24/05/2008
NEWS STORY
Trident Racing - Mike Conway (Winner) Ho Pin Tung (2nd)
Trident Racing experienced an outstanding 1-2 finish at Monte Carlo, after taking off from front row with Mike Conway and Ho Pin Tung. The team, owned by Maurizio Salvadori and as young as 2006, cruised to what will be remembered as one of its most prestigious results. Mike Conway led the pack from pole at the first corner, and really never looked back despite losing a 11-second advantage due to a Safety-Car period at lap 9. The British driver was not worried at all, as he re-started to lap on the same pace as before and opened another huge gap. Ho Pin Tung's race was flawless too, as he managed to defend 2nd place from the race-long attacks of Alvaro Parente. The Chinese had a totally troublefree run, taking checkered behind team-mate. Today's Monte Carlo race marked the first win in the GP2 Series for Conway, as well as the first podium finish for Tung.
Maurizio Salvadori, Team Owner: "I tried to keep the team's mood high after yesterday's bad break, since we were really disappointed for a possible podium finish lost due to someone else's mistake. Finally, a great team result repaid all our staff for what was lost. The team did an awesome job, and this 1-2 finish finally provides who worked so hard with a really well-deserved gratification. I'm also really pleased with our driver's performances: I've always been confident about our possibilities since the last winter, as the work done by our three engineers proved to be extremely valuable. Once again, I want to praise our guys at Trident Racing for their professionalism and for their unbelievable team spirit".
Mike Conway: "I just can say I'm really happy. This is my first win in the GP2 Series, and it's great how it came right after the disappointment suffered at the end of yesterday's race. Everything was perfect since the start, and I proved to be able to control the situation at all points, before and after the caution. The car was perfect too, allowing me to keep a really fast pace. In addition to the personal accomplishment, I think today's result will be boosting our confidence for the rest of the season".
Ho Pin Tung: "It was a long race for me today, but I'm happy to have controlled the situation really well. After keeping second place at the start, I stayed there even when the Safety-Car came out. The car was less performing than I thought but really driveable, allowing me to keep Parente behind until the end of the race. I'm very happy for today's result, scored in the wonderful frame of Monte Carlo. I want to thank all the team and all the people supporting my racing career".
Super Nova - Alvaro Parente (3rd) Christian Bakkerud (DNF)
Super Nova are celebrating a Monaco podium finish this afternoon as Alvaro Parente scoops a fantastic third place for the team!
Grey clouds threatened overhead, yet the 30 lap race remained dry. Victory for the team was bitter sweet given that Christian Bakkerud was unfortunately amongst several involved in a coming together on the notoriously narrow turn one, on lap one. The Danish driver was squeezed into the wall, and there was simply no place to go, apart from into the car in front. Christian launched into the air and sadly ended his race prematurely in the wall.
Alvaro got a better start jumping a place from fourth to third off the grid. There he courageously fought for second place, pressurising Tridents driver Hi-Pin Tung all the while. Yet at a circuit infamous for its tight streets, the chance to overtake never arose. Nevertheless he clearly had the speed.
Race leader Mike Conway pulled ahead and created an impressive 18 seconds lead ahead of his team mate throughout the race, making it a double victory for Trident today. Super Nova now sit joint 3rd in the Teams Championship & are looking ahead to the test & race in France next month.
Team Principal David Sears: "Alvaro Parente made a fantastic start in the sprint race this afternoon, to move into third place. Alvaro maintained this position to the flag and put second place driver Ho-Pin Tung under immense pressure, but unfortunately couldn't find a way past him. However Championship leader Giorgio Pantano crashed & arch rival Bruno Senna finished 5th, so now Alvaro is 3rd equal in the championship.
Christian Bakkerud unfortunately clipped the back of a car in the chaos at the first corner, which eliminated Carroll and Chandhok. Although his car flew through the air, a couple of meters off the ground, the damage was not as bad as originally thought. The accident was a real shame as Christian had a chance to finish the race within the top ten. At least now his back seems to be recovered and is looking forward to the race in 4 weeks time."
Alvaro Parente: "It was a simple race for me today. I gained a place at the start & then had to follow Trident's Chinese driver, which was a little frustrating. I just couldn't find the opportunity to chance overtaking, even though I knew I was quicker. Anyway it was a podium finish and some more points, which is great!"
Christian Bakkerud: "There is not really much I can say is there. There just wasn't enough room into turn one, and before I knew it I was looking up at the sky! It was a racing incident, and a real shame for me and the team."
FMS International - Roldan Rodriguez (4th) Adam Carroll (DNF)
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Fisichella Motor Sport International in Monaco for round three of the 2008 GP2 Series. Roldan Rodriguez was able to score points in Friday and Saturday's races, while unfortunately Adam Carroll was forced to retire from both events in his second weekend back with the team.
