10/01/2008
NEWS STORY
Trident Racing has announced its line-up for the upcoming GP2 season. The main news is the introduction of the GP2 Asia Series alongside the Main Series, that's entering its 4th season. The newly-born Championship will start at Dubai Circuit (UAE) on the last weekend of January, and end at the same venue in April, after a five-race long schedule that will include Indonesia, Malaysia and Bahrain: these last two events will be inside the Formula 1 events context.
Trident Racing will field a car for Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung, who reached an agreement for both series. Ho-Pin Tung is with no doubt the strongest Chinese driver around, and is facing his second consecutive year in Gp2 Series: after capturing the F.BMW Asia's title, he was awarded the chance to test a Formula 1 car, and continued to succeed in 2006 by securing the German F.3 Series' title. The 2007 experience in the Gp2 Series allowed him to get in contact with several unknown racetracks, and to increase his knowledge base. Ho-Pin Tung will be partnered, in the Asia Series, by Latvian youngster Harald Schlegelmilch, who's alsoset to be lined-up by Trident Racing in the Formula Master International Series.
Honda F1 test-driver and high-profile talent Mike Conway will complete the team's roster in the Main Series. The three drivers will be presented during a press conference planned for Tuesday, January 23, at the headquarters of longtime sponsor Bayer Italia, located in Milan. During the conference, Trident Racing and Bayer per lo Sport will also present their solidarity project, "Fast on Track, NOT on Road".
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Team Principal: "I'm really satisfied with the agreement we were able to reach with Ho-Pin Tung, and I think that this will be an important step forward for both parties. He'll defend Trident Racing's colors in both the Asia and the Main Series, in an attempt to capitalize from his professional and human racing experience. He proved, since the first technical meetings, to have a deep knowledge of the car, and to be very clear-headed about his ideal set-up choices. We were very impressed by his ability to analyze telemetry data, and that's definitely an important addition to his talent. Ho-Pin Tung is also a very important driver from an international point of view, since he'll be carrying on-track the Chinese flag. He'll represent what is set to become the world's top auto market, serving as an endorser for an enthusiastic and developing Motorsport reality. We're set to help him try to find a way to Formula 1 sooner than possible."