30/08/2009
NEWS STORY
iSport International - Giedo van der Garde (1st) Diego Nunes (3rd)
After a penalty in the feature race, iSport bounced back in spectacular fashion to take victory and third place in the sprint race at the Spa Francorchamps circuit.
Giedo van der Garde, starting from third, had a great start darting down the inside of pole sitter Edoardo Mortara to take the lead into the first corner. The iSport racer remained in the lead for the whole race despite a safety car period to win in convincing fashion. His team mate Diego Nunes started from ninth on the grid after several late penalties were applied by the stewards after yesterday's feature race. Bouncing back in impressive fashion, Nunes took advantage at the start and after the safety to storm through to third. Holding off intense pressure from fourth placed man Sergio Perez, Nunes joined his team mate on the podium to cap off a fantastic sprint race for iSport.
Giedo van der Garde: "I had a very good start and I'm very happy. I cruised the last five or six laps and I think it was a very good result and I'm very pleased for the team. The car was good; everything was good so I'm very happy.
Diego Nunes: "I did a really good start I gained two or three places and after that the car was really good, I was very competitive. Di Grassi crashed in front of me and then there was a safety car and after the safety car I managed to pass Mortara on the outside and at the end of the straight. Then after that I started to catch, I was slightly quicker than Rodriguez so it wasn't enough to clear the gap between us. It was good, Perez was also behind me, he was very quick so I had to hold him and catch Rodriguez so I think it was a good race".
ART Grand Prix - Nico Hulkenberg (3rd) Pastor Maldonado (9th)
ART Grand Prix left the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium with their 10th podium finish to add to their 2009 tally, courtesy of Nico Hulkenberg. The German driver started from third on the grid and put pressure on eventual race one winner Alvaro Parente for the entire event however, he was forced to settle for the second step of the podium and a seventh placed start in race two. Sadly, Sunday's race was over in the blink of an eye when he was the victim of a more than optimistic over-braking manoeuvre at turn one by Clos, who was later penalized with a 10 place grid penalty in the next event. Meanwhile, after setting the fastest time in free practice Pastor Maldonado secured ninth on the starting grid after enduring a tough qualifying session. Mechanics changed his engine for Saturday's race due to an overheating issue and he made up four places by the first corner, eventually finishing fourth. The aim was to get onto the podium in race two and after making it into P3, a coming together with Mortara ended his hopes.
Nico Hulkenberg: We didn't put it together and I did not put my best partials in the same lap in qualifying and so third place was not so bad because it could have been much worse in a tricky session. I had a good start and was faster than Parente coming to La Source but he had the inside line. After that he was really fast and I had my moments especially with the tyres' temperature. I tried to put him under pressure when there was oil as I could see how his car was behaving and I tried to adapt my braking and lines. But Alvaro was strong and he did a great job. My second race was over after a few meters when somebody forgot to brake at the first turn. I'm not thinking about the championship, I want to take it race by race and to get some great results.
Pastor Maldonado: With Monaco Spa is my favourite track. I won there in Formula Renault 2.0 Italy, in Euroseries 3000 as well as in GP2 last year and I had big expectations arriving in Spa. The practice session went well on a damp but drying asphalt. The car was efficient and was making a good use of the tyres but the qualifying was much harder as it was the first time we were driving on the dry and because it got neutralized. I took a good start but it could have been even better if di Grassi had not hampered me. Our strategy was the best. We pitted early to compensate some problems and the 4th position was ideal to fight for a podium the next day. The beginning was really promising as I was third after three turns. I overtook Kobayashi at Les Combes and I made a move on Mortara soon after but I had to brake because he did not see me. I was much faster than him and I got past, half of my car was ahead of his but he did not brake and pushed me into the gravel. We had a contact and it was the end of my race. I'm upset because the podium was a realistic and minimum objective.
Frederic Vasseur: It is a very good weekend in regard to the standings as we opened up a gap in both championships. Nico and Pastor were both very competitive but were victims of weird manoeuvres from two other drivers in the second race and that's a shame. Congratulations to Ocean and to Tiago Monteiro. I was happy when he was driving for ASM and I am delighted for him now because just like the driver, the team manager, is doing a great job.
Trident Racing - Davide Rigon (5th) Ricardo Teixeira (14th)
The eight round of the 2009 GP2 Main Series has been one of the hardest and most unfortunate of Trident Racing's history. The worst moment came before Race 1, when cars complete some insallation laps before getting to the grid. During the routine pre-race preparations, Ricardo Teixeira restarted from the pit-lane as usual, but a wheel gun got stuck on one of his wing's endplates, pulling the team toolbox forward. Unfortunately, an air hose we use for pit-stops hit Vasco Rossi, one of our car chiefs, hard on the head, injuring him seriously. He was treated on the place and admitted to the Liège hospital, where he's still receiving care. News have been positive since the beginning, excluding life-threatening consequences. Rossi passed the nights of Saturday and Sunday without complic ations, and he's still there due to an hairline ear fracture that prevents him from flying. He'll be back to Italy on the next weekend. Before talking about results, which were obviously overshadowed by what happened, Trident Racing want to thank who have been close to the team in such a tough moment, especially the medical staff of McLaren, that gave Vasco the first care after the incident.
