10/05/2009
NEWS STORY
DAMS - Jerome d'Ambrosio (3rd) Kamui Kobayashi (5th)
Today, DAMS raced in the short GP2 Series race on the Catalonian circuit, a curtain raiser for the Spanish F1 Grand Prix. Jerome d'Ambrosio, who started from sixth place on the grid after his third position yesterday, put in another great drive. He made a perfect getaway and was up into second spot after the first corner. Later, he was passed by Romain Grosjean, but he was able to keep up the pace and finished third for the second time this weekend.
Kamui Kobayashi was handicapped by a problem at the start. The Japanese was on pole but made a sluggish getaway. He was fifth at the end of lap 1, and this is where he stayed till the chequered flag scoring his first points of the 2009 GP2 Series season.
Jerome d'Ambrosio's 10 points put him in second place overall in the drivers' ratings. After 3-points scoring finishes in two races, DAMS is currently lying second in the teams' overall classification after the first round. The squad is now looking forward to the next event in 2 weeks' time in the streets of Monaco.
Eric Boullier, team manager: "We're pretty satisfied with the first weekend. Even if things haven't worked out according to plan, we've bagged a reasonable haul of points. Kamui and Jerome both used their experience in the series to find the right balance between attack and restraint in the two races. It's proof of a reasoned, calm approach. Now, we have to work to close the small performance gap to the leading team."
Jerome d'Ambrosio: "I managed to squeeze by on the outside in the first corner and gained several places, which determined the outcome of my race. I had to look after the tyre wear so as not to have problems at the end. This is what I did once I was firmly installed in third place. I'm satisfied with the weekend. Two rostrum finishes in two races is a good start. Now I have to get up onto the highest step. I hope it'll be in Monaco!"
Kamui Kobayashi: "I'm disappointed. When you start from pole your aim is to win the race. The result was decided for me when the lights went out. I wasn't able to accelerate properly, maybe because my tyres were too cold and I lost several places in the long straight before the first corner. Barcelona is a circuit on which overtaking is very difficult, so I was forced to stay in fifth place throughout the race. It's a bit frustrating but I try to look on the bright side of things; I've scored points today and that's what I'll have to do in each round if I want to win the title this year."
iSport International - Giedo van der Garde (4th) Diego Nunes (8th)
After starting from P2 in this morning's sprint race, hopes were high for another handful of points and iSport rookie Giedo van der Garde did not fail to deliver. After dropping a couple of places at the start after being pushed onto the grass, van der Garde drove to P4 to take 3 more points to add to his tally this weekend. iSport driver Diego Nunes had a difficult task starting from P11 after being caught up in a collision yesterday. The young Brazilian finished P8 in the sprint just short of the points but showing promising speed in his iSport car ready for the next round in Monaco in 2 weeks time.
Giedo van der Garde: "I finished 4th. I got pushed on the start because Kobayashi pushed me on the grass because I had a much better start then two guys passed me because I had to brake quite early for the first corner. I was 3rd but by lap 3 I was 4th because Grosjean passed me. Then the rest of the race I stayed with them at the beginning as I was consistent and quick but then the middle of the race I dropped off because the rear tyres went off. So more points we are now 5th or 6th in the championship so I'm quite pleased and hopefully next race will be good".
Diego Nunes: "The start was normal I think I lost one position as I think Di Grassi jumped the start but nobody saw it. Again I got stuck behind him, I attacked him but he cut the chicane and he came back in front of me and nobody penalised him. Then finally I attacked him again and then I could push and I caught the group in front of me, I was very quick. I was missing 7 laps in the end. I managed to pass Petrov and Hulkenberg and then I caught Fillipi but one lap wasn't enough, the race was already over. The car was very very good and it was a shame that yesterday we did not have a very good race, but for sure we're going to work hard to have a good race at Monaco and try to get the win".
ART Grand Prix - Pastor Maldonado (6th) Nico Hulkenberg (DNF)
ART Grand Prix finished the season opening round of the GP2 Main Series at the Spanish Grand Prix with two points finishes courtesy of Pastor Maldonado. The most important thing this weekend was to find a good pace and a good level of performance from the beginning and ART GP certainly hit their target with both drivers, Nico Hulkenberg and Pastor Maldonado.
