For Rafael Vaessen, development in cars depends not only on pace, but also on access, experience, and the right environment around him. After discussing the role of Andrea Todisco and AT Performance in his transition from karting to cars, Vaessen also highlighted the importance of Evans GP in supporting his progression. For a driver based in Asia, the ability to test regularly, learn at Sepang, and gain experience in highly competitive UAE4 fields has become an important part of his growth.
In an exclusive interview with Pit Debrief, Vaessen reflected on his relationship with Evans GP, the value of accessible testing, and how racing against stronger and larger grids has helped him develop as a driver.
Working with Evans GP: Experience, pressure, and shared ambition
Vaessen described Evans GP as an experienced team in Asia, highlighting both their passion and their desire to perform. For him, that intensity comes from a shared objective within the team.
“Honestly, Evans GP have been great. They’re a very experienced team in Asia and their passion is one of their strongest qualities. When the results don’t come as expected, there can be more pressure within the team, but that is simply a reflection of everyone’s desire to perform at the highest level. Everyone is working towards the same goal, and we’re constantly striving to improve and achieve important results.
That environment has become part of Vaessen’s development. While pressure can increase when results fall short, he sees it within the wider context of a team pushing for improvement.
Accessibility: Why testing in Asia matters
For Vaessen, one of Evans GP’s biggest strengths is accessibility. Being based in Asia shapes the practical side of his development, especially when many European circuits are not easy to reach regularly.
“But in terms of development and accessibility for me, [they’ve been great]. Because I live in Asia. I can’t go to Vallelunga or Cremona, or I can’t just go test the tracks. I only have Sepang.
That access matters because motorsport development depends heavily on seat time. Travelling to Europe for every test would add significant cost through flights, accommodation, and logistics. Testing closer to home therefore gives Vaessen a more sustainable way to keep building experience.
“So when I go drive, just regular testing, they’re really accessible and easy to get to, which is very good for me because budget is a big thing in racing. If I have to go to Europe every time to test, it’s a lot of money that I’m spending on just travel and hotels, just going to the other side of the world.
For Vaessen, that practicality makes a clear difference. The easier it is to test, the easier it becomes to keep developing between race weekends.
Testing at Sepang: Building consistency through difficult conditions
When Vaessen tests with Evans GP, the work is not limited to simply completing laps. The sessions focus on specific areas of development, including braking and overtaking.
He also uses worn tyres to build consistency, making practice conditions more difficult so that race conditions feel more manageable.
“So it makes it a lot easier for development. And always, when I’m testing, we are working on everything, meaning braking, overtaking. And I will be driving on 300 km tyres until the rubber is completely off, until you can see the end of the tyre, basically, to make sure I can find the fastest lap times consistently on that tyre, so that once I drive with race tyres on a hot day at Sepang, it’ll be like nothing for me.
That kind of testing gives Vaessen a way to work on performance under less favourable conditions. It also reflects the wider development process he has discussed throughout the series: using preparation, repetition, and small details to become more complete.
“So definitely just development and accessibility of where they are. It’s definitely a really good thing.
UAE4: Preparing for the season in Southeast Asia
Evans GP’s UAE operation has also played an important role in Vaessen’s development. While he recognises that the team is not expected to be at the very front against some of the biggest names in the field, he sees the experience as valuable preparation.
“They have a UAE [operation], so we compete in the UAE. Obviously, we’re not PREMA. And we’re not R-ace GP. So we’re not expected to be at the front. But racing… them putting their cars there is getting me ready for my season in Southeast Asia.
For Vaessen, racing in the UAE gives him a level of competition that strengthens his preparation for Asia. He compared it to the way drivers may race in Europe before returning to Asia with greater experience.
“So, it’s a bit like karting in Europe, and then coming back to Asia, and then dominating. Just getting that experience racing with the best F4 drivers, development-wise, is very, very strong. Because I feel already, just going for the UAE for those three races, I feel like a completely different driver. In terms of everything. Racecraft, speed, mentality.
That experience has helped him adapt to larger, more competitive fields. The jump in grid size gave him a different kind of racecraft challenge and helped prepare him to fight within the pack.
“Because before the races I did, the F4 Trophy in Abu Dhabi was 18 drivers. Then before that, I did a debut in Sepang with 10. Then I went to the UAE, it was 40-something drivers. Definitely made me ready to fight with the pack. So that was a good decision by Evans to put me there.”
Relationship with the team: Racing beyond the track
Vaessen also described a strong relationship with the Evans GP team owner. That relationship extends beyond race weekends, with regular conversations around iRacing and sim-racing.
“I have a really good relationship with the team owner. We always talk about iRacing. He stalks my iRacing lobbies, makes sure that I’m doing iRacing. He wants us to win.
For Vaessen, that interest shows how the team’s focus continues away from the circuit. Racing does not stop when the car is parked; development also happens through simulator work, online racing, and the habits drivers build at home.
“He makes sure we’re doing racing at home. So not just at the track, he’ll talk to us. He’ll talk to the drivers if we’re doing sim-racing online with each other. I still sim-race with one of my teammates a lot of the time. Ben Nguyen, if you know him.
In that sense, Evans GP contributes to Vaessen’s development in several ways: through accessible testing, experience in competitive fields, and a team culture that keeps drivers focused beyond race weekends.
As Vaessen continues to build his career in cars, that combination of access and experience remains central. For him, Evans GP has not only provided opportunities to drive, but also an environment where each test, race, and sim session can contribute to the next step forward.
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