From the sporting point of view, the races at Spa-Francorchams handed Trident Racing a well-deserved points finish, as Davide Rigon ended up Race 2 in 5th. The race held on Saturday could have brought him to a top-8 finish, before he was caught in an unavoidable crash triggered by Karun Chandhok at the Les Combes corner. Teixeira also retired on Race 1 due to an on-grid engine problem. The Angolan driver came back to 14th on Race 2, lapping consistently fast. Triden t Racing will be spending the two weeks before the penultimate round of the seasom, scheduled for September 12 and 13 at Monza, in preparing for a flawless performance on its home venue. The team's attention though will be on the recovery of Vasco Rossi. We're waiting him to be back sooner than possible. All the team is aware of huge contribution he gave on both the technical and professional standpoint.
Davide Rigon: "It's been a weekend with mixed emotions. Starting from the fears for Vasco, who we're expecting on-track really soon, to the disappointment for how Race 1 ended up and the satifaction for the points finish captured on Race 2. Sunday has been the best part of the weekend: while on Saturday I was hit by Chandhok after showing an impressive pace, I've been able to end-up into the top-5 despite having to start from the second half of the field. The only scary moment came on lap 1, when Michael Herck tapped me from behind. I feared for my rear wing but everything seemed fine right after and through the whole race. This is my best result of the season, and it's all for Vasco: we wait you back!"
Ricardo Teixeira: "Saturday has been a day to forget really fast. We had the pit-lane incident with all the fears that arised from it, though they fortunately started fading as positive news kept coming from the hospital. Then we had an engine issue that prevented me from taking off. A black day. Sunday we have been motivated by the improving conditions of Vasco, and I really wanted to have a good race. The final position could have been better without a mistake at La Source, where I made a spin, but my pace proved to be solid. Staying in the pack on such a tough circuit is a good sign to me. I'm looking forward to the next race at Monza. A really special venue, and the home track of the team."
Ocean Racing Technology - Karun Chandhok (7th) Alvaro Parente (DNF)
Karun Chandhok attacked from start to finish in the second race here at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit to finish inside the top ten. Winner of the 2nd round in Belgium two years ago, the Indian driver had a strong race today and rediscovered a very good feeling courtesy of the changes made to his single-seater. Therefore he crossed the finish line in 7th place after moving up ten positions from his starting place on the grid.
Karun regrets having failed to finish in the points but underlines the positive assessment from Spa-Francorchamps and the prospects it has opened up for the two last rounds of the GP2 Main Series championship. "I had a good race despite a few complications at the start when I lost a bit of ground in order to avoid a collision," he explained. "Once in seventh place it was very difficult to move up any further but I was delighted to see that we had improved a lot since yesterday. Congratulations to the team because the improvement was really impressive. I started the weekend being slower than Alvaro but I finished it having closed the gap, which bodes well for Monza."
Meanwhile, teammate Alvaro Parente started from eighth on the grid due to his win on Saturday and was aiming for another solid points finish when he was let down by the engine in his racing contender. Once again he was one of the fastest drivers in the field; the Portuguese driver leaped from 8th to 6th at the start and was in 4th place, ready to attack for 3rd when his engine died, losing him and the team very valuable points in both championships. "I had a solid race at the start but the engine died. It is a pity because those points would have been very important for us, especially as a podium as possible. This result does not give justice to the team's hard work but it changes nothing of its excellence," explained Parente. "Winning the feature race at Spa is the proof that our performances have improved a great deal."
Spa-Francorchamps will always remain in Ocean Racing Technology's history as the circuit where the Portuguese team secured its maiden victory in what is a very competitive championship, the main feeder series of Formula One. Ocean Racing Technology won the 100th race in the GP2 Main Series which only reinforces its strength.
DAMS - Kamui Kobayashi (11th) Jerome d'Ambrosio (DNF)
This weekend, DAMS raced in the eighth round of the 2009 GP2 Series Championship on the mythic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. The very quick 7-kilometre layout is a huge challenge for both drivers and engineers.
The teams scored points in Valencia after the summer break, and Jerome d'Ambrosio and Kamui Kobayashi were determined to continue the good work after 4 difficult meetings. Unfortunately, things did not work out as expected and DAMS bagged just 2 points this weekend.
