FR 3.5 – Convincing contact from Norman Nato

The RC Formula driver this season in FR 2.0, after a year of learning at R-ace GP, narrowly missed the ALPS championship title. Knocked off the track by the Russian Daniil Kvyat, whose forceful passage would have deserved to be sanctioned, Norman Nato quickly turned his mind towards the test scheduled over two days with the Arden Caterham team. The French Riviera thus found himself behind the wheel of the green Dallara-Zytek used this season by the American Alex Red.

How did you prepare for this contact?
Physically, from the start of the year, for the arms and neck. (Norman can count on David Alaria, one of the French team's physical trainers. Editor's note). My neck didn't hurt, but I felt at first that it was unnatural and that I was having trouble holding it. Plus I didn't have my carbon helmet yet. It was a little heavier, but at least it was a good workout to strengthen my neck.

How did you adapt to this car?
The goal was to get into a rhythm quickly enough to then be able to use new tires. I was able to use three sets in total on the first day. At the end of which I still lacked the confidence to go very quickly, and to naturally master all the parameters. There are a lot more horses than an FR 2.0, and activating the DRS between two turns by releasing it early enough is not easy. Of course the cornering speeds are not the same and you have to adapt your driving. As for braking, it was pretty good. And then you have to manage the traffic, especially for example when you see a car coming in the rearview mirror. Magnussen which runs a second faster. But it was a very good first day where I made good progress. I expected this level of grip, and what impressed me the most was of course the power, going from the 200 hp of an FR 2.0 to more than 500 hp. And with a lot more to deal with. I was very happy, apart from my last series, where I didn't take advantage of my new tires in traffic. I finished 1 behind Magnussen who passed four sets of tires.

10th overall time on Tuesday, and 3rd among the rookies behind Pietro Fantin and Calos Sainz Jr, Norman behaved even better on Wednesday morning. Tenth in the ranking, 4th among beginners behind Jazeman Jaafar, Pietro Fantin and Carlos Sainz Jr, all three pilots of F3 and therefore more experienced, Nato was less than 6/10th behind Marco Sørensen, the fastest of the morning. In the afternoon, on a slower track allowing no improvement for almost all of the drivers, Norman finished this first test on a very good note, with the 5th fastest time of the session.

Nato is now looking forward to his second experience in the discipline, still planned in Barcelona with Dams on November 8, then with Tech 1 Racing on November 9.