Roman Staněk for Ruik: They see potential in me, I’m ready! My goal is to win

A life of absolute speed and constant adrenaline. This is exactly what a young rider from Wallachian Meziříčí dreams of. At the age of nineteen, he was given the opportunity to head to the heights of world motorsport. Yet he still looks at everything with humility and a smile on his face. What did Roman Staněk reveal in our interview?

This year, he’ll be in Formula 2 in a Trident Racing monocoque. The world is at his feet and he has the opportunity to show everyone that he deserves to be in the place of the best. After eleven years, the Czech Republic has a representative in the F2 category. The last driver from our meadows and groves was Josef Král.

It’s been a few days since we spoke. But I can say with peace of mind that this guy knows what he wants from life and he is going for it. He’ll do anything to fulfill his dream. Don’t think this rider’s got fame on his head.

We really have humility first here. He knows what’s in front of him and he’s open about it in the following paragraphs below. What goals does he want to achieve in the future? What must he undergo in preparation for next season?

After three complete seasons in Formula 3, you’re now aiming higher. On March 4, you will make your debut in Formula 2. What are your expectations?

I don’t like to be told, as someone says, that maybe I want to win or I want to finish in the top ten. Of course everyone wants to win. Everyone wants to succeed in what they do, it’s just human and it’s natural especially just with us guys. My goal is to win against myself. That said, I want to say to myself after the season that I did everything I could do to the best of my ability at the time.

And I’m ready, so I think I can do it, and I’m looking forward to the new season. I’ve been in Italy since the beginning of January and I’m enjoying it very much. I have great people around me, so I’m just enjoying it. And when you’re enjoying something, you know, it just goes like clockwork.

Were you deciding between multiple offers from other teams?

Yeah, there were some. We were talking to some competing teams. I don’t want to say they were pushing me, but it was kind of rushed because they just see potential in me. And I saw potential in them.

The seasons that they’ve had, they haven’t been the best, but I think the car is fast and I think it’s got the front end to go, so I think we’ve got a good lineup for next year and I think it’s going to be great. I’m really looking forward to it.

You’ve done countless races, but you still don’t have a city circuit in your collection. What’s your dream track to go to?

We actually have more city circuits out there. Baku or Monaco, for example. I don’t know if you can call Melbourne in Australia an urban circuit. That’s in the park, but it’s also kind of a semi-urban circuit. Of course, all the circuits are difficult, but Baku is probably the least enjoyable.

I’ve done all those tracks on the simulator, but it’s just something else, the concentration has to be there 100% throughout the whole race, in every corner. You just make a mistake there and you’re in the wall. It’s a challenge and I’m really looking forward to it.

You came to the attention of the vast majority of Czechs thanks to your excellent victory at Imola last year. How do you remember that day? What made the difference?

I remember that day well. It was my first win in F3. It was for an Italian team on an Italian track and still on my favourite track. I like to remember it, but the race is never perfect. There were some mistakes on my part.

And I learned from it and then the win at the end, that’s just a bonus and extra points. So it was good. I rate it well, but hopefully it won’t be the last time. I hope to win now in Formula 2.

So does that mean that Imola is your favourite circuit?

I have more than one favourite circuit, I wouldn’t say my favourite, but it’s one of my favourite circuits.

It’s said of you that you lack mental resilience in tense moments. What’s your opinion?

It’s something I need to improve. Especially now in F2, because the races are longer and you have a different approach to tyres, for example. You have to get a good start because it’s strategically very different there. Longer races in higher temperatures.

So, yes, I’ve been working on it actually since the last race in Monza. As I said, nothing is ever perfect, but I’m doing everything I can to improve where I’m lacking.

If we look at your strengths. Where do you think you stand out again?

On the track, I’m always good at the very first lap. I’m set up so that I can just run at the limit of the car on that first lap. And it showed last year that I was just almost always up front in practice.

So that’s my strength, that I can adapt. I also work a lot with pre-race visualisation because that can cover the whole experience very well. You imagine the track – where to brake, how to drive, how you feel in the car.

How did your collaboration with Trident Racing come about three years ago?

It actually came about because I had two unsuccessful seasons when I was racing with the Charouz team and with Hitech, and there were more circumstances. For example, I couldn’t get on with Hitech, the English mentality just didn’t suit me at all, and the car was so ungainly.

I don’t want to say that it was bad, but there were shortcomings on my side and also on the team’s side. So the collaboration actually came about because it was the end of 2021 and my father and I didn’t know what to do next.

There were no results in Formula 3 and we just didn’t get the good conditions we wanted for Formula 2. And Trident is one of the few teams that does a test day like that. I remember they tested twelve drivers before the season. I did a good performance and they picked me. There was a lot of pressure on the drivers.

Your father doesn’t qualify so he doesn’t bring you bad luck. What do you think?

Yeah, it’s kind of a ritual for us. He’s been absent once or twice, and I’ve done well in qualifying, so it’s been like that all year. We all have our habits.

You’re from Wallachian Mezirici. What were the conditions like when you started there?

Well, I was actually born in Valmez and I’ve lived in Zašová almost all my life. I’m very proud to represent Zašov because I love it and I want to settle there one day.

Either I had handlebars in my hand or I rode a motorcycle, because we have a motocross park in Zašová.

When I was eight years old I wanted to start racing, but my parents told me it was dangerous. So I played football for two years and rode a freestyle scooter.

One day when we went to the rental shop to go karting, that experience really affected us. I also have three brothers, and we all got into karting. We were driving at the lowest level in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It all started in 2014. I did my first season when I was ten years old.

And when did the turning point come that you wanted to become a professional driver?

From the first moment when I was a kid I got on a motorcycle or a quad bike that my grandfather had for my older brother. I did everything I could to ride.

You’ll be 19 soon. Most people will be graduating from high school at that age. How’s yours?

I just had a long talk with my math teacher today. He’s a great guy and he’s helping me a lot.

Unfortunately, I’m not going to my graduation. I’m actually spreading my senior year over two years. I’ll take five courses this year and five courses next school year. The school has been very accommodating and it has made my job a lot easier.

How do you deal with the pressure on you? You could be the second Czech in the history of our country to have to deal with F1.

At this level, that’s part of it. I’m still the guy from Zashova who is humble and works hard. Of course I feel it. But you have to be humble about it.

The last Czech representation in F2 was Josef Král. Did you have the honour to see him?

I actually met Josef and then Richard Gonda or Tomáš Enge. We even commentated on Formula 1 together. Tomas gave me some useful advice at a couple of races. They’re nice guys and they’ve still got it in them.

Apart from motorsport, do you have something else where you sometimes take a break from everything? Like some other sport – football, tennis… How do you relax?

I love to ride my bike. I relax on it, I use the bike mainly as a supplement to my training. I really like the sport. I’ve been to the Giro d’Italia and I love watching it.

Hats off to the guys who ride it, because when they go fast up that hill, it’s unreal. Then when the race is on TV I fall asleep (laughs). It’s better to see it live.

We’ll definitely see you in Formula 1 in a few years. Do you have a dream, which team do you want to drive for?

I think I’d like to drive for Red Bull. I really like their attitude, but I also like the brand in general. They’re in every sport and they support every person who does some crazy things. And I like that a lot. But you have to get there. You have to get over to them from a team.

Sources: Ruik, FIA Formula 3