27/02/2010
NEWS STORY
DAMS - Edoardo Piscopo (5th) Christian Vietoris (9th)
This weekend, DAMS raced in the third round of the 2009-2010 Asian GP2 Series in Bahrain on the Sakhir circuit used in F1 for several seasons. The cars were driven by the two team regulars, 20-year-old German Christian Vietoris, and 21-year-old Edoardo Piscopo from Italy.
The team, which won the 2009 title, had a poor weekend in Abu Dhabi, and was determined to get back among the front-runners in the battle for the podium in Bahrain. Both drivers had a good free practice session and Edoardo and Christian set the seventh and eighth-quickest times respectively. DAMS's aim was to get into the top 5 in qualifying.
Unfortunately, a problem with getting the best out of the tyres prevented the French squad from attaining its objective. Both drivers were very close to the quickest times on their first run, but in their second one they were unable to fight their corner and did not improve. Christian was eighth quickest and Edoardo could do no better than twelfth.
They ran into the same tyre problems in the first race. Christian was in trouble right from the start and had to stop very early to put on new rubber. Edoardo had no understeer problems in his first stint, but in the second. In these conditions, they were unable to score points.
Yesterday evening, DAMS analysed the data collected since the start of the weekend, and decided to go for a big set-up alteration for the second race. It was the right choice. Edoardo finished fifth after starting from fifteenth. Christian was lying seventh when his car's handling went off, dropping him back to ninth.
DAMS came away with 2 points but intends to take full advantage of its understanding of the problems met yesterday to fight at the front in Bahrain on 13th - 14th March in the final round of the 2010 championship.
Loic David, General Manager: "The weekend finished better than it began. We did a lot of work yesterday evening to sort out the problems that handicapped us in the first race. The cars' handling today showed that we're going in the right direction. It bodes well for the next round on the same circuit on a modified layout."
Edoardo Piscopo: "After the disappointment in qualifying and the first race it was important not to get downhearted and to push really hard in the second. We tried to understand how to eliminate Friday's understeer, which appeared when other cars took to the track and put down a different kind of rubber on the asphalt. Today's result shows that we did a good job. Now, we're all determined to end the season on a high note."
Christian Vietoris: "It's been a weekend to forget for me even though it began in an almost perfect manner. I was on the pace in free practice and I was at the front in qualifying until I did my last flyer. Unfortunately, there was a fall-off in the car's performance right from the start of the first race, and this handicapped me for the rest of the weekend. Things improved today, but the problem wasn't fully solved on my car. I'd like to thank the team for having done its best to turn the situation round."
iSport - Oliver Turvey (6th) Davide Valsecchi (20th)
British iSport driver Oliver Turvey avoided the first lap chaos to finish sixth and take one point in today's GP2 Asia Sprint Race in Bahrain. After a very tight first few laps where several cars collided and went off track Turvey settled into seventh for most of the race. In the later stages Turvey caught a struggling Daniele Zampieri to snatch sixth and add another point to his tally to leave him third in the driver's championship but only two points adrift of second. Newly crowned GP2 Asia Champion Davide Valsecchi was unfortunate to get tangled up and lost his front wing on the first lap causing a lengthy pit stop to fix.
A lap down iSport racer Valsecchi returned to the action to finish twentieth. With an unassailable championship lead, iSport International have won the GP2 Asia Team Championship with one race weekend still to go. The team would like to thank all of our sponsors and suppliers who contributed to this winning GP2 Asia campaign.
Davide Valsecchi: "I had a good start but it was very tight and I got hit and lost my front wing. I lost a lot of time getting to the pits and having a new front wing on so I was a lap behind. After that the car was perfect and I had good speed but I was too far behind to catch up. The team are Champions today which is fantastic for everyone so we can go into the next race in Bahrain with no pressure and have a good race in front of the F1 people".
Oliver Turvey: "I lost some places at the start but managed to stay clear of all the accidents. After a few people dropped out I was in seventh with Sam Bird right behind me. I lost a few places to Bird, Bianchi and Zaugg but after they took each other out I was back up to seventh. My car felt pretty good towards the end and Zampieri was struggling so I managed to overtake him when he ran wide. I'm pleased with a point, it's very close for second in the driver's championship so I'm looking forward to the next race in Bahrain where I'll aim to take second in the driver's championship to top off a great championship for the team".
Paul Jackson (Team Principle): "This has been a great weekend for us. Davide Valsecchi won the Driver's Championship yesterday with his win in the feature race and we have done enough today to claim the Team Championship as well. It's been positive since the first time we ran in Abu Dhabi back in November last year. Both Oliver and Davide have been really impressive and fitted in with the team straight away. Oliver is lying third in the driver's championship so we'll be aiming to get him back into second in the final round back here in Bahrain in a few weeks time. It has been a fantastic start to 2010".
Ocean Racing Technology - Yelmer Buurman (10th) Fabio Leimer (15th)
Ocean Racing Technology's two drivers were very inspiring characters in what was a lively race here at the Sakhir Circuit in Bahrain this afternoon. The second race of the weekend saw Yelmer Buurman securing 10th place while his teammate Fabio Leimer crossed the line in 15th.
