ART Grand Prix’s Tasanapol Inthraphuvasak heads into the seventh round of the 2026 F2 season at Silverstone looking to build on a welcome return to the points in Austria. The Thai driver endured a difficult run of races, including missing the Montreal round after a heavy crash sidelined him for the weekend. However, a gamble on the alternative strategy during the Feature Race at the Red Bull Ring paid off, where he earned himself a P5 finish.
“Found my feet again” says Inthraphuvasak after promising Spielberg round
Ahead of the Silverstone weekend, Inthraphuvasak spoke to Pit Debrief and other media outlets, reflecting on how his strong weekend in Austria had provided a timely confidence boost after a challenging spell of races.
“After Melbourne I’ve had a pretty tough season so far with the setback in Montreal as well, having to crash and not being able to race. Obviously, it played a big factor in my confidence and I think my confidence was not at the highest level during these past few rounds, but the speed has always been there, and we’ve always had so much potential through every weekend.”, the 20 year-old said.
“We’ve been at just not putting anything together really but the past weekend I think I found kind of myself again, found my feet again and I think we had a decent weekend.”
Although he was taken out on the opening lap of the Sprint, there were still positives to take from the weekend, with the ART driver pleased with his overall performance in Spielberg. Looking to build on that momentum, Inthraphuvasak hopes to carry it forward into Silverstone.
“Obviously, the Sprint didn’t go well getting taken out on the first lap but then the Feature Race went well so I’m really happy with how we pulled everything back and how I’m working with the team and I’m looking forward to continuing the momentum this week in Silverstone.”
Inthraphuvasak targets strong finish to first half of season
With Silverstone marking the halfway point of the 2026 F2 season, Pit Debrief asked the Thai driver what he has from his season so far, to which he said: “Silverstone being the halfway point, we’ve obviously had a lot of rounds that were tricky. I think I got my confidence back in Red Bull Ring, and I’m looking forward to finishing the first half of the season in Silverstone on a strong note.”
Drawing on his Formula 3 win at Silverstone last year, he noted that preparations at ART Grand Prix has gone well and is looking forward to ending the first half of the season on a high note.
“The preparation with the team went super well. It’s a track that I enjoy. I’ve had good results in the past like last year, getting my first win here. I’m looking forward to getting on track to bring a good result to finish off the first half of the season.”
The challenges posed by the Formula 2 car and its driving style
As one of eleven rookies on the grid, Inthraphuvasak has had to adapt to the handling of his new machinery and its unique demands. Speaking about his step up to Formula 2, he explained that the driving style is quite different but noted that results have not yet come his way, with misfortune often denying him the chance to show his full potential so far.
“Yeah, the biggest step up I think from Formula 3 is obviously the driving style, that is much different. The car is much bigger. I think the window that you can perform at is much smaller.”, he said. “So yeah, it’s been tricky for me so far. I think I’ve had not the greatest luck in many cases in this season as well, which puts me down in the points.”
“I think we have way more potential than what we show right now and I think Red Bull Ring was a little side of it, I’m looking forward to kind of putting everything together for the rest of the season.”
He said that qualifying is an area they continue to work on as the season progresses. While his race pace has been strong, Inthraphuvasak admitted that Fridays have been the most challenging part of the weekend so far.
“I think the hardest bit in both F3 and F2 is getting qualifying right. That’s what we’ve been working on so far. I think the races have been really good for me, always in the race pace. I think we’re one of the fastest, but just getting the qualifying right has been tricky so far.”
“A perfect environment” at ART Grand Prix to grow
“For sure, being a rookie, there’s a lot more experienced drivers on grid. But I think at the level we’re at now, you should be able to perform no matter how much experience you have. And I think that me and the team has been working so hard to kind of get my low-level experience to maximise this as much as possible.”, Inthraphuvasak explained.
Despite showing encouraging pace, the 20 year-old admitted his start to the year has not been the strongest. After a positive step forward last weekend, he added that the team has provided him with an ideal environment to thrive and develop in, expressing satisfaction with the team’s progress and optimism for the second half of the season.
“At the end of the day, with Formula 3, I don’t think there’s too many differences that you can’t adapt to during one season. And I think the start of the season hasn’t been strong for me, but I’ve already shown good results in Red Bull Ring and the pace has always been there.”
“So I think that a team like ART is a perfect environment for me to build as a driver. They’ve shown that they’re, well, more than capable of winning races in the past with great drivers.”
“So yeah, I’m really happy with how the team and I are working right now. And I’m looking forward for the finish round and for the second half of the season.”, Inthraphuvasak said.
Inthraphuvasak: “Just about putting it together”
While he stressed that his speed has remained strong throughout, the Thai driver pointed to his crash in Montreal and missing both races as a setback for his confidence. Despite the challenges, he said he has been working closely with ART Grand Prix to rebuild his confidence and consistency, crediting the team for their support and experience in helping him regain momentum.
“So obviously, it’s been a tricky season for me so far, especially with the crash in Montreal and having to miss out both races doesn’t have a good effect on my confidence. But yeah, I’ve been pushing really hard with the team.”
“I think when you look back at pre-season testing, and even the start of the season in Melbourne, there’s been no issue with speed or pace. It’s always been there. Yeah, just about putting it together.”
He added: “So yeah, I’ve been pushing really hard with the team. The team helps me a lot with driving, with their experience and helping me gain my confidence back as well. They’re really, really supportive. So that helps me bring my confidence back throughout the season for sure.”
Targeting repeated success in Silverstone
“Yeah, it gives me a lot of confidence. It’s basically like my second home track because I’m based in London now, so it’s not too far away. So it’s nice to be close to where I live. And yeah, like you said, my first win here.”, Inthraphuvasak said when asked about returning to a track where he has won in the past.
“And I think it’s where I kind of turned the season around last year after Silverstone. It kind of went really well. So I’m looking forward to hopefully doing the same thing after a good result in Red Bull Ring as well. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Heading into Silverstone, Inthraphuvasak sits 14th in the F2 Drivers’ Standings with 23 points. However, with strong and joyful memories last year, the Thai driver is aiming to replicate that success once again.
“It’s a track that I enjoy a lot and good memories in the past, getting the first win for Thailand in Formula 3. So yeah, really good memories here. And hopefully I can get a good result this weekend as well.”
