18/09/2009
NEWS STORY
Fat Burner Racing Engineering - Dani Clos (2nd) Lucas Di Grassi (4th)
This afternoon, Fat Burner Racing Engineering driver Dani Clos obtained his best qualifying result so far in a GP2 qualifying session at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The Spaniard qualified in second place at the Portuguese track while his teammate Lucas Di Grassi finished fourth.
The last meeting of the 2009 GP2 season kicked off this morning at the Autodromo Internacional in Portimao, where a few showers surprised the paddock during the morning hours. The two free practice sessions gave the drivers the opportunity to adapt to this new venue on the GP2 calendar and work on their respective cars set-ups for the weekend. The Fat Burner Racing Engineering drivers showed a very promising rhythm during both test sessions, that were characterized by difficult conditions as the track went from wet to damp and then to dry during the second session. Lucas finished the first session in fourth position, while Dani was eighth. The second session saw Lucas in thirteenth and Dani in ninth position.
After a short break at midday, and with temperatures rising at the portuguese track, Lucas and Dani headed off to the qualifying session with high hopes and the main goal of scoring the best result possible in the last qualifying session of the 2009 season. And they did not disappoint. Both Fat Burner Racing Engineering drivers immediately started to set very competitive times and quickly made it within the top 5.
Back on track after stopping in pits to change the tyres, Dani seemed to be on a mission and managed to place himself in second place, while his teammate Lucas was 5th. But with great determination, Lucas showed his fighting spirit to topped the time-sheets with a best time of 1:31.450. Before completing their last fast laps, both drivers entered boxes once again. With their minds up to the task, Lucas and Dani retuned to the portuguese layout to show the rest of the competitors that they were not giving up despite having lost a few places during the minutes they had spent in boxes. With moments left for the checkered flag, Dani did his best lap of the day putting himself in second position, behind pole sitter Petrov. Lucas, after making a little mistake on his last try, finished the session in fourth position.
Dani Clos: I am happy to start the last weekend of the season so well as the team worked very hard during free practice. During qualifying I was constantly within the top 5 and it was great to set the second fastest lap time on my last lap. During this season I had several DNF-s and didn't get as much mileage as others. Additionally I had to learn tracks that were new for me, but today the conditions were pretty much the same for everyone as it was the first time at this track for GP2. I am happy and confident for tomorrow's race. Vitaly Petrov is fast, but nothing is impossible, so we hope for the best tomorrow.
Lucas Di Grassi: Qualifying went fine. I was not able to put a lap together. I made a mistake on my fast lap, pushing too hard. However, second row on the grid is good, although it is a shame because we have lost another two points to Petrov. Nevertheless, we will definitely go for the win tomorrow.
Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon, Team President: Everyone has done a fantastic job. Dani is finally where he should have been earlier during the season. We always knew he could do it, but luck was not always on his side. I am really happy for him and all the crew, as after a difficult season so far, they really deserve such a great result. As for Lucas, I am sure he could have done better, but 4th position is not bad at all. He is a fighter, who never gives up and I am sure he will prove this tomorrow. Thanks again to the entire team for the great job they have done so far this weekend. I hope tomorrow's race will give us something to celebrate.
iSport International - Giedo van der Garde (9th) Diego Nunes (10th)
After rain in the practice sessions the sun returned for qualifying for the final round of the 2009 GP2 Series at the new Autodromo do Algarve circuit. Both iSport driver's Giedo van der Garde and Diego Nunes were quick throughout practice and carried this through to qualifying where both iSport racers were inside the top five for most of the session. With the track improving Giedo van der Garde and Diego Nunes dropped back in the last frantic moments, struggling with traffic, to finish ninth and tenth respectively.
Giedo van der Garde: "I was ninth. I think it wasn't the best qualifying that we have had this year but it was not too bad I guess. I think it was the maximum so there wasn't any more. We will start ninth and we'll have to make the best out of it tomorrow".
Diego Nunes: "Qualifying started very good, we were top three, me and Giedo. Then we finished ninth and tenth and we did about the same lap time. It will be a tough race but starting in the top ten is not too bad so we will see what we can do in the race tomorrow".
Trident Racing - Davide Rigon (17th) Ricardo Texeira (23rd)
The final round of the 2009 GP2 Main Series took off yesterday at Portimao, Portugal. The Algarve racetrack is the latest addition to the series' schedule and also new to all the GP2's teams. The morning practice sessions were disputed on a wet racetrack, though Qualifying started with dry weather. Davide Rigon ended up the day in 17th place, while Ricardo Teixeira will take off from 23rd place. The Portuguese racetrack has proved extremely tough and technical, with all the teams and drivers battling the bumpy surface. The first race of this weekend's program is set to start today at 15:00 on a 39-lap distance. The schedule will be completed on Sunday by 26-lap long Race 2, starting at 13:50. Both races will be televised live in Italy by satellite channel Sky Sport. Qualifying will be showed bef ore Race 1, tape delayed.
Davide Rigon: "I'm not satisfied with my ending position today, because I really like the track and I hoped to score a fastest laptime. I had some minor brake stability issues, but I didn't perform incredibly well too due to the lack of track knowledge. We weren't lucky too, as rain fell on practice and I had to rebuild my reference points on dry during Qualifying. I hope for a better race tomorrow, there are a couple of points where passing is possible, but you have to take some risks"
Ricardo Texeira: "What a track! I was told the street circuit at Valencia would have been tough, but nothing compares to this. The good side is that it's great, the downside, of course, is the time you need to get the right feeling with such a technical racetrack. Unlike other drivers who had the chance to race here with other racecars, I seen Portimao for the first time this morning and the early rain surely didnt play in my favour. Passing it's not going to be easy, but the races will be long and eventful: on Race 1, my goal is to get to the end with no mistake and get a better starting spot for Race 2"
Ocean Racing Technology - Karun Chandhok (21st) Alvaro Parente (DNQ)
The weekend that was meant to be a joyous home event for Ocean Racing Technology has had an extremely difficult start for GP2's Portuguese team, who is disputing the Main Series finale this weekend on the Portimão circuit. While free practice for Alvaro Parente and Karun Chandhok went reasonably well (particularly for Parente who was in the top ten (7th) on a drying track), qualifying quickly ended their illusions. Struck down by gear box issues, Parente was unable to complete a single lap while Chandhok languished down in 21st place.
As early as free practice, Alvaro had detected an irregularity with his single-seater... "I could not find second gear. We don't know what happened exactly and the team is checking over the car to try and understand what went wrong. I will be dead last ton the starting grid tomorrow and obviously this is not where I wanted to be on home ground, but I'll do my best to be competitive in the race," Alvaro Parente explained.
Meanwhile, teammate Karun Chandhok was also disappointed with the end result of qualifying in Portimão. "Morning practice was OK but we then we lost the good set-up we had found. The car did not have a good balance and you could instantly see the difference in its performance and in the final results. These are painful moments for the team who are racing at home. Neither car is in a good position on the starting grid but that's racing and tomorrow we will try to gain as many positions as possible."