The Bahrain event was used by Ocean Racing Technology to secure some invaluable data for the finale of the GP2 Asia Series Championship, which will take place on the same circuit.
With temperatures lower than those witnessed on Friday, the first laps of the race showed the logic in the new technical solutions used by the Portuguese team.
Starting 12th on the grid, Yelmer Buurman moved into 10th place on lap 6 then fought tooth and nail with Arabadzhiev and Zampieri along with Christian Vietoris, who has already tasted victory this season, in order to move closer to the points. "The car has improved a lot since the start of the weekend but there are not a lot of overtaking opportunities around here and it makes you take a few risks. But the most important thing is we went the right way with the set-up of the car and we will be in a better shape on our return to Bahrain in a fortnight's time and I think we will be able to fight for a good result. The question is to have a good qualifying, and then a points finish will be doable," Buurman said.
Meanwhile, over on the other side of the garage, Fabio Leimer made an excellent start and moved up six places that saw him move into 14th place. The Swiss racer could see that his single-seater was more effective than the day before and therefore put it to good use when the race was at the peak of action. Fabio now believes that he will soon be able to find his place in the leading group of the championship. "I liked the car a lot at the beginning of the race. I made a good start and my car allowed me to fight efficiently when I was battling with other drivers. Having said that, I lost a few positions and my car was not as good in the second half of the race, but it was crucial to try new options and gather invaluable data which will be fruitful later," Leimer said.
Once again, the GP2 Asia Séries podium proved that the experience gained by the teams and drivers can make all the difference. Tiago Monteiro and Jose Guedes' team therefore continues to develop its two single-seaters and acquire further experience in an extremely competitive championship.
"We improved throughout the weekend," said Tiago. "After the problems we had in qualifying, to use the races to try different set-ups was the right decision to make. We knew that to fight in the middle of the pack was always going to be difficult and that you have to be even more careful. One must not forget that the GP2 Series is always in motion and the competition is more and more ferocious. Ocean Racing Technology and their drivers gather experience at each race and I think we will be able to fight for points at the next round."
Super Nova - Josef Kral (11th) Jake Rosenzweig (14th)
An absorbing sprint race in Bahrain today saw strong drives from both Super Nova drivers. With much excitement in the opening laps, including some collisions involving other cars, there were some opportunities to gain positions, although the dirty track meant that there was little grip off-line. Both drivers had conservative starts and managed to avoid trouble in the first corner, then picked up the pace from there. It was evident that they were faster than the cars in front and some well planned overtaking manoeuvres saw both Josef and Jake rise up the field, finishing in 11th and 14th positions respectively.
Jake Rosenzweig: "After a decent start I was much more aggressive during the first few laps and I tried to gain positions on track. Everything felt good for the first ten laps then I started to struggle with the car, as I was forced to use the tyres very hard at the beginning of the race. This weekend has been a very good learning experience and I hope to be stronger in the next race weekend in Bahrain."
Josef Kral: "I had a bad start and nearly stalled, since the cars in front were very slow to form on the grid so I had to hold the clutch for a long time before reaching my position but I managed to recover quickly. The first corner was pretty tight with everyone bunched up and I think I held my position as it was a big mess. I pushed very hard in the initial laps, overtaking as much as possible. The car felt a lot better with almost all of the understeer gone, allowing me to overtake three or four cars. I had to drive a bit more smoothly in the middle part of the race to conserve my tyres, and then was able to push hard to the end of the race. We have made a big step forward this weekend and I'm feeling confident for the final round of the championship, where I hope we will have the same relative pace as we had in the first event in Abu Dhabi."
David Sears - Team Principal: "A much more positive day in Bahrain for Super Nova. Jake continued to gather experience in GP2 and he has impressed me with his approach, always improving and ending the weekend much closer to the ultimate pace. Josef and the team worked hard to resolve the problems he has had so far this weekend and he drove really well to finish in 11th place. We will now look forward to the final race of the Championship in two weeks time."
Trident Racing - Plamen Kralev (16th) Adrian Zaugg (19th)
Adrian Zaugg was prevented to fight for a top spot today at Al Sakhir, as he was forced to retire from the second race of the GP2 Asia Series round in Bahrain due to a contact. The South African had to get back to the pits, and rejoined after replacing a front tire. He eventually wounded up in 19th. Trident Racing had to thank Zaugg for his great contribution to the team over the race days, as he gave good proof of the car's performance. He kept improving, and capped the weekend with a huge comeback on Race 1.
Plamen Kralev managed to complete another troublefree run on an unknown track. The Bulgarian driver will try to go for a further improvement in the final round, set to take off in two weeks at the same venue. The event will end the 2009-2010 season, and serve as a support race for the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Adrian Zaugg: "I'm sorry not to have turned my hopes of a good finish into reality today. My start has been good, as I kept the lead through the first corner. Then it got harder, because cars following me were faster and I had to use defensive lines to keep the lead. After yesterday's race I knew that my car would have radically improved through the end, but I couldn't defend myself from the attack of Charles Pic. Then, on the following lap, I touched with Jules Bianchi in a typical race incident. I wasn't interested in ending my race for good at that point, but it eventually happened since after the following pit-stop I couldn't do more than 19th. I'm satisfied with the weekend though, because it featured a big improvement, and I met a great team, which I hope to rejoin really soon."