After a difficult qualifying session Roldan began Friday's 45-lap feature race from 23rd on the grid, and made a fantastic start, moving up to 17th by the end of the first lap. He then benefited when he pitted on lap 27, during which time a multi-car incident took place on track, and he came out in eighth place, with Ho-Pin Tung ahead of him still to make his mandatory stop. With Mike Conway put out of the race on the last lap, Roldan crossed the line in sixth place, collecting three championship points. Starting from third on the grid for Saturday's race, the Spaniard initially lost two positions but was able to move up to fourth when Adrian
Valles was given a drive through penalty on lap 21. This fourth place gave Roldan a further three points, taking his weekend tally to six points.
Adam Carroll also had a tricky qualifying session, and was affected by the red flag and traffic, and started Saturday's race from the sixth row of the grid in 12th position. He maintained his position on the Monegasque street circuit and was racing well until lap 27. Following a big incident involving Sebastien Buemi and Giorgio Pantano at Mirabeau, Adam managed to avoid colliding with Pantano's car, which was across the track. However, Luca Filippi hit Adam's car from behind as he approached the accident, breaking the rear wing off the FMSI car and putting an end to the Ulsterman's race. He was on the back foot for Sunday's shorter race, beginning from 21st. He had gained two positions up to 19th by the second lap but then a clutch problem ended his event just one lap later.
Roldan Rodriguez: I am very happy with the results. In Istanbul the result was not good but I knew we were working well and the results could come. This weekend we had a problem in qualifying, but we didn't panic and the results came. I am very happy for the whole team.
Adam Carroll: Obviously in Istanbul the results weren't there but the pace was good so we had some high hopes coming into this weekend. Unfortunately it's been very difficult and frustrating for everybody. I only got seven laps in free practice before Zuber drove into me, I got shunted off in the first race and the clutch went in the second race so that was that. It's just been an unfortunate weekend and frustrating for the whole team.
Paolo Coloni, Team Principal: It's really good to see Roldan twice in the points and he was consistent in both races so it's getting better for him. It was a very good result for him and the team. Adam missed free practice after Zuber hit him and then we just had problems since then. Neither retirement was his fault again so it's just a shame that he could not drive during the weekend.
iSport International - Bruno Senna (5th) Karun Chandhok (DNF)
iSport driver Bruno Senna has taken the GP2 Series lead after a measured drive to fifth place in Monaco. Victorious in the principality 24 hours earlier, the Brazilian started Saturday's sprint race from eighth on the grid at a venue where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Profiting from others' errors, Senna moved up steadily to finish fifth and score two points, enough to give him the championship lead for the first time in his career.
Team-mate Karun Chandhok's race was over within seconds of the start. He was barged off the road at the first turn and the impact left him nursing a sore right hand, although a hospital check-up revealed no broken bones.
Bruno Senna: "It was a fairly quiet afternoon, really, and there was nothing much I could do to make progress. I had a very good view of Roland Rodriguez's gearbox for most of the race. I could have gone faster, but everyone knows it is almost impossible to overtake here and you mustn't allow frustration to get the better of you. I just settled down to do the best job I could and wait for others to make mistakes.
"The team has done a great job preparing the car and everybody at iSport is really helping me to progress as a driver. Overall, this has been a good weekend and it gives us a good platform for the forthcoming races, starting at Magny-Cours next month. I'm already looking forward to that."
Karun Chandhok: "I made a decent start and was just minding my own business when Pastor Maldonado came flying up my inside, with a couple of wheels on the kerb. I don't know whether he was distracted by some of the other stuff that was going on at the first corner, but he basically just drove straight into me and we ended up in the barriers. My right hand is a bit sore, but there's no serious damage. It was just one of those things."
Paul Jackson, team principal: "This weekend has been a just reward for everyone at iSport. We had a difficult time during the last event, in Turkey, but the whole team knuckled down and it is a tribute to them all that we were able to hit the ground running here in Monaco. Bruno and Karun both drove magnificently yesterday and Bruno showed great maturity again today, when Karun was just unlucky. We won the GP2 Series last season and I think we've proved that we have the means to mount a successful title defence."
DPR - Andy Soucek (6th) Diego Nunes (9th)
David Price Racing (DPR) scored a point in today's Sprint race at the Monaco round of the 2008 GP2 Series, with stand-in driver, Andy Soucek taking sixth place, putting the team on the Championship points leaderboard for the first time this season. Regular driver, Diego Nunes, backed up Soucek's achievement with a solid ninth place.
Soucek lined up in 13th place with Nunes just behind in 14th on the Sprint race grid, with the young Brazilian having gained a starting position after Vila was handed a penalty from yesterday's race.
