The third round of the World Series by Renault headline championship, the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, moves on to Monaco this week. The jewel in the crown of the Series, this one race round supports the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, the famed street race that attracts the world’s most glamorous fans. Jazeman Jaafar enjoyed his best result of the season at this event last year, with a brilliant third place finish in only his third Formula Renault 3.5 Series race weekend.
Jazeman returns to the principality this year with more experience and a hunger to repeat the success of last season. He says, “I love racing on street courses and this is my absolute favourite. It’s challenging, as you have so many barriers close to the racing line and you have to be very precise with your driving. One small error can cause big problems, so you need to be on your toes and drive very accurately.”
“Monaco is such a cool event,” adds the young Malaysian driver. “It is the most famous F1 race in the world and I get to race in front of the crowds and the Formula One industry, so it is not only a hugely challenging race, there are some very influential people watching. The pressure is always on to do well, but no more so than at this race. But the buzz, the excitement and the fantastic atmosphere give me an extra adrenalin push and I’m hoping that this will help me to put in a strong performance next weekend.”
The PETRONAS Talent Programme driver arrived in Monaco earlier than other races, as the schedule starts on Wednesday and Jazeman wanted as much time as possible to prepare for his next Formula Renault 3.5 Series outing.
“I am very pumped up for this weekend” he says. “I’ve been very busy preparing for the race in all the different areas including working hard on my fitness, spending time with my engineer on car development and race strategy, as well as walking the track to familiarize myself with it. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of walking this track, it is just awesome!”
Practice for the race is held on Thursday 22 May from 8.30 – 9.15 am, with qualifying on Saturday 24 May from 9.00 – 9.55 am. The race takes place on the morning of the Formula One race, Sunday 25 May, from 11.10 – 12 noon. (all times local).
