“Conor Daly hits a pot of luck at Monaco”
© GP3 Media Services.
Conor Daly encountered a rather large pot of luck earlier today following a huge accident with Dmitry Suranovich during the GP3 “Sprint Race” in Monaco.
The American was preparing to overtake Marussia Manor racer Suranovich on lap 11 of the race, when the Russian – minus a rear wing – weaved repeatedly into the path of the Lotus GP driver throughout the tour.
On the approach to the chicane, Daly ducked to the inside line, with Suranovich again responding reactively to the move.
The pair connected, sending Daly skyward and into a violent collision with the top of the catch fencing, which thankfully rebounded the car away from the heavily occupied marshal post.
Daly’s Lotus, shorn of one of his front wheels, wings and sidepod’s, fell back toward the circuit and eventually the run off area, as torn debris rained down on the circuit, peppering a number of other drivers with loose carbon fibre.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported, especially amongst the marshal’s, some of whom came perilously close to being involved in a tragic incident.
Suranovich has already been excluded from the race results – not that it matters – however he may face further punishment from the series organisers.
The incident saw a great deal of criticism pointed in Suranovich’s direction, after he had reportedly ignored the black and orange flag*, continuing to race on, despite his lack of a rear section.
It once again raises questions regarding the quality of some of the competitors in the field. At 16-years-old, Suranovich is one of the youngest driver’s competing at this level, yet incredibly young drivers is becoming a more common feature.
While mandating an age limit is certainly not being suggested, it must be realised that 16-year-old drivers have precious little racing experience, especially considering many have only recently picked up their first racing licenses at that point.
Considering GP3 is a mere two-steps away from Formula 1, perhaps it is time real racing experience is taken into consideration when a driver signs up for this series**.
It follows on from scary incidents earlier in the day. On the opening lap of the GP3 race Will Buller, Alice Powell and Alex Brundle collided at St Devote, leaving Buller upside down in the cul-de-sac.
The GP2 featured two first lap crashes, including one multi-car pile-up in the run up to Casino Square, which saw ten cars eliminated.
* {note 1}
Although the wording varies from series-to-series, the black and orange flag generally means “your car is damaged, pit immediately.”
** {note 2}
This may not be a popular suggestion.
Monaco. © Will Pittenger / Creative Commons.
TV Notes
——
McLaren’s Jenson Button and Ferrari-man Fernando Alonso showed their flair when they registered the top times during Thursday’s respective practice sessions at Monte Carlo.
Button was the quicker of the pair in a rain interrupted afternoon session – his best of 1:15.746 on Pirelli super-soft tyres gave the 2009 World Champion a four-tenths advantage over Lotus pilot Romain Grosjean.
Indeed the conditions played a pivotal part in the framing of the session. With the surface greasy as opposed to wet, many teams concluded the circuit to be too damp for slicks, but not wet enough for wets for much of the running.
As the rain fell harder later on, that emphasis changed, with several cars joining the action.
With Button running a high fuel run on the super-soft, McLaren offered a brief glimpse into a possible raceday strategy, yet the unpredictable nature of the Monaco track may yet still play havoc with that.
The Englishman led the majority of the session, having nabbed the top spot from Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi; however the greasy conditions prevented further improvements.
McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton grabbed 4th in the morning, but noted later that there was still plenty to learn; however team confidence is – in front of the cameras at least – quite high. Hamilton briefly flirted with the top spot in FP1, only for Grosjean, Sergio Perez (Sauber) and Alonso to vault him.
It was Alonso’s best of 1:16.265 that allowed him to jump to the head of the time charts come the end of FP1.
There were minor modifications to the F2012, but mainly to help it adapt to Monaco’s unique requirements; however the afternoon weather ensured the red team garnered no laps on the super-soft Pirelli’s.
Felipe Massa displayed some confidence boosting pace, ending FP1 in 6th spot, before improving to 3rd in the afternoon; however the Brazilian enjoyed some luck in the morning as he emerged unscathed following a scrap with the barriers at Tabac.
Grosjean was a model of consistency for Lotus in practice – the Frenchman finished 2nd in both sessions.
The Enstone squad completed several tyre evaluations throughout the day – despite the weather – with Grosjean registering 34 tours of the circuit.
