18/07/2007
NEWS STORY
The German track of Nurburgring will, this weekend, host the third date in the busy July schedule of the 2007 GP2 series. Germany will hold the sixth race meeting of the season, which is now entering its second and most decisive half held in conjunction with the Formula 1 European season with which it shares venues every race weekend.
For Racing Engineering the first half of the season has had quite a positive outcome with two high points: firstly there was Javier Villa's podium finish at Montmelo and then, and especially, his brilliant win at Magny Cours. This victory was the culmination of the gamble taken by Racing Engineering's team principal, Alfonso D'Orleans, and the main team sponsors, Repsol and Telefónica, when they together decided to choose the young Spaniard for their GP2 project.
At the French track the team also went through its hardest moment of the year when Ernesto Viso had his big crash in Saturday's race. This means Viso's expected return this weekend will be great news for the team. Ernesto just needs the FIA to OK his come back at the wheel of the Telefónica and Repsol backed car, something that he should receive on Thursday after he passes the final Doctor's check. With Viso and Villa the team will recover its best line-up, a perfect combination of speed and talent that should produce excellent results in the remaining races due before the end of the season.
Nurburgring is a track with good memories for Racing Engineering. In the two previous years the Spanish team's drivers have always been among the main contenders at the GP2 races held on the German track. In 2005 Neel Jani led for most of the Sunday race in one of the fiercest battles seen in the GP2 series so far, and in 2006 Adam Carrol finished on the podium after a spectacular fight with current Formula 1 Championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
This year Racing Engineering arrives at the track, named after the historic circuit located in the Eifel Mountains, aiming to continue this successful trend. For the very technical German track, requiring heavy braking for the initial, very twisty, section, as well as for the mid-track parabolic corner and the final chicane, the target for Racing Engineering will be to score points with both cars and fight for the highest possible places. The excellent progress Villa has been showing all season and the positive feelings left by Viso, despite the few laps he drove in France, means that the team has got really high hopes of doing well this weekend in order to get in the best possible mood to face the second part of the season.