Plamen Kralev: "I managed to end another race without committing mistakes, and I successfully got more familiar with an unknown track. I hope that all the laps logged this weekend will help me in the upcoming season finale set to be held at the same venue. I hope to improve my pace further and keep avoiding errors."
MalaysiaQI-MeritusMahara.com's - Luca Filippi (18th) Alexander Rossi (DNF)
The grid was reversed for the top eight for the start of the 23-lap second race this weekend at Bahrain and this fact became MalaysiaQI-MeritusMahara.com's nightmare. Team driver Luca Filippi started from 7th on the grid, while Alexander Rossi started from the back.
The American driver was very motivated and his starting position did not stop him. Shortly after the start, he was already ranking 14th on lap 2 until he got involved in a racing accident with Will Bratt (Scuderia Coloni), who was in front of him. The American was forced to stop on the track at turn 1. Later the Stewards of the meeting ruled a drop of 10 grid positions for Race 1 of the driver's next event in Bahrain.
As for him, after the start Filippi dropped from 5th to 22nd after putting a wheel in the dust while overtaking Villa. That made him spin, but he recovered , lapping an average of 1.47.183. The Italian finished the race in 18th position.
Alexander Rossi: "I had a great start and dashed from the back up a good number of positions. Then on the third lap I touched Will Bratt and that was the end of my race on lap three - a racing accident that has been investigated by the Stewarts of the race after the event and that will cost me a ten grid position drop for next race. I am sorry for the team, and the engineers because I had a good car."
Luca Filippi: "After my eight points and podium yesterday, I would have liked to do better for me and for the team. I am not happy to finish 18th of course. But at least I finished the race. I tried to overtake Javier Villa. We were side by side. Then I put one wheel in the dust and had to turn sharply. Luckily I did not hit anything and was able to continue but lost half a lap. A pity because the car was very fast. I had a car for the podium. At least I feel prepared for a better show for our Questnet guests and fans for next race. Let's look ahead at a better result at the second Bahrain race."
Chairman Raad S. Abduljawad: "We are looking to another good home race with F1 at the Bahrain track on March 14th for our last round of the season and I hope for a third podium in front of the F1 fans."
Peter Thompson, President and team founder: "A pity that we could not maximize our podium and good result from yesterday. A reversed grid is sometimes a nightmare for a team. But again the boys in the team and the engineers have done a great job today and the cars had the pace to finish a good race. We had a car for the podium. Luca Filippi keeps a 4th place in the championship. With yesterday's podium we established that the team is strong. We will be back in two weeks time, and hope to please the fans and the guests again. I am confident that the whole team will again give a great performance and I want to thank the best supporters of the team: His Excellency ENRICO PADULA , Ambassador of the Republic of Italy to the Kingdom of Bahrain and H.E. Dato' Syed Sultan Idris, Ambassador of Malaysia to Bahrain who personally came to the grid lane before the race along with Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Acting Chief Executive Officer BIC to wish Luca Fillippi and Malaysia QI-Meritus.Mahara very good luck.."
Scuderia Coloni - Will Bratt (DNF) Alvaro Parente (DNF)
The second race of the Sakhir weekend of the GP2 Asia Series was short and disappointing for Scuderia Coloni. While the expectations were very good, mainly because of Alvaro Parente starting from the third spot on the grid, the outcome was very different.
The Portuguese driver, fully conscious of the great occasion he had, made a great start, immediately going side by side with Sergio Perez. The two raced wheel by wheel for a bit but the, on the straight leading to Turn 4, they had a contact; it was a normal race incident, but the result was a damaged car for Parente. Alvaro tried still to drive it, but in the next corner he lost control and was in the wall. Also Bratt, starting from eight row, did a wonderful start, and at the end of the lap I had already recovered four position, passing 12th on the line. Unhappily, immediately after e competitor bumped into him from behind, and his race ended there.
Anyway, the team leaves Bahrain with a positive feeling, reassured by the great speed showed throughout the weekend, a fact which confirmed that the latest decisions, including the engagement of some new people for the technical staff, were right. The good laptimes and all the data gathered are a good preparation for the next series race, again in Bahrain, and also good practice for the Main Series. Regarding the GP2 major championship, the team will define his complete line-up in the next weeks.
Paolo Coloni: "Looking just at the result of this race, we can't be happy, but considering the weekend as a whole, and keeping in mind that for us this Asia Series season is mainly a training for the Main Series, well we have lots of reasons to be positive. We wanted to see how the integration of some new guys in the technical staff could change our performances, and we are very satisfied about that. We wanted to try a new driver, and Alvaro was great because he had the chance to know the team only on Friday, and from then on he improved steadily. The crash robbed him a great result, probably a win looking at his start. Also Bratt did a really good start, he made up four places in a lap, and without people crashing into him, he really could have been in the top 8".