Nico Hulkenberg qualified fourth on the grid for race one but problems at the start and during his pit stop, as well as a drive through penalty saw the German drop back to 18th. A brilliant drive back through the field saw him eventually finish in ninth place, the worst one and not a good reward after a first class speed for his first appearance in the GP2 Main Series. In race two he was fighting his way back up into the points when another driver hit him from behind and made him spin.
Meanwhile, Pastor Maldonado qualified tenth for race one after being hampered in traffic and after a superb drive crossed the line in fifth. On the reversed grid for race two, this meant he started fourth but a chaotic start saw him drop back to tenth behind his teammate. From there he overtook no less than four drivers to secure the final point of the afternoon. The team now heads to Monaco for round two where they can aim for strong results as well as strong performance.
Pastor Maldonado: The week-end was not too bad. The car is getting better and better and we improved a lot from the first to the last lap in Barcelona. The problem is that the tyres were good enough for one quick lap and then they'd lose at least 3 or 4 tenths of a second so when you pick up some traffic like I did there.s no way to be up front. But we worked very hard for the long stints this winter and it paid off. I pitted late in the race and we changed all four tyres which was really a great move because I was much faster than all the others at the end of race 1. I did not want to take any risks but I could push hard and overtake several cars and I enjoyed myself very much. Same thing in race 2 with an even better car. The changes we made were heading in the right direction, I was very confident and I was really fast. I wanted to secure some good points because it is important to start the championship on the right foot. We have improved a lot already and I hope we will definitely be able to close the gap in Monaco. The podium and the win will be our target!
Nico Hulkenberg: Rookie or not, I can't be satisfied by this weekend. It was a tough one and we came back with no points which was certainly not our goal. Qualifying was good even though I think second position could have been ours. But the worst was to come. I released the clutch too quick at the start of race one and it triggered the antistall system. I had to take the clutch again and I really started my race in 19th position. I overtook several cars and we made a late pit stop to try and recover from my mistake but the speed limiter was not working when I came into the pits and I got a drive through. Once again I fell back to the bottom of the pack but with fresh tyres and a great car I was a lot quicker than most of the field and I eventually finished P9, very close to the famous 8th position and its pole position in race 2. On Sunday we got it wrong when it came to fine tuning the car because we were expecting different tyre wear. On the positive side, the performance is there and there.s no doubt we can be very competitive but we have to avoid any further mistakes because GP2 is a very challenging series, everything happens very fast, I have to fight against very experiences drivers and you can't afford even the smallest mistake. We'll do better next time!
Frédéric Vasseur: I am satisfied with our level of performance but disappointed that we missed out on some good results because of several mistakes that prevented us from getting the best out of our potential. We can't win races when we lose so many positions at the start of both races but we won't make these mistakes twice. Having said that, our management of the tyre wear was good and our race pace was excellent in the end. The spirit of our drivers is positive and I think our potential is high. It's up to us not to make any mistake and if we do that we can be sure ART Grand Prix will bear fruit.
Fat Burner Racing Engineering - Lucas Di Grassi (10th) Dani Clos (19th)
After a disappointing Saturday race, the starting positions for both Fat Burner Racing Engineering drivers were all but promising for Sunday's sprint race during the opening round of the 2009 GP2 season in Barcelona. Therefore, the Fat Burner Racing Engineering team, took advantage of today's race to try some changes while in race conditions, with both Lucas and Dani, who started 18th and 20th respectively, hoping to gain important insights for the upcoming races.
Lucas had a very good start from 18th position and overtook eight drivers in the opening lap of the race. Running in tenth position, the Fat Burner Racing Engineering driver was attacking Maldonado for ninth, but was not able to overtake the Venezuelan. In lap 18, Lucas went a bit wide in one corner, which opened the way for Nunes to pass him. Having dropped back into 11th, Lucas benefitted from Hulkenberg spinning on lap 25 and finished the race in 10th position.
The other Fat Burner Racing Engineering driver, Dani Clos, impressed during Sunday's sprint race. Although he stalled on the grid and therefore all chances to finish the race in a good position were destroyed instantly, the young Spaniard was doing an amazing job. Having had to rejoin the race from the pit lane in last place, Dani drove like a Swiss clock during every lap of the race. Not only was he marking the fastest lap time of the race, but was consistently doing extremely competitive lap times. He was able to close the huge gap he had to the rest of the field and finished the race in 19th position.
Lucas Di Grassi: The start and first lap went really well and I was able to gain eight positions. During the following laps I put some pressure on Maldonado, but afterwards it was difficult to gain more places. We made progress compared to yesterday, but we need to continue our work to improve the car. Then we will be at the top.
