- Atlanta, GA native samples 620bhp single-seater during two-day test
- GB3 regular rapidly acclimatises to Campos Racing car in Italy
- 28-year-old considering a more comprehensive programme next year
As he evaluates his options to progress his burgeoning motorsport career in 2025, rising American open-wheel star Shawn Rashid has conducted a successful first FIA Formula 2 Championship test with front-running outfit Campos Racing.
Currently competing in his sophomore season in the GB3 Championship with VRD Racing by Arden, Rashid is going from strength-to-strength. He entered the summer break buoyed by his best finish to-date in the fiercely-disputed single-seater series after scooping the runner-up spoils at Silverstone, courtesy of a confident and composed performance around the legendary British Grand Prix circuit.
He ended the break by travelling to Mugello in the heart of Italy to try out Campos’ 620bhp Formula 2 car – via a seat-fitting in Germany and simulator session in Spain, making for a busy few days. Despite having a lot to get to grips with in a short space of time, the Atlanta, GA native gave an excellent account of himself, impressing the team that has previously run drivers of the calibre of Formula 1 superstars Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris.
Indeed, Formula 2 is just one step beneath the absolute pinnacle of the sport – Rashid’s ultimate goal – with almost half of the current grand prix grid having passed through the series on their way up the motor racing ladder. After enjoying his initial laps behind the wheel with Campos, the 28-year-old Purdue University Industrial Engineering graduate is already in discussions regarding a more comprehensive testing programme moving forward.
“We’ve been trying to figure out where I should look to race next year,” explained Oxford-based Rashid. “I want to take the next step and feel ready to do so, and after my manager, Rory [Butcher] got in touch with the team, a plan was quickly formulated. The Campos guys prepared me very well with the seat-fit and simulator practice, and then the test itself was split between short performance runs and longer race runs.
“I took my time on the opening day getting used to everything and gradually building up speed. It was my first time in anything with that kind of horsepower (compared to the 250bhp produced by his GB3 car), my first time using DRS (Drag Reduction System), my first time on that tyre and my first time at Mugello – so there was a lot to take on board, and the main objective was for me to feel comfortable.
“I got used to the extra power pretty quickly; in a straight line, it doesn’t actually feel that different – the biggest thing to adjust to is the closing speed with the carbon brakes, as opposed to the steel brakes I run in GB3. You approach corners so much faster and can brake so much deeper, but once I had got my head around that, the lap times came quite naturally.
“My first race run was similarly a big learning curve. In everything I’ve raced before, it’s been pretty much a flat-out sprint from start to finish; this was my first experience of intentionally lapping a little bit off the pace to manage tyre wear. That teaches you a lot of discipline and I learnt so much about tyre strategy and the whole thought process behind it. The physical fitness aspect of the race runs was not a problem for me; it was more the mental side that took some adapting to.
“I took a lot of steps forward over the course of the test and by day two, I had the confidence to push the car much harder. I got to within a second of the outright pace and did a far better job of preserving the tyres and maintaining a consistent rhythm throughout the race runs, which was a big tick in the box.
“I went to Mugello with a lot of questions, and left with the feeling that yeah, I can do this! I was really happy with how it all went, and the team seemed very pleased, too. The whole experience was great, and I really do believe that Formula 2 is a viable option.”
“Jumping from GB3 to Formula 2 is a big step, but Shawn has proven time and again that he can handle the learning curve, no matter how steep,” added former British Touring Car Championship Independents’ title-winner Butcher. “He made a lasting impression on the Campos Racing engineers with his methodical and mature approach. The test answered many questions for us, and now we can plan for Shawn’s move up to Formula 2.”