However it proved to be an empty morning for Kimi Raikkonen, who completed only an installation lap. Feeling uncomfortable in his E20, the Finn requested a steering column alteration – a change that also demanded a hefty suspension realignment specific to Monte Carlo.
The team were delighted to discover their simulated set-ups translated well to the real circuit, bringing to an end a rather interesting week for Lotus*.
It was a rather more low key affair for Red Bull, as Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber coveted mid-table positions. The team lamented the difficult conditions, acknowledging that little had been learned during the 180 minutes of running.
Mercedes concentrated on circuit familiarisation and set-up work during the two sessions, although neither Nico Rosberg nor Michael Schumacher ran the super-soft tyre.
For the most part, the session proved a positive one for the German squad; however the veteran Schumacher lost a small lump of time, when he broke his front wing on the barriers at the Swimming Pool section toward the end of morning practice.
Williams completed minor aerodynamic evaluations, while also concentrating on set-up work and tyre comparisons. Neither driver would report any significant issues, although both Bruno Senna and Pastor Maldonado endured painless slides down the gripless escape road at Mirabeau.
Sauber had little complain about despite the loss of FP2 to the weather. Changes to their brake systems and floor (for Kamui Kobayashi) gave the Swiss team some comfort, without creating headline-breaking news.
Force India spent the morning fine-tuning aerodynamic balance and their mechanical set-up on the soft tyre; however the rain halted thoughts of long runs on the super-soft Pirelli; however both Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg were pleased to have garnered some miles on intermediate rubber.
Jean-Eric Vergne spent the morning merely acclimatising himself to Monaco in his Toro Rosso STR7. Daniel Ricciardo, too, required time to settle in, having only completed FP1 in 2011 in a Formula 1 car**. The team completed less than the optimum set-up work, much of which was due to be dome in the afternoon.
At the back Timo Glock encountered a problem in FP1, when his Marussia suffered from mechanical gremlins – this was made worse by the trying conditions of the afternoon. On the other hand, Charles Pic notched up 37 laps, including some on the Pirelli full wet tyres during FP2.
Caterham tried new suspension components; however Heikki Kovalainen brought FP1 to a premature halt when his Renault engine (an old one) blew apart in the tunnel, bringing out the red flag with nine minutes remaining. The Finn also had a harmless off at Mirabeau toward the end of FP2; however his reverse gear failed, ensuring his car could not escape the run-off.
As per usual, HRT featured at the rear of the field; however both Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan complete much of their pre-planned programme, including baseline work on upgrades.
Apart from the Williams pairing and Kovalainen, there were other offs at Mirabeau toward the end of FP2, including excursions for Massa and Perez. Karthikeyan also went down the escape road in FP1, but survived with no problem.
* {note 1}
Lotus have been in the news this week. On Thursday, the Enstone squad revealed a new partnership with business technology solutions company Avanade, in a drive to improve Lotus’ technological efficiencies and processes.
That was followed on Friday by the announcement that controversial Group Lotus CEO Dany Bahar has been suspended with immediate effect pending an investigation into his conduct. Following the announcement, Group Lotus released the following:
“As a result of a number of media inquiries, Group Lotus plc (“Lotus”) can today confirm that, following an operational review, chief executive Dany Bahar has been temporarily suspended from his role to facilitate an investigation into a complaint about his conduct made by Lotus’ penultimate parent company, DRB-HICOM Berhad.”
As an aside, the only two remaining Lotus’ in tomorrow’s Indy 500 field are to start 32nd (Simona de Silvestro, HVM) and 33rd (Jean Alesi, Fan Force United) respectively. Whereas de Silvestro recorded a passable time in qualifying, Alesi’s entry appears to be a worrying 16mph shy of Ryan Briscoe’s pole speed.
** {note 2}
Although both Toro Rosso drivers will be making their Formula 1 debuts at Monaco, both have raced there previously in the Formula Renault 3.5 series.
With two wins for ISR, Ricciardo has shown incredible proficiency on the streets, including two pole positions and a fastest lap on the streets. Vergne’s single visit to the principality with Carlin proved to be less rewarding when he finished a lowly 12th.
