19/07/2007
NEWS STORY
The sixth round of the 2007 GP2 series is starting this weekend at the Nurburgring. The German track is one of the traditional pivotal points of the season, as it's also the home round for many teams, drivers, and sponsors. Germany represents a vital market for both its historical and economical tradition, and for the high number of young, talented drivers. In all the national developmental series, teams are working really hard to prepare for the second half of the season, and to show their potential in sight of the next one. The weekend will be crucial also for Trident Racing, bringing the team to define the concrete expectations for the end of the year. The whole team is clearly looking forward to fight for podium, or more, with Pastor Maldonado, while Kohei Hirate is expected to be scoring his first seasonal points.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Principal: "Last year, the championship round at the Nurburgring wasn't much successful, but the team had the ultimate verification of the technical package's level, and this with both Gianmaria Bruni and Andreas Zuber. The two drivers battled in the top positions; unfortunately, Bruni spun, being forced to say goodbye to a podium finish, while Zuber ended his race due to a puncture. Our staff developed the 2006 base even more, during the winter and in the first races of this season; I think that with no overconfidence I can say we're expecting to match or exceed last year's results. After what we seen in Silverstone, where Pastor Maldonado was able to overcome a difficult qualification with two masterful driver, it seems that the Venezuelan will have a clear shot in the two races at the Nurburgring. Kohei Hirate has experienced a very difficult moment, but thanks to the great preparatory work (including a test at the track with a F.Renault Car thanks to Toyota's Yoshinori Arimatsu), he'll be coming on track with more confidence and ready to bring home points. He only needs a good result to turn his season around."