05/07/2007
NEWS STORY
David Price Racing (DPR) with drivers, Andy Soucek and Christian Bakkerud will be returning to the track this weekend for the team's home GP2 race supporting the British F1 Grand Prix at the famed Silverstone Circuit in the Northamptonshire countryside. A top ten finish in last week's Magny Cours round of the GP2 Series has buoyed the team and they hope to make further progress this weekend.
David Price, Team Principal, says, "I hope that being on home ground will give us an advantage. We're getting nearer to a points finish, but just need to make that extra step. Qualifying has been our Achilles Heel, so if we can kick off the weekend on the right foot and start the races further forward than we have been, then we'll give ourselves a head start."
Bakkerud finished 12th in the sprint race last week, after a retirement in the main feature race, but his race pace has given him confidence for the British round.
He says, "We can take positives from Magny Cours, particularly our pace, but we need to sort qualifying. I've raced at Silverstone quite a few times, so I'm very familiar with the track and this should be an advantage over some of the other drivers. I really enjoy driving it and have had some good results here as well.
"The weather is the one unknown factor for this race weekend, but I'm not so worried, as I have experience at this track in all sorts of conditions, so this could work in my favour - it certainly looks very unpredictable. This is a home race for me – I've lived in England for 17 years, so for once I haven't had to jump on a plane, I've just been able to drive my own car!"
Soucek posted 10th and 13th place finishes in Magny Cours and is hunting for his first points in Britain, although his only experience of the Silverstone circuit is a few laps in a Mini Cooper!
He says, "I came here around three months ago with a friend, just to have a bit of fun and to learn the circuit. We drove a Mini in an open track day and I had about 20 laps of the circuit. We didn't have any tyres or brakes left by the end of it, but it was useful. I've seen onboard from an F1 car of the track and it looks totally different than when you're driving a Mini. I'm sure it'll look different again when I'm in my GP2 car.
"I don't mind whether it's wet or dry. If it's wet in the lead up to the race it'll give us a chance to set the car up for these conditions, if it's dry we'll be able to measure our progress a little better. I think we're still making improvements, we're very near to getting it right and I'm sure we'll be getting our first points soon."