2012 Monaco Grand Prix (Rd 6, Free Practice 1) Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.265s 22 2. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m16.630s + 0.365 17 3. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.711s + 0.446 19 4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m16.747s + 0.482 12 5. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.760s + 0.495 20 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.843s + 0.578 19 7. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.038s + 0.773 21 8. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.190s + 0.925 13 9. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m17.222s + 0.957 14 10. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m17.261s + 0.996 18 11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m17.413s + 1.148 14 12. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m17.631s + 1.366 18 13. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m18.106s + 1.841 14 14. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.209s + 1.944 25 15. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.252s + 1.987 28 16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m18.302s + 2.037 16 17. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m18.617s + 2.352 20 18. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m19.039s + 2.774 20 19. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m19.341s + 3.076 16 20. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m20.838s + 4.573 26 21. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m20.895s + 4.630 18 22. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m21.638s + 5.373 9 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m22.423s + 6.158 15 24. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1
^Notes compiled from team releases and live updates
2012 Monaco Grand Prix (Rd 6, Free Practice 2) Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.746s 14 2. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m16.138s + 0.392 17 3. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.602s + 0.856 19 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m16.661s + 0.915 21 5. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m16.820s + 1.074 18 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m17.021s + 1.275 13 7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.148s + 1.402 21 8. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m17.153s + 1.407 20 9. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m17.293s + 1.547 9 10. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m17.303s + 1.557 19 11. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m17.375s + 1.629 17 12. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m17.395s + 1.649 19 13. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m17.655s + 1.909 18 14. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m17.800s + 2.054 23 15. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m18.251s + 2.505 22 16. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m18.440s + 2.694 23 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.522s + 2.776 20 18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m18.808s + 3.062 24 19. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m19.267s + 3.521 23 20. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m19.309s + 3.563 27 21. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m20.029s + 4.283 13 22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m20.240s + 4.494 19 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m20.631s + 4.885 12 24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m20.886s + 5.140 10
^Notes compiled from team releases and live updates
“Lynn tops British F3 Rockingham test”
© SRO.
Alex Lynn topped this week’s British Formula 3 test at Rockingham Motor Speedway ahead of the its next round there in two weeks.
The Fortec racer narrowly pipped teammate Hannes van Asseldonk to the top of the timesheets with a best of 1:17.578 – a mere one tenth quicker than his Dutch counterpart.
Lynn set the quickest lap during the morning running, taking advantage of the cooler conditions at the north-eastern circuit, before moving toward set-up programmes.
Having opted to use a joker test day* at the circuit on Monday, the Formula Renault UK champion firmly bedding himself into the series, the test proved to be a confidence builder for Essex-born the 18-year-old.
Lynn also assumed the top position at the end of the final session, although lap times had fallen away come the final chequered flag.
Jazeman Jaafar headed the Carlin charge in 3rd, thanks to a 0.054s advantage over teammate Harry Tincknell, while Pipo Derani made it three Fortec drivers in the top five. Carlos Sainz Jr (Carlin) was fastest in the third session; however his best would only translate to 6th quickest overall.
The Spaniard held a small advantage over teammates Jack Harvey (7th) and Pietro Fantin (8th), although the latter endured an engine prone to over-revving, robbing the Brazilian of some finesse.
Felix Serralles assumed 9th in the final Fortec machine.
ATS German Formula 3 Cup** regular Mitchell Gilbert rounded out the top ten in his Performance Racing Volkswagen. Gilbert*** enjoyed a one-tent advantage over Double R’s Geoff Uhrhane (11th), who finally appears to be displaying more confidence in his new field of racing.
Uhrhane ended the day quicker than T-Sport rival Nick McBride (who claimed a credible 3rd in the final session) and Double R teammate Fahmi Ilyas (13th).
As per usual, the National Class pairing of Spike Goddard and Duvashen Padayachee filled out the bottom of the time sheets, with Goddard holding a 2.3 second advantage.
* {note 1}
Outside of the pre-planned test sessions, organised by either SRO or FOTA (Formula Three Association and nothing to do with the Formula 1 group), teams are allowed five independently organised test days, as long as those days are registered with the series.
** {note 2}
Although Gilbert took 10th overall, his Volkswagen-powered German F3 machine runs to slightly different engine rules.
Unlike British F3 and the F3 Euro Series, German F3 are allowed cars to utilise a “push-to-pass” facility – a technology that takes the series slightly outside FIA regulations for the formula. As such, Gilbert is not eligible for British Formula 3, despite the relatively minor difference in power output.
