Marek Mičík is a graduate of the F4 CEZ Academy, where he prepared very well for the next step in his career – currently making progress in F4 CEZ, having participated in the opening two rounds at Balaton Park and the Red Bull Ring for SAPE Motorsport team.
The weekend at the Red Bull Ring was completely different compared to Balaton Park, not only because of the 24 cars on the track but also due to the completely different nature of the track.
“Compared to the Red Bull Ring, the Balaton is a simpler track, but it has its own magic. There’s no ups and downs, it’s just smooth asphalt and turns, so I immediately came to the circuit and knew where to go, where to brake and everything,” said Mičík during the weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
“Here there is a big difference because the asphalt is not smooth; there are a lot of uphills and downhills, hard turns, so it was quite difficult to get used to the Red Bull Ring and get up to pace here without any testing, just jumping straight into the weekend sessions. It was quite difficult, but so far we’re managing it.
So which turn does Mičík consider the most difficult at the Red Bull Ring? “The third turn on the hill is quite difficult because there’s a bump, and since the car doesn’t have a locking differential, you come there and you have one wheel lightened. If you come too fast or don’t approach the turn well, the wheel will be in the air, making it quite difficult to have a good exit. The climb out of the hill is also very steep, so I think that’s one of the most difficult turns on the Red Bull Ring,” explained Mičík, who finished fifteenth twice as his best result at the Red Bull Ring.
However, Mičík scored points in every race at Balaton Park, with sixth as his best result there. He had the opportunity to test before the race weekend at Balaton Park. In Austria, he didn’t have such luxury to learn the track. “I was still quite behind in the training sessions and just tried to understand the track. In qualifying, I already knew where I should go, how I should go, and set a tempo. I started the race from 21st place and finished 16th and 15th twice, so that’s great.”
So how does he handle the pressure from other drivers as a newcomer to F4 CEZ? Quite well, he says: “I try to take it easy and have my race. If someone overtakes me, I don’t do anything about it. I just go on and try to keep my own pace, not stress, and try to stay calm and keep the pace.”
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