with HWA?

This will be a technical collaboration. Their engineering field is quite advanced, because the DTM is one of the most challenging disciplines after F1. For the moment, all operations are based in England at Arden.

How important is it to drive in front of F1 team managers?

If you want to access F1, it is essential to be in F2. The bosses watch all the races whereas this was not necessarily the case for GP3. It’s also nice for Renault, because they can see my performances in real time, they’re not just going to look at the results sheet and wonder how the race went.

F2 should bring more pressure than in previous years…

Yes it's sure. I will be in the spotlight, but no matter the category, we always have stress. As soon as you get behind the wheel, that’s the last thing on my mind.

Was F2 an obvious choice? following the GP3 title ?

No, obviously the required budgets are very high. In my head, there was no other solution than to go to F2 after a GP3 title. However, I was afraid of not making it, it wasn't easy to raise the budget and find the team that would welcome me. This year, there are quite a few training courses that require a driver that I would describe as “paid” and an experienced team member. I don't fit into either of these two boxes.