*** {note 3}
While his time may not make him stand out, it has not been the most unsuccessful of seasons for Gilbert. The Australian currently sits 2nd in the ATS Formula 3 Cup with 38 points, only one point behind series leader Lucas Auer (nephew of Gerhard Berger).
Interestingly, despite three races having already taken place at Zandvoort, neither Auer not Gilbert have actually won a race yet. In fact Auer leads even though he missed a race, yet the Austrian garnered enough bonus points from the Dutch meeting to leapfrog race winners Jimmy Eriksson, Yannick Mettler and Kimiya Sato.
2012 British Formula 3 Test (Rockingham, May 22nd) Pos Driver Team/car Time 1. Alex Lynn Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m17.578s 2. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m17.668s 3. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m18.227s 4. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m18.281s 5. Pipo Derani Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m18.308s 6. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m18.367s 7. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m18.386s 8. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-Volkswagen 1m18.492s 9. Felix Serralles Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m18.659s 10. Mitchell Gilbert Performance Racing Dallara-Volkswagen* 1m18.736s 11. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Racing Dallara-Mercedes 1m18.835s 12. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 1m18.989s 13. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Racing Dallara-Mercedes 1m19.161s 14. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m20.454s 15. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda 1m22.768s
* = Not eligible for British F3
Italics = National Class
“The King of Monaco: 1969 Monaco Grand Prix”
Unlike the current Grand Prix season, the 1969 World Championship proved to be a somewhat more predictable affair.
Jackie Stewart, driving the Ford-powered Matra machine, cruised to the title, winning six of the eleven championship events along the way.
On this occasion, Jacky Ickx proved to be Stewart’s nearest rival throughout the year – one mentions the word “rival”, but realistically Stewart was not far from having double of Ickx’s points tally come the season end, such was his dominance.
Monte Carlo was always something of a happy hunting ground for Stewart, having triumphed there on three separate occasions; however even his achievements pale into insignificance when compared the success achieved in the principality by the likes of Ayrton Senna and Graham Hill.
Having won the opening two rounds at Kyalami in South Africa and Spain’s Montjuic Park, Stewart already possessed 18 points – some ten more than next man Bruce McLaren.
Reigning champion Denny Hulme was a further point adrift in 3rd spot, while Hill and Jean-Pierre Beltoise coveted 4th and 5th respectively.
So then onto round three at Monaco. Would Stewart make it three in a row, or would the famed casino’s guide someone to a precious win, or would the King of Monaco – Graham Hill – pounce for more success on the city streets..?
Badger GP.
Top Formula 1 fan site Badger GP will be holding the latest in their Grand Prix screening events in London this Sunday.
The website – famed for its distinctly idiosyncratic and humourous look Badger GP are hosting the 2012 Monaco Grand Prix at the Roxy Bar and Screen just off Borough Street in London.
It follows on from the success of the Australian Grand Prix Breakfast, which was held in the same venue back in March.
As well as the screening the Grand Prix itself, full build-up and post-race coverage will be screened in high definition on a giant cinema-grade screen, while the sound of Formula 1’s current V6 monsters will be complemented by glorious surround sound.
For those also interested in the finer details in following a race, there will also be large timing and scoring screen, with F1-related Twitter feed, in operation.
Following the race, there will be a Grand Prix Quiz, a fan forum and a raffle, with prizes ranging from “Classic Monaco Grand Prix Art Prints” from Retro Formula 1, an “F1 2012 ‘Champions’” poster from Octane Photos, while Bang & Olufsen have delightfully offered a chance to win the perfect “F1 Viewing Experience” and a set of “Form 2″ headphones. Also up for grabs will be tickets for this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
In addition, should a ticket holder be wearing black tie and suit affair, they will be rewarded with an extra five raffle tickets.
Doors are at hangover clasping 11am and tickets are £10 and are available from Grand Prix Screenings, with a raffle ticket going to each entrant. Don’t forget to check out BadgerGP.com for more events and bits and bobs and news.
To be in with a extra chance of winning, an additional five tickets can be purchased for £5, while a batch of ten tickets is available for a mere £8. However, do sign up quickly as there are only 100 spots available and (I believe) most have already been filled.
As always, the Grand Prix starts at 1pm, so get there early to ensure a seat. The Roxy Bar and Screen is a short walk from either Borough or London Bridge tube stations and is very easy to find as long as you can walk in a straight line.
“Evans and Daly take opening GP3 honours in Spain”
© GP3 Media Services.