The 2 drivers started from the second half of the grid for Saturday's race and both made spectacular comeback, which gave Kamui an eighth-place finish. The Japanese driver moved up another place after one of his rivals was handed a penalty on Saturday evening. Jerome was aiming for a points finish, but a trip over the kerbing in the Raidillon damaged his car forcing him to retire. It was frustrating for the Belgian who was racing at home this weekend.
This morning, Kamui started from the front row, and he was lying fourth after the first lap when he was hit by another car through no fault of his own. He spun but was able to rejoin at the back of the field. Jerome's race ended in the first corner with broken left-hand front suspension when he too was the victim of another car's unwanted attentions!
With 4 races left (Italy and Portugal) DAMS is currently lying 8th in the teams' classification while Kamui and Jerome are in 11th and 16th places in the drivers' championship.
Eric Boullier, Team Manager: "It's been yet another frustrating weekend. Kamui has been on the front row two Sundays on the trot, and we haven't managed to turn this into points because of collisions. It's exasperating as our results could be much better than just two victories. Jerome had a difficult weekend in front of his home crowd, even though he had everything needed to put on a scintillating display. A slow puncture screwed up his qualifying session, which penalized him for both races. Of course, we're disappointed but we're not giving up. It's really a weekend to forget - our luck will change."
Kamui Kobayashi: "Infuriating is the only word I can find to describe my weekend. After my fight-back, my reward was a front row place and a victory looked on the cards today. Unfortunately, another car ran into me on the second lap and that put paid to my chances. A weekend to forget but two points is better than nothing."
Jerome d'Ambrosio: "I'm really disappointed. I was quick enough to get a place at the front end of the grid as my performance in free practice showed. A slow puncture prevented me from fighting my corner. When you start from far back it's difficult to fight your way up through the field. Nonetheless, I thought I could score points yesterday when I was forced to retire. It was even worse this morning. My race lasted barely one hundred meters. I'm going to try and forget this missed opportunity and concentrate on Monza."
Durango - Nelson Panciatici (13th) Stefano Coletti (DNS)
Spa race 2 with just Panciatici on track for Durango. Nelson crossed the line as thirteenth, which means he has been able to race here for the first time in GP2 getting away honourably. This for what the sport is about. The news about Stefano Coletti, who yesterday evening was taken to the hospital just for due precaution reasons, we are happy to confirm that it has been just a matter of fright. Stefano within few hours will be discharged and will surely drive for the Monza homeraces.
This is Enrico Magro final comment: "For a good or a bad reason Spa is always very special for us of Durango. Even this year we were doing something good when the accident happened. But Stefano is alright, this is the most important thing".
Fat Burner Racing Engineering - Lucas Di Grassi (DNF) Dani Clos (DNF)
Today, another eventful GP2 race took place at the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit. However, unlike yesterday, both Fat Burner Racing Engineering drivers, Lucas Di Grassi and Dani Clos, were unable to stay away from trouble and had to retire early in the race due to accidents.
After the great results during Friday's qualifying and Saturday's feature race, both Lucas and Dani had high hopes for today's event. Everything was set for the two Fat Burner Racing Engineering drivers to score excellent results. But once the lights went off at the Belgian track, Dani found his race ending at the first corner, when he braked too hard into the turn, locking up his wheels. Carrying too much speed into the corner, the Spanish rookie crashed into the car of Hülkenberg.
Things seemed to work out better for Lucas. After his podium finish on Saturday, the aim was clearly to score some more important points for the championship battle. Despite having lost two positions at the start, he quickly put Nunes under pressure. When Maldonado and Kobayashi crashed at the Bus Stop corner, Lucas gained two positions. The safety car had to be deployed and Lucas gained one more position when Parente suffered an engine failure ahead of him.
When the safety car left the track, things turned bad when Lucas tried to pass Mortara, who had been overtaken by Nunes just seconds before. Mortara ran at a much slower pace than the rest of the field and, maybe being too optimistic in thinking the Italian would let the faster Fat Burner Racing Engineering car go through, Lucas tried to pass the Italian on the inside of the corner, climbing onto the Italian's car instead and forcing both of them to retire.
Lucas Di Grassi: The race start was not great, but after things went well. Until I tried passing Mortara, who was much slower than me. There was contact between our cars and the race was over for me. I am not satisfied with the final results as I think our car was good for another podium today. We will work hard now for the next race.
Dani Clos: My tyres were not at the optimal temperature. So when I moved to the inside, the track was dirty and when I braked, all tyres locked up and there was nothing I could do anymore to avoid the crash.
Alfonso de Orleans-Borbon, Team President: Both drivers could have been in the points today and there was no reason to be involved in accidents. It's a real shame as these were thrown points important for both the drivers, as well as the teamschampionship. It is upsetting as everyone has done a great job. Now unto Monza.