Mari Boya on his GT3 debut, working with Lance Stroll, and the return of F2 in Miami
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Mari Boya has stepped into the unknown. Making his GT3 debut for Comtoyou Racing at Paul Ricard, he joined forces with Lance Stroll and Roberto Merhi at the wheel of an Aston Martin Vantage and wasted little time making an impression.
Adapting quickly to the demands of endurance racing, the Spaniard combined instinct with raw speed to deliver a promising first performance in unfamiliar machinery.
The outing sharpened his racecraft, consistency, and teamwork – tools he's eager to carry into his Formula 2 campaign as it resumes in Miami. Read on as Mari reflects on his debut, working with Lance, and gearing up for what's next.
Mari, you'd never driven a GT3 car before. What were your first impressions of the Aston Martin Vantage?
"I expected to be a bit different to what I'm used to, but I just followed my instincts as a driver and I really enjoyed it.
"It wasn't actually that different to a single-seater, you just need to be a bit more patient in the way you drive. I needed to get used to things like braking performance and the lower level of downforce but it was a really nice car to be in.
"I was impressed with the cockpit as well. It was huge and almost felt like being an aeroplane.
"Lap by lap I was loving the experience more and more."
Your qualifying pace was very good – you were the second-fastest Aston Martin driver overall. How pleased were you with finding the limit so quickly?
"I was really happy, but I'd like to give the team some of the credit for that performance as well.
"Lance and Roberto gave me an idea of what to expect from the car, as they'd already driven it in the session, so I had a good understanding of what I needed to do to be quick. It was a really nice lap."
Endurance racing is also a new discipline to you. How different did you feel the race was compared to what you're used to?
"The race was where I learned the most over the weekend. I spent two hours in the car, so it was a lot of consecutive laps, and I was constantly trying things behind the wheel and learning. It also made me realise how much concentration and stamina you need to keep consistent over such a long period of time.
"The start was a new experience, too, because of how many cars were on the grid. I also thought our race pace was strong; we pulled off some nice overtakes and it was cool battling with other manufacturers and trying to work out what their cars' strengths and weaknesses were. You really have to think a lot; the racing is very tactical."
The biggest GT race of them all is the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Is that something you'd like to compete in one day?
"I’d always be open to doing a race like that in the future; it would be incredibly cool. But I don't have any plans right now!"
Having Lance next to you motivates you and pushes you.
It was Lance who invited you to join the team. Can you talk us through getting that call?
"I was home in Spain and Lance was in Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix when he rang me. It was about five o'clock in the morning so I missed it!
"When I woke up and spoke to him, I was shocked that he wanted me at first. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do it because I'd never done anything like it before but once we started speaking, I was getting excited and he really showed belief in me.
"I wanted to perform and do a good job to repay his faith so I immediately started watching on-board footage from previous GT races to prepare as much as I could.
"I'm really grateful to Lance and the team for offering me the opportunity and I hope we can do it again in future."
It was your first experience of having Lance as a team-mate. What was it like working together?
"It was really cool to spend time with him. He's a fast driver and his experience really helped me learn. Having someone like Lance next to you in the same team motivates you and pushes you and I think we worked well together to get the best out of the car.
"As single-seater drivers we had a similar driving style, as did our other teammate Roberto Merhi, so we could all give similar feedback on car setup and quickly address any areas we wanted to improve.
"The car setup we had was probably a little different to what a full-time GT driver would have, but I think it worked well for us. I must admit, though, it was quite strange sharing a car with other drivers!
"And it was great working with Comtoyou Racing's other professional GT drivers. They had so much expertise so to spend a little time with them was beneficial."
What will you take from the experience into your F2 campaign this year?
"As a driver it's important to be able to adapt to different situations and doing something like this helps develop that skill.
"I was constantly learning about the car and how to go faster. Being able to do that will help me when I race at new circuits in F2.
"We're going to some new tracks in the next few weeks in Miami and Montréal, so I'm excited to see if the techniques I used to get prepared for the new experience of GT racing can translate into preparing for those rounds."
You mention Miami and Montréal, introduced as rounds to the F2 calendar for the first time – how have you prepared for those new circuits?
"I've been recording a lot of laps in the sim at the AMR Technology Campus. It's been really helpful to work with the team, and the engineers have given me a lot of advice on how to approach the new circuits and what I can try in terms of car setup. I'm really grateful to them for giving me that opportunity.
"I've also been in the sim at PREMA and watching F1 races from previous years at both tracks. I'm super excited to go back to work after the long break since Australia.
"I'm looking forward to visiting both places for the first time and I know Miami has quite a large Hispanic culture so it will be nice to experience that."
I'm working hard because I want to bounce back from a difficult opening F2 round.
You'll also be running an Aston Martin Aramco livery on your F2 car for the rest of this year. What does it mean to you to race in that iconic Aston Martin Racing Green?
"It feels amazing. I've only seen some pictures of it so far so seeing it in real life will be even cooler.
"The team has offered me incredible support since I joined the Driver Academy last year and this just feels like the next step on my journey with them."
What have you been doing since Melbourne to keep sharp?
"I'm always training and doing different sports so that's not changed. As I've mentioned, I've done some extra work in the sim, both for the upcoming races and in general, to keep working with my team and learning about the F2 car. I'm working hard because I want to bounce back from a difficult opening round."
You mentioned it was a tough opening round to your season. How do you reflect on that?
"I'm still feeling super motivated about the season because the crucial thing is that we have good pace and I think the team has a lot of potential.
"I think I just need to relax a bit more because I'm trying to extract 110 per cent from the car but we have the speed, so I just need to keep things clean in the coming rounds and the results will come. I'm really excited to get going again."
A promising talent and well-rounded athlete, with a strong track record, natural speed, and a determined mindset, Mari is one of the most exciting prospects in Spanish motorsport.
From karting to single-seaters, the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team Driver Academy is dedicated to identifying and developing the next generation of exceptional motorsport talent.
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