TV Notes
—-
GP3 season favourites Mitch Evans and Conor Daly stamped their authority on the series opener at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona last week.
Evans – driving for MW Arden – looked quick all weekend, despite tough opposition from his teammates and the Lotus trio, earning the championship lead thanks to Race One victory. Lotus pilot Daly showed his metal with a win on Sunday morning.
There is little doubt that they will spend much of the season facing off, although both must watch out for rivals Aaro Vainio and Matias Laine.
With the Spanish adventure now consigned to history, the series leaders will be looking for victory next week at Formula 1’s jewel event – the Monaco Grand Prix.
—-
Race One (May 12th)
Mitch Evans took the opening GP3 race of the 2012 season from Marlon Stockinger and Aaro Vainio, albeit with a touch luck from rivals Daniel Abt and Antonio Felix da Costa.
Both Abt (Lotus) and poleman* da Costa (Carlin) were penalised for jump-starts, with the former launching himself from 6th to the lead before many had even left their slots. Unsurprisingly, the pair held the lead, before being brought in for drive through penalties on lap seven and eight respectively, dropping them well out of contention.
Evans continued to lead with not much fuss, despite having his initial advantage wiped out by a midrace safety car for a stalled Kevin Ceccon (ORT). The Kiwi pushed on for the final five laps under green, eventually taking the victory by 2.6 seconds.
Status GP’s Stockinger had something of a quiet race. After passing a slow starting Conor Daly (Lotus), the Filipino racer settled in 4th spot behind Evans, rarely looking threatened, nor threatening. That became 2nd when Abt and da Costa were penalised.
Vainio gave Lotus some raceday relief** by completing the podium, albeit under constant pressure from Jenzer’s Patric Niederhauser, while Matias Laine (MW Arden) headed another tight battle across the line, as he pipped Daly and Tio Ellinas* (Manor) to 5th place.
It was a case of what could have been for Daly and Ellinas – a clutch issue at the start for Daly dropped him from 2nd to 8th, while Ellinas drove back from a qualifying penalty that left him on row eight.
Jenzer’s Robert Visoiu took 8th place and the pole for race two – the 16-year-old Romanian nipped across the line ahead of David Fumanelli (MW Arden, 9th) and Alex Brundle (Carlin, 10th).
There was some little carnage on the exit of turn one at the start when Atech CRS racer John Wartique clipped teammate Ethan Ringel who was then innocently hit Alice Powell (Status), taking both Ringel and Powell out of the race. Aside from the leading pair, Trident’s Antonio Spavone*** also jumped the start, pinning him to the far end of the results sheet.
* {note 1}
Da Costa took the first pole of the season, less than a tenth up on Lotus racer’s Daly and Vainio. A late quick lap gave Evans 4th, only just quicker than Stockinger. Ellinas assumed 6th, but was hit with a 10-place grid drop for setting a fast lap under waved yellows.
British F3 graduate Buller spun off on his final lap, ensuring he would start 13th. Ceccon never got a lap at all, after stopping after 5 minutes with a mechanical issue.
** {note 2}
MW Arden and Lotus showed their pace in the first practice session, with Arden’s Laine and Fumanelli slotting into 1st and 2nd, followed by all three Lotus’ headed by Vainio. Evans wound up 6th for Arden.
Manor endured a difficult session, when Ellinas stopped on track with a mechanical issue, followed by further malaise when Machado hit the turn 14 barriers. Trident’s Piria takes a 10-place penalty into qualifying after she set a quick lap under the resulting yellow flags.
*** {note 3}
It is possible Spavone is merely trigger happy from so much racing. The Italian is also competing in the Auto GP World Series, although an indifferent season thus far sees the 17-year-old locked in 10th in the standings, with 25 points.
His best finish thus far is 5th; however Spavone has made 8th his natural habitat after claiming four 8th place finishes in eight races. Former GP3 race winner Adrian Quaife-Hobbs leads the Auto GP World Series with 148 points, following three wins and four podiums.
