Andy Consani, member of the Mercedes academy in UAE4: "We have to fight for the title"

Andy, what are your thoughts on this start to your UAE4 adventure in Abu Dhabi?

“We started the first tests before the first round. I knew the team was going to do a good job; last year they won both championships, drivers' and teams'. They even finished first and second with Olivieri and Powell. This was confirmed because as soon as we put the car on the track, it was incredible. We immediately took first place in practice. We just had to work on the details to prepare for the first weekend. Going into qualifying, I knew I had the speed, but last year I messed up all my qualifying sessions. I put a lot of pressure on myself. I decided to give myself a bit of a cushion this time, but I paid for it by only managing third place. We could easily have gone for pole position. In Q2, I managed to get pole, and I was happy.”

Did you approach things differently, particularly on a mental level?

“Yes, exactly. I worked a lot with Arnaud (Tanguy, editor's note) this winter on technique. I also worked with Ingrid (Petitjean, former athlete on the French Olympic sailing team. Editor's note), the mental coach of the Mercedes Benz Junior Team, and I managed to find a few tricks up my sleeve. It went pretty well!

During the first meeting, you secured your first F4 victory after a first podium finish, how did you experience this event?

“In Race 1, I started third. I managed a great overtake on David Cosma, but then Oleksandr Bondarev and I had exactly the same pace, so I couldn't catch him. I finished second. In Race 2, I finished seventh with the reverse grid. I got a good start, but I tried some risky moves on track. Race 3 was the best. I started first, got a good start, and a big gap quickly opened up before the first safety car. When it came out, I was focused on the mirrors, but there was no need to defend. My pace was very good, which allowed me to clinch my first victory.”

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You received a message from the President of the Republic about this victory, didn't you?

"Yes! I was at Classic Ferrari for sale "I was going to go on a ride with my dad at the World amusement park. At that moment, my mom sent a message in the family group telling us to check Instagram. She said, 'Emmanuel Macron just commented on your post,' it's incredible!"

We're at two out of four weekends in this UAE4, what has this experience brought you so far?

“I hadn’t driven all winter, so it feels good to be back in the car. It’s always good to drive, to race, to gain experience in the battles, on the starts… What I really wanted to improve compared to last year was the technique, the pure driving. I’ve made a big step forward in that area thanks to Arnaud Tanguy and Mercedes in particular. I’m really proud of that.”

When did you learn that Mercedes would trust you again for 2026?

“This winter, I was uncertain. The others were racing, Kenzo (Craigie, the other R-ace GP driver supported by Mercedes in UAE4 this winter. Ed.) was racing, and I was at home thinking about what we were going to do with my parents. Mercedes told me that we would continue in December. Now, it’s the second year, I have to prove myself. In UAE4, I have to fight for the title first. Then, we’ll see about Italian F4 and Euro4.”

Competing for the title in the UAE will notably involve performing well in Dubai and Losail, what do you think of these tracks?

“The circuit I enjoyed the most on the simulator was Yas Marina (laughs). We’ll see about Dubai. The track is good. There’s a bit of technicality, a big brake… Last year R-ace GP had a very good result there with Alex Powell, so I’m hopeful.”