08/10/2005
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Indonesia lines up fifteenth on the grid for the first A1 Grand Prix race of the weekend at EuroSpeedway, after a strong performance in the four sessions of track action, which saw the team's young Indonesian driver, Ananda Mikola, as high as fourth fastest at one stage during practice.
Mikola enjoyed a strong start to the race weekend at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, a track which he is familiar with from racing in World Series Light in 2003. This experience has proved invaluable to the young Indonesian, with his practice sessions times reflecting this. Mikola posted sixth fastest time in the first practice, fifth fastest in the second and after the first day was fifth fastest overall of the 24 nations competing this weekend.
In qualifying, Mikola posted the 14th fastest time after the first two ‘flying lap' segments of the session and settled at 15thth quickest after the final two segments, with the last two flying laps used to give the aggregate time of 3'07.729, less than 2.4 seconds from pole sitter, France.
Ananda Mikola: "I'm happy with fifteenth fastest, but I made a mistake on my last qualifying run, pushing too hard and running out wide which lost me a few tenths – it could have been a top ten start position. Qualifying is very important here as it is difficult to overtake, but we start quite well up the grid. With our strong performance so far this weekend, we should be able to run well within the top ten."