‘Top eight is the goal, but we are aiming higher’ – Granada upbeat ahead of Zandvoort Qualifying

Natalia Granada emerged as the leading rookie from a disrupted Practice session in Zandvoort, finishing fifth fastest on her first race weekend at the Dutch circuit.

Two Red Flags and mixed conditions limited the running across the field, with Granada completing only a handful of push laps across the 40-minute session, before eventually setting a 1:38.985. Speaking in the paddock afterwards, the Sephora driver was pleased by her start but admits that she isn’t reading too much into the result after a complicated running.

“We are trying to carry the momentum from the test and we managed to do so in Free Practice,” she said. “I think we did three push laps before the first Red Flag and maybe only three more after the second one.

“We tried our best to find the car balance, and it matched what we expected from the track today. I think we did a good job as a team.”

Only half a second separated the top nine in Practice. With wet conditions expected for Qualifying tomorrow, Granada believes the uncertainty could produce another tightly packed session.

Granada has had limited wet-weather running in the F1 ACADEMY car, with her only previous mileage coming from the Silverstone test and the Montreal Feature Race earlier this season. Her focus, however, is firmly on what she can make of the conditions rather than the experience she lacks.

“We expect it to be wet for Qualifying,” she noted. “I’m looking forward to it, I think it will be very interesting. Free Practice already showed that when the conditions are not great, the pack closes up and it’s more mixed.

READ MORE: PRACTICE: Gademan goes fastest on home soil in disrupted Zandvoort opener

“It’s a good opportunity to maximise that. I feel good in the car, and we know in which direction we want to go. I feel confident that even in those changing conditions we can be strong.”

Granada continued: “I’m really thinking about how much experience I don’t have. I’m just thinking about what I can do to finish in the highest position possible.”

Qualifying will carry added importance around Zandvoort, where overtaking opportunities are limited. Noticeably, six of the seven F1 ACADEMY races have been won from pole position.

While her first top-eight result since Shanghai would give Granada a strong opportunity for points in the Reverse Grid Race, she has set her sights beyond that.

“It’s even more crucial than usual,” she explained. “It’s what we are working on the most. It’s what we have been missing during the season because a lot of the other factors we are managing to improve a lot on.

READ MORE: ONE YEAR ON: Why Gademan is unfazed by being overlooked as a title contender in Zandvoort

“It will be very important tomorrow morning to adapt to whatever comes. We are the first cars on track, but we need to make it work because we need to turn everything around for the second half of the season.”

She added: “Top eight is the goal, but we are aiming higher, much higher.”