2012 GP3 Round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 1, 16 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Mitch Evans MW Arden 28m38.738s
2. Marlon Stockinger Status + 2.609s
3. Aaro Vainio Lotus + 4.594s
4. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 5.071s
5. Matias Laine MW Arden + 6.284s
6. Conor Daly Lotus + 6.941s
7. Tio Ellinas Manor + 7.419s
8. Robert Visoiu Jenzer + 10.102s
9. David Fumanelli MW Arden + 11.046s
10. Alex Brundle Carlin + 11.291s
11. Dmitry Suranovich Manor + 15.105s
12. Tamas Pa'l Kiss Atech CRS + 15.752s
13. Daniel Abt Lotus + 16.231s
14. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin + 16.577s
15. Robert Cregan Ocean + 17.132s
16. Fabiano Machado Manor + 17.775s
17. Antonio Spavone Trident + 18.284s
18. Kotaro Sakurai Status + 19.087s
19. Jakub Klasterka Jenzer + 19.626s
20. Carmen Jorda Ocean + 22.224s
21. John Wartique Atech CRS + 23.070s
22. Vicky Piria Trident + 32.897s
23. William Buller Carlin + 46.346s
Retirements:
Kevin Ceccon Ocean 7 laps
Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 0 laps
Alice Powell Status 0 laps
Race Two (May 13th)
Conor Daly grabbed his first GP3 victory with a fine drive last Sunday to finish ahead of Robert Visoiu and Matias Laine.
The American benefitted when original race leader Tio Ellinas was handed a drive through penalty for a jump-start (it was quite blatant); however once ahead, the American guided his Lotus to a clear-cut race win by 3.2 seconds.
Daly – who jumped polesitter Visoiu off the line – faced little opposition once Ellinas took his penalty.
Visoiu, too, drove to the flag to take 2nd with little competition from 3rd place Laine. While the race appeared close on paper (6.6 seconds covered 2nd through 8th place), few opportunities to overtake created a status quo in the field.
In order Aaro Vainio (Lotus) followed Laine across the line in 4th, with Patric Niederhauser a further eight-tenths adrift.
Carlin’s Antonio Felix da Costa wore his tyres almost to the canvas on his way to 6th following a battle with Daniel Abt – a desperate lunge from da Costa surprised both himself and Abt on lap 11, with the pair clashing wheels. Da Costa assumed the position in a rare overtaking manoeuvre.
Alex Brundle moved up the order by taking care of his Pirelli tyres – he challenged Abt late on, but could not force the issue; however 8th spot gave Brundle another point.
William Buller held Kevin Ceccon and Alice Powell off late on for 9th – 11th positions – stellar results considering the trio started 23rd, 24th and 25th respectively.
The trio were helped somewhat when Buller tapped Tamas Pa’l Kiss on the opening lap as they approached turn four, sending the Hungarian out of control and into a crash with the innocent Antonio Spavone and Robert Cregan.
Amidst the spinning and crashing, Dmitry Suranovich spun all by himself in the same corner.
Fabiano Machado also retired, this time on lap 12. The Manor GP racer was being overtaken around the outside of turn one for 12th place, only to scare himself into a race ending spin. Race One winner Mitch Evans suffered a slow puncture in the early laps – the resultant pitstop dropped him to the rear of the field, although he would recover to finish 20th.
2012 GP3 Round of Barcelona (Rd 1, Race 2, 16 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Conor Daly Lotus 27m21.043s
2. Robert Visoiu Jenzer + 3.265s
3. Matias Laine MW Arden + 4.168s
4. Aaro Vainio Lotus + 4.877s
5. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 5.669s
6. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin + 8.688s
7. Daniel Abt Lotus + 9.341s
8. Alex Brundle Carlin + 9.833s
9. William Buller Carlin + 12.090s
10. Kevin Ceccon Ocean + 12.401s
11. Alice Powell Status + 13.664s
12. Kotaro Sakurai Status + 16.703s
13. John Wartique Atech CRS + 21.703s
14. Jakub Klasterka Jenzer + 25.550s
15. Tio Ellinas Manor + 28.133s
16. Vicky Piria Trident + 31.239s
17. David Fumanelli MW Arden + 31.608s
18. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS + 37.862s
19. Marlon Stockinger Status + 38.449s
20. Mitch Evans MW Arden + 51.421s
21. Carmen Jorda Ocean + 1m16.560s
Retirements:
Fabiano Machado Manor 12 laps
Robert Cregan Ocean 0 laps
Tamas Pa'l Kiss Atech CRS 0 laps
Antonio Spavone Trident 0 laps
Dmitry Suranovich Manor 0 laps
2012 GP3 Series Drivers’ Championship (Rd 1) Pos Driver Points 1. Mitch Evans 25 2. Conor Daly 23 3. Aaro Vainio 23 4. Matias Laine 20 5. Patric Niederhauser 20 6. Marlon Stockinger 18 7. Robert Visoiu 16 8. Antonio Felix da Costa 6 9. Tio Ellinas 6 10. Daniel Abt 4 2012 GP3 Series Teams’ Championship (Rd 1) Pos Teams Points 1. Lotus GP 50 2. MW Arden 47 3. Jenzer Motorsport 36 4. Status GP 18 5. Carlin 8
© GP2 Media Services.