Dani Clos: It's a real shame my car stalled at the start. We had a very good pace and I also made the fastest lap time during the race. In general, I am happy with this weekend. We have to improve in certain aspects, mainly from my side. The team has done a perfect job during the entire weekend. We have a very good car and I hope we can put everything together for Monaco.
Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon, team Principal: It's a pity Dani stalled on the grid, but now we have proof that he is an excellent driver. He did a really good job this weekend. As for Lucas, let's see, if we find the proper set up for Monaco, it should allow him to fight for the win. Once again the team has done a great job and I would like to thank the boys for having put two perfect cars on the grid for today's race after having worked all night.
Ocen Racing Technology - Alvaro Parente (11th) Karun Chandhok (DNF)
Despite disappointing overall raw results in this weekend's season opening race of the GP2 Main Series in BarcelonaSpain, the Ocean Racing Technology team learned that they definitely have the potential to score points with both drivers, Alvaro Parente and Karun Chandhok.
On Sunday Alvaro Parente showed that he had the pace to fight with the best drivers on the grid when just like the previous day he made an excellent start and gained several places. Starting 19th, he was already 13th by the third lap and finished the race right on the heels of the top ten. "It was an intense race and it would have been hard to do better. After our misfortune yesterday, we knew it would be complicated to secure some points today because the race is short and because we started the race well down the order," he explained. "However, we gathered some valuable data which will be useful for Monaco and we know that we can improve many details on the car. Anyway, in Barcelona we showed that we could have secured some good points."
As for his teammate, Karun Chandhok, the Barcelona event was no so satisfying. Ocean Racing Technologies Indian driver started on the 11th row of the starting grid in the second race and could only manage five laps before a mechanical problem forced him into the pits. Karun had already acknowledged that he didn't have a great relationship with the Catalunya circuit and his lack of success this weekend did not contradict this. "There's not much to say. I came back into the pits at the end of lap 5 because of an engine gremlin. My race was pretty much over. It is a bit frustrating to start the championship this way but it should be better in Monaco" said Karun Chandhok.
Tiago Monteiro and Jose Guedes prefer to look on the positive side of the Spanish weekend, the directors of the Ocean Racing Technology team noting that the had the pace necessary to secure points and that they were definitely on the right track to achieving that goal. "Both our drivers' performances were positive. On Sunday, Karun and Alvaro made a mistake that prevented them taking the chequered flag, but on Sunday Alvaro drove a great faultless race and he was close to points. Karun had an engine failure and there was nothing we could do. Obviously, the race was always going to be tough because we started from the back and had to cope with slower cars. But that's the beauty of this sport. We are gathering some precious data that will allow us to continue our learning process and improve ourselves. We are confident we can secure some points in Monaco" Tiago Monteiro said
Fisichella Motor Sport - Luiz Razia (12th) Andreas Zuber (DNF)
The 2009 GP2 Series got underway this weekend, with teams in action at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, for the first two races of the season. Andreas Zuber and Luiz Razia made their race debuts for the Fisichella Motor Sport International team.
Drivers hit the track for the first session of the 2009 campaign on Friday morning in a 30-minute free practice session ahead of the afternoon's qualifying. Heading into his fourth season of GP2, Zuber completed 14 laps of testing, setting a fastest time of 1:30.264 and finishing 18th fastest. Razia was one position behind on the timesheets after 11 laps, with a fastest time of 1:30.555.
The team made some positive changes ahead of qualifying to see Zuber shooting up the order in the all-important session, and setting himself up on the third row of the grid for Saturday's feature race. He set a fastest lap of 1:28.090 to record the fifth fastest time of the session. Razia set a best lap of 1:29.185 to line up 21st on the grid for Saturday's race.
In Saturday's 39-lap feature race, which took place on the Barcelona track after Formula 1 qualifying, Zuber made a very strong start, moving
up from fifth into third position, and looking set for a great start to his FMSI career. Unfortunately a burst water pipe put an end to his hopes of a podium finish, forcing him into retirement on lap six. Razia had a strong and consistent race, crossing the line in 16th position, a five place improvement on his grid spot.
Razia began Sunday's 26-lap sprint race from 16th, with Zuber starting in 25th position. Razia had a strong race, moving up four positions from his starting spot to cross the line in 12th. Zuber moved up to 24th in the shorter race but his race unfortunately ended on lap eight after being hit by Roldan Rodriguez, suffering a puncture and damage that caused him to retire.
