24/04/2009
NEWS STORY
DAMS - Jerome d'Ambrosio 1st Kamui Kobayashi 2nd
Kamui Kobayashi will start tomorrow's long race from pole in the final round of the Asian GP2 Series Championship, part of the Bahrain F1 Grand Prix meeting, on the Sakhir circuit. The Japanese driver, who currently leads the championship, added another 2 points to his tally giving him 49, 15 more than his nearest rival, and he could become champion tomorrow!
Jerome d'Ambrosio will start from eleventh place. The Belgian driver set the quickest time in qualifying this afternoon, but a penalty imposed on him at the last round in Malaysia dropped him back 10 places on the grid.
Today's results underline the team's capacity to up its game at just the right moment. DAMS has made a big step towards both titles and hopes to clinch them as soon as possible.
Eric Boullier, team manager: "It's a very special weekend for us as we can win both titles. But we're just trying to tackle this event like any other. Today's results with the two quickest times in qualifying show that the team has managed to keep its feet on the ground, and I'd like to congratulate everybody. Tomorrow, Kamui will start from pole and all he needs is fifth place to clinch the drivers' title. We're going to do our very best to help him win. Jerome was quickest in qualifying for the second time in succession. He's been hit by bad luck this season and deserves to be second overall in the drivers' ratings. He's one of the best drivers in the series, and he should shine in two weeks' time when the GP2 Championship gets underway."
Jerome d'Ambrosio: "Today, by being quickest for the second time on the trot, I showed the progress I've made since last year. I'm feeling really good, really competitive and despite my place on the grid, I'll give my all tomorrow and take advantage of the slightest opportunity. I want to end the season on a high note and score points, which will also help DAMS to win the teams' title."
Kamui Kobayashi: "It's an ideal start for the team and by setting off from pole our aim will be victory. Track conditions are good; the circuit suits me and I hope to finish at the front. If incidents interfere with my race, I have to think of the title and not risk any collisions by going for victory at all costs."
GFH Team iSport - Giedo van der Garde 7th Hamad Al Fardan 16th
GFH team iSport are back in Bahrain this weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit for the final round of the GP2 Asia Series. Both GFH team iSport drivers were in action today in qualifying for tomorrow's feature race.
Dutch driver Giedo van der Garde will start from 6th after pole sitter Jerome D'Ambrosio takes a 10 place grid penalty after his black flag incident in Malaysia. Van der Garde set a time of 1m 44.173secs just 4 tenths from pole in his best qualifying performance this season. Bahraini GFH team iSport driver Hamad Al Fardan will start from 16th in front of his home crowd after setting a time of 1m 44.673secs. The top 18 was covered by just 1 second again showing how competitive this year's GP2 Asia Series is.
Paul Jackson (Team Principle): "The qualifying session went quite well. Giedo feels comfortable with the car, he was only 4 tenths away from pole which is the closest he has been so far this season so he will be looking for a good result tomorrow. Hamad Al Fardan had a good run on his first set of tyres and was in around 7th or 8th position but the second set of tyres didn't seem to work too well for him so he dropped back. His race pace should be good as he has a good balance with the car so I think he has a good chance of getting points tomorrow".
Durango - Davide Valsecch 8th Michael Dalle Stelle 26th
Davide Valsecchi will take the start of tomorrow Bahrain race from the eighth place, Michael Dalle Stelle from the twentysixth. Definitely this is not the best way to attempt the final victory of this GP2 Asia Series 2008/2009 championship. Davide, second in the general clasiification, still has the theoretical chance to clinch the title but this fourth row start is not the most comfortable way to do it. But at Durango the will to fight remain the same, as confirmed by Ivone Pinton words: "I do not want to hide the fact that we hoped to qualify a couple of rows more in front. But we are used to Davide's outstanding recoveries, so we still have the real chance to go for a good race. Now we must concentrate in order to be fast tomorrow and sunday, without thinking about the championship classification, but just about the two races of this weekend".
My QI-Meritus.Mahara - Alvaro Parente 10th Marco Bonanomi 12th
Two weeks after scoring one more point at their home race in Malaysia, My QI-Meritus.Mahara started are confident they can end the season on a high in Bahrain.
The team have already scored one podium finish this season with Earl Bamber in China last October and are seeking to end the season on a high note at this important event for My Qi-Meritus.Mahara, the only team with strong links to the Middle East through their Saudi partner, Raad S. Abduljawad. They have nine points and sit eighth in the standings.
Qualifying remained dry and hot which saw Parente take 10th place on the grid with a lap of 1m 44.321 and Bonanomi take 12th with a lap of 1.44.477.
Parente, however, will start eighth after Jérôme d'Ambrosio, who clocked the fastest time of 1:43.572 was dropped 10 places following a black flag received in Sepang's sprint race. Pastor Maldonado, who was fifth quickest in 1:44.101, was handed a five position grid penalty.
The Friday morning free session saw Alvaro Parente go fourth fastest with a lap of 1.44.805 while Marco Bonanomi was 10th with a time of 1.45.227. Both drivers completed 13 laps each, a trouble free practice session.
Parente commented: "I made a mistake in the morning, but at the end I pushed as hard as I could. I would not say that everything went well because Maldonado was in my way during my fast lap and that slowed me down. But I am confident we can have a strong race."
Bonanomi commented: "I am a bit disappointed just to be 12th on the grid as the car was very competitive early on, then on the second set of tyres the performance dropped away a bit. We will be working hard between now and the first race to ensure we are in good position to score points."
Team founder Peter Thompson commented: "There is a lot of work to do after this qualifying. The pace is there. The weather was cooling down for qualifying and the cars would have been faster as their times have all been in the top ten so far which is positive. The two cars can score points tomorrow."
Raad S. Abduljawad, Team Chairman, My Qi-Meritus.Mahara commented, "The middle sector speed was the weak spot of our qualifying today. With a good strategy, race one should bring points for the penultimate race of our season."