TV Notes
——
Giedo van der Garde and Luiz Razia made the most of GP2′s first European adventure of 2012, with each taking a win respectively, yet it was still DAMS racer Davide Valsecchi who came out smiling thanks to some hard fought points.
While Valsecchi’s championship lead is by no means insurmountable, it is still a credible 25 points, with only Razia looking like a challenge now.
Meanwhile, James Calado took charge of a tight four-way battle for 3rd at the expense of Lotus teammate Esteban Gutierrez, after a couple of impressive drives, following the blip in tactical form that was Bahrain.
Here’s how it happened.
——
Feature Race (May 12th)
Giedo van der Garde took his first GP2 race win since Monza 2009 with a stellar drive at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya last Saturday, ending a winless streak of fifty-four races.
It would be a narrow victory – as he led James Calado (Lotus) and Coloni’s Stefano Coletti across the line, the trio were covered by only 3.8 seconds.
Van der Garde’s race was greatly helped by a storming start that saw him jump from 5th to 3rd, but it was pit strategy that connected the final series of dots. Stopping on lap 15, the Dutchman took only rear tyres, allowing the Caterham racer to jump into the lead ahead of poleman Calado* and Racing Engineering’s Fabio Leimer.
Calado would ensure the victory was no sure thing for van der Garde. Having stopped one lap earlier than the Caterham, Calado changed all four tyres, giving van der Garde an advantage.
With less than a second between them, Calado pressurised, but never truly looked like he would break his Dutch rival, ensuring the gap across the line at the end was only 0.878 seconds.
Admittedly, the Lotus also lost time avoiding Leimer in the pitlane. The Swiss racer launched out of his pitbox – unsafely it would later be deemed – garnering a drive through and handing 3rd spot to Coletti. Leimer, meanwhile, would drop down to 12th.
Like van der Garde, Coletti also made a great start, jumping from 8th to 4th. From there, Coletti held his Pirelli tyres in state, staying on track until lap 17. Solid pace in clear air brought him right into the battle for the lead, with Coletti spending much of the final few laps on Calado’s tail, although his tyres fell away in the final two tours.
Davide Valsecchi (DAMS) came home 4th after a lonely race. The Italian enjoyed a four-second advantage over Nathanael Berthon, who took three places at the start (to 7th), before picking off Max Chilton (Carlin) in the pits. Leimer’s penalty made that 5th for rejuvenated Berthon.
Chilton would also lose out to Coloni’s Fabio Onidi in the stops, although the Carlin man nearly grabbed 6th spot back at the line as the pair ended the race virtually together. Arden’s Luiz Razia also spent the late stages bearing down on them both, but hung in 8th to grab the Sprint Race pole.
A late charge from Jolyon Palmer (iSport) brought him up to 9th after a late pitstop. The Englishman was helped back up the order when Nigel Melker (ORT) received a drive through for pitlane speeding. Passes on Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus), Leimer, Felipe Nasr (DAMS), Johnny Cecotto Jr (Addax) offered up minor points.
Gutierrez closed the top ten thanks to a pass on Nasr with four laps to go – solid reward after a difficult practice** and qualifying.
There was still last lap action when Cecotto Jr – defending from Tom Dillmann, hit the Frenchman, spinning him around, while Julian Leal spun all by himself trying to avoid it.
Alas, it was a poor day for Stephane Richelmi, as the Trident racer – who lined-up on the second row – dropped ten places at the start, but continued to fall as the race progressed. He finished 21st, some 75 seconds behind van der Garde.
* {note 1}
Calado took his first GP2 pole position with stunning lap early on, earning two-tenths advantage over Leimer (2nd) and Richelmi (3rd) – both of whom improved towards the sessions end. Chilton headed the Carlin charge in 4th, van der Garde and Onidi make the third row their own, just ahead of Valsecchi (7th).