Paolo Coloni, Team Principal, FMSI: "We haven't been very lucky but we have shown good prospects this weekend. I'm very happy with the hard work we have done over the winter, the team performance this weekend and the combination of drivers. We have shown already how competitive we can be and I'm excited about the rest of the season. We'll go to Monaco in two weeks looking to score some strong
points."
DPR - Giacomo Ricci (15th) Michael Herck (DNF)
It was a reversal of fortunes within the DPR team at the Barcelona round of the GP2 Series today, with Michael Herck having to retire from the race at half distance and Giacomo Ricci racing through from the back of the field to finish in 15th position.
Yesterday's main GP2 race at the Circuit de Catalunya saw Herck climb to 13th place from his back row grid slot after qualifying engine problems. Ricci was forced to retire after being caught up in a first lap incident which resulted in car damage.
Herck lined up in 15th place for the start of this morning's Sprint race, but as the field streamed through the first sequence of corners the Romanian driver was tapped from behind, sending him into a spin. Herck kept the car running and was able to recover from this incident, but it had dropped him to the back of the field. He pressed on, but accident damage compromised the handling of the car, forcing DPR's driver to pit and retire from the race on lap 13.
Ricci made a good start from the back of the grid, making up four positions by the end of the opening lap. After three laps he was able to pass Ricardo Texeira for 21st place and over the course of the 26 laps race distance he continued to improve, finally taking 15th at the chequered flag.
Leon Price, Team Manager, DPR: "Michael was very unlucky on the opening lap. It was disappointing for him not to be able to capitalise on his grid position close to the top ten. However, he had a good pace in the first half of the race. Unfortunately there was damage to the car from the first lap contact and we ended up having to retire. Giacomo had a much better day and was able to get his first GP2 race distance of the season under his belt. With so little time in the car during the race weekend it is very important to get as much running as possible. Having missed out on the race yesterday and starting from the back it was always going to be difficult for us to bring home a top ten finish, but under the circumstances it was an encouraging result."
The GP2 Series returns to racing action at the famed Monaco Formula 1 race weekend. Seen as the jewel in the crown of the F1 championship, DPR are looking forward to the second round of the Series at this unique event.
Durango - Davide Valsecchi (16th) Nelson Panciatici (18th)
Davide Valsecchi sixteenth and Nelson Panciatici eighteenth, this is Barcelona race 2 final result for Durango. It has not been a memorable weekend but the team spotted the areas that must be improved in order to immediately fix the problems. Ivone Pinton summarized the three Spanish days with these words: "We suffered a couple of problems which slowed us during qualifying, this immediately compromised the two races. I am sorry for Davide, who did not start the championship in the way we were wishing, but I am very happy about the way Nelson debuted. We get a very good couple of drivers and we will immediately commit ourselves to get a nice performance in Montecarlo".
Trident Racing - Ricardo Texeira (20th) Davide Rigon (21st)
At the end of an quite disappointing weekend, Trident Racing took both cars to Race 2's checkered flag at Barcelona, in the first event of the 2009 GP2 Main Series. Despite some bad luck at the start, Ricardo Teixeira paced his car to finish in 20th, adding more steps to his learning program. The driver from Angola is keeping climbing his learning curve, and lap-times definitely proved him right despite his lack of experience in top-level Formula racing. Davide Rigon saw his race end one lap too early due to a contact, ending up behind Teixeira on the charts. Trident Racing is ready and eager to focus on the next event, the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, which set the stage for a tremendous 1-2 finish last season.
Ricardo Texeira: "Exactly like happened yesterday, I found a stalled car when I took off from the grid. I managed to avoid it, but I was forced to brake and lost positions. We had some good feedback during the race though, and I faced some more troubles at the end, to avoid the car of Davide, who had a contact out in front. My feeling with the car and with the whole environment is improving, and that will provide further motivation in learning a new track. It'll be tough, but incredibly fascinating".
Davide Rigon: "It hasn't been a good race for us. The pace was far from the one I was expecting. I was losing a lot of time in the first sector, and we're investigating the reasons of the problem. The day ended up just as badly, since I tangled with Giacomo Ricci, who was following me. I though he was far behind, and when I saw him beside me it was too late. It's a pity, I just hope to concentrate my energy for the next round at Monte Carlo".