The opening sequence of corners produced plenty of drama, as often happens at a narrow street circuit, with three cars out. A storming start from Soucek elevated him to seventh after the first lap, while Nunes also gained positions, lying 10th at the end of lap one. The stricken cars caused the deployment of the safety car, which stayed out for two laps. On a return to full speed racing the DPR drivers held position, until the field was bunched up again, with a second safety car on track after nine laps when Alberto Valerio hit the crash barriers. On lap 12 the field returned to racing with Soucek in 7th and Nunes in 10th, but in the tight confines of this unique circuit, it was always going to be tough for either DPR driver to improve position.
As the race reached its midpoint the pace settled, with Soucek close on the heels of yesterday's race winner, Bruno Senna and Nunes on the tail of Buurmann. Soucek's onboard camera showed just how demanding this track is, as he whistled past the unforgiving barriers and hounded Senna, looking for any opportunity to overtake, despite the lack of good passing places.
DPR finally had good fortune when Adrian Valles was given a drive through penalty for a technical infringement, gifting Soucek sixth position, with the Spaniard then lying in a points paying position. Nunes also moved up to lie ninth. Positions remained the same up and down the order, and DPR were pleased to have both of their cars in the top ten at the chequered flag, as well as taking their first points of the season.
David Price, Team Principal, was happy to break the team's duck, saying, "It's a relief to have finally scored a point this season; Andy did a great job at the start to keep out of the first lap dramas and make up positions, then he was able to capitalise on another drivers' misfortune. Diego also had a strong run today; he didn't succumb to the pressure that was on him from Grosjean behind and is continuing to improve as he gains experience with this car. It's not an easy track to drive, but I think we've proved we have the car to match any other. We've had our first race this season with both cars finishing in the top ten, so we're pleased with that."
The GP2 field moves on to Paul Ricard circuit in France for a two-day test session ahead of the next round in Magny Cours, supporting the Formula 1 French Grand Prix.
DAMS - Jerome d'Ambrosio (7th) Kamui Kobayashi (DNF)
On Friday and Saturday DAMS competed in the 2 GP2 Championship events, part of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix supporting programme. They lived up to their reputation, and between yellow flags, safety car periods, tail enders and accidents the team did not manage to score any points.
Yesterday, Jerome d'Ambrosio and Kamui Kobayashi started from 9th and 16th places on the grid. The Japanese driver's race was a short one as he was hit on the first lap and had to retire. Jerome crossed the line in 9th place and showed his speed by setting the 3rd-quickest time
Today, Kamui was unlucky again. He had pulled back 9 places and was running fourteenth when his gearbox let him down at half-distance. His Belgian team-mate also drove a solid race, which he finished in 7th place just outside the points for the second time. Once again he was among the quickest on the track but did not manage to overtake.
After 6 races DAMS is now in 9th place in the teams' championship with 8 points. The French squad will be out to move up the ratings and forget the Monaco weekend at the next round on the Magny-Cours circuit between 20th and 22nd June.
Eric Boullier, team manager: "For the second time on the trot we did not manage to score points even though we were among the quickest cars on the circuit, and a rostrum finish was well within our grasp. Kamui's weekend was compromised in qualifying as a bad grid position in Monaco is more penalising than anywhere else, because it's very difficult to move up through the field. He had to retire twice but it was never his fault. Jerome drove two solid races and deserved to open his score this weekend."
Jerome d'Ambrosio: "Finishing just outside the points on two occasion is very frustrating, but looking on the bright side I'm satisfied with my pace this weekend. I felt at home behind the wheel; I was competitive and I finished both races for the first time this season. It's very encouraging and I hope to consolidate my progress at Magny-Cours."
Kamui Kobayashi: "I had a couple of pretty short races this weekend as I covered only fifteen laps between yesterday and today. I was hit on the first lap of the long race and then I retired in the short one, as it became impossible to change gear. I was hoping for better here, and I'll do my best to quickly close the gap separating me from the front-runners in the championship. The season got off to a good start and I hope I'll soon be back on the rostrum trail."
ART Grand Prix - Romain Grosjean (10th) Luca Filippi (12th)
Monaco honoured its reputation of a street circuit that does not forgives a single mistake or mishap during a race weekend as ART Grand Prix left Monaco empty handed after a double retirement in race one and tenth (Romain Grosjean) and twelfth (Filippi) placed finish in race two. The two drivers were facing an uphill battle from the start after qualifying seventh and twelfth on a circuit that is well known for its lack of overtaking opportunities after they were unable to exploit the potential of their respective contenders.
Late in race one Grosjean had a coming together with Ho-Pin Tung, the Frenchman breaking the suspension on his ART GP contender in the process while Filippi retired due to being involved in the pile up on lap 26 at Mirabeau. As the braking system was damaged in the accident, the Dallara of Luca could not brake properly only a few laps later and crashed into the guardrails at Ste Devote.
