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Barcelona - Sprint Race Quotes

NEWS STORY
10/05/2009

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.

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