In race two the weather looked decidedly gloomy and so was the result with neither driver making it into the points, despite a strong drive through the field.
Being five points the leader, Romain Grosjean remains well placed in the championship while ART Grand Prix sits fourth in the team classification.
Luca Filippi: In the GP2 Series your weekend is virtually over when you have a problem in qualifying. It is especially true in Monaco where I could not use my second set of tyres because the session was red flagged after I had just put them on. The team gave me a very good car for the race but I got tangled in the Mirabeau pile up. It is a shame because I think we could have score points and have the opportunity to be in great shape and well placed on the starting grid of the second race. I really need to try and find a good spot on the starting grid and finish race 1!
Romain Grosjean: A bad result in race 1 can ruin the whole weekend in this series, especially in Monaco where overtaking is impossible. I've been caught like the rookie I am by Tung, who scared himself and braked very hard. I hit him at 40km/h and it's very frustrating to end a race in this way. It's easier to accept when you're off track after taking a risk at 250km/h. The positive aspect is that I now have knowledge of Monaco and of a race scenario where you have to stay calm and be vigilant at all times. The consolation is that I leave Monaco still in the same championship position, 3rd and 5 points behind the leaders. I'll have to do better in Magny-Cours.
Frédéric Vasseur: It is one of the worst weekends ever for ART Grand Prix in terms of results and we'll have to recover as soon as at the next round. Our level of performance was rather good in the race and Romain was climbing up the field on a track he did not know when he arrived, but the final result of the weekend is due to qualifying and we were not able to put our cars up there with the leaders. We used our joker in Monaco, we'll have to use an ace in Magny-Cours!
Racing Engineering - Javier Villa (13th) Giorgio Pantano (DNF)
With both their driver's starting towards the back of the grid, with Giorgio Pantano in 20th and Javier Villa in 24th, following their problematic Feature Race on Friday, Racing Engineering were not optimistic about their chances in the Sprint Race. Indeed this was the case; although Javier drove a steady, intelligent race avoiding the many incidents around him to finish 13th Giorgio was forced into retirement following contact with another car early in the race.
The race got underway under dark clouds with the threat of rain to come but, despite a few drops of moisture, the field started on dry tyres. All 25 cars got away cleanly from the grid but as they funnelled into Ste Devote two cars made contact as well as Bakkerud hitting, and flying over, the back of Zuber's car. Both of the Repsol and Telefónica supported Racing Engineering cars made it through the debris although Giorgio was forced very close to the barriers. At the end of lap one Giorgio was 14th with Javier a few places further back in 17th after a positive opening lap.
Over the next few laps Giorgio was involved in a very close battle with Puglisi just ahead and Filippi right behind him, each driver looking for the smallest mistake from his two competitors. Javi was also closely involved in a tight dice with Hanley just behind him; both men were clearly very closely matched.
As Giorgio headed towards the chicane on the 8th lap he made a determined effort to pass Puglisi but the Racing Engineering driver made his move the Durango car pushed Giorgio against the wall on the exit from the tunnel and Giorgio was out on the spot with heavy suspension damage to the front right of his car.
Following a spin by Valerio, soon after Giorgio's retirement, the Safety Car was deployed and as it returned to the pits at the start of lap 12 and the cars began racing again Javier was laying in 15th place, chasing Kobayashi and still being followed by Hanley. For the next three laps the positions remained static but then Kobayashi retired with suspension damage and Javi moved up to 14th and was now chasing Filippi.
For the remaining laps Javi continued to press on, even cutting across the chicane with three laps to go, but he was unable to close the gap to Filippi to less than a second but he did manage to pull away slowly from Hanley to finish 13th 1.5 seconds ahead of the Campos car.
Although it wasn't the weekend the Racing Engineering team were hoping for there are a number of positives the Spanish team can take away. Once again the cars were totally reliable; the two non-finishes for Giorgio were as the result of contact with another driver. Additionally, as has been the case in the previous races both drivers were capable of setting very competitive lap times in qualifying and the race.
The GP2 circus now takes a month break before reconvening at Magny Cours on the 21st June.
Alfonso de Orleans Borbón (team principal): "The positive point of the weekend was that once again the reliability was perfect. Our cars are having no mechanical problems, but were being hampered by others crashing into them. Once again the boys have done a fantastic job and I thank them for having well done during an exceptionally difficult weekend."
Javier Villa: "We knew that today it would be a tough race, I started from the back and wanted to know where we were. At the end I finished 13th, so we recovered 11 places. But that's not relevant; the important thing is that I was within a few tenths of the fastest lap. That's good news for the whole team to face the next testing session and the remaining races of the championship."
Giorgio Pantano: "I had good race, the car was good. Then I tried to overtake, but my friend from Italy, Puglisi, pushed me towards the wall at the exit of the tunnel. And that's it."