Both Dillmann and Trummer made things difficult for themselves with silly spins. They would do no better than 18th and 19th respectively.
** {note 2}
Josef Kral (Barwa Addax) set the quickest lap on his first session back. The Czech pilot headed Calado, Nasr and van der Garde by less than two tenths, while Dillmann closed out the top five, a quarter-of-a-second shy of the top.
The session was rife with smoking tyres and mis-shaped rubber, especially on Gutierrez’ Lotus, as the Mexican front-locked his way through the session. Gutierrez ended up a distant 18th.
2012 GP2 Round of Barcelona (Rd 4, Feature Race, 37 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1h00m22.966s
2. James Calado Lotus + 0.878s
3. Stefano Coletti Coloni + 3.811s
4. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 11.859s
5. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 15.795s
6. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 19.379s
7. Max Chilton Carlin + 19.768s
8. Luiz Razia Arden + 20.072s
9. Jolyon Palmer iSport + 27.624s
10. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 36.653s
11. Felipe Nasr DAMS + 45.264s
12. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 46.534s
13. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 47.087s
14. Nigel Melker Ocean + 47.356s
15. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 53.555s
16. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 1m00.879s
17. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus + 1m06.737s
18. Johnny Cecotto Addax + 1m11.199s
19. Victor Guerin Ocean + 1m11.397s
20. Josef Kral Addax + 1m14.871s
21. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 1m15.821s
22. Tom Dillmann Rapax + 1m20.031s
23. Simon Trummer Arden + 1m20.382s
24. Julian Leal Trident + 1m28.989s
25. Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus + 1 lap
Retirements:
Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 8 laps
Sprint Race (May 13th)
Arden’s Luiz Razia marked the one-third point of the GP2 season with his second victory of the year at a cool-er Circuit de Catalunya. The Brazilian finished the race just over five seconds clear of Nathanael Berthon, while title rival Davide Valsecchi completed the podium for DAMS.
Whatever grip had been laid down the previous day was well and truly washed off come Sunday morning thanks to overnight rain; yet Razia had little trouble in finding grip off the line.
The Arden man launched into the lead from pole, receiving some little help from Chilton, who dropped from the front row to 4th, but not before backing the pack up on the approach to turn one.
From 5th, Berthon stole 2nd following a great start and proceeded to hound Razia for much of the running. The opening 17 laps saw the gap flicker around the six-tenths mark, as Berthon could neither pass Razia, nor be shaken off by him.
Eventually, Razia pulled away in the latter stages – his tyres far healthier than Berthon’s – while the Frenchman fell toward Valsecchi. Come the chequered flag, Razia had extended the gap to 5.2 seconds – enough to guarantee a well deserved win.
Berthon just held Valsecchi at bay over the line, although an extra lap or two may well have denied the Racing Engineering pilot a podium altogether. With only six-tenths of an advantage over the quicker Valsecchi, Berthon was able to breathe a sigh of relief; especially as Lotus’ James Calado towered over them both.
Valsecchi jumped to 3rd at the start, but it was Calado who made a real impression, when he nabbed two spots off the line for 5th, before forcing passed Chilton on lap four, assuming 4th.
Calado drew toward Valsecchi, but despite his valiant efforts, Valsecchi was not to be tricked into losing a position, ensuring the Englishman remained of the podium. Calado had another reason to celebrate – the race marked his 55th consecutive race finish, leaving him 3rd in the points.
Once Calado had passed, Chilton would later successfully fend off a small trail of cars, led by race one winner Giedo van der Garde.
A relatively sluggish start for van der Garde saw the Dutch racer briefly mired behind Esteban Gutierrez; however that lasted only until lap four when the Caterham man made his move, with the Mexican temporarily falling to 9th spot behind Stefano Coletti and Felipe Nasr.
Led by van der Garde, the group chased after Chilton, but none had enough to thrust their way by the Carlin car, despite Chilton fading Pirelli’s.
Coletti (Coloni) and Nasr (DAMS) initially covered the tail end of the Chilton / van der Garde / Gutierrez battle, only to fade in the second half of the race, allowing Gutierrez back ahead of them.
Chilton, van der Garde and Gutierrez would eventually take 5th, 6th and 7th respectively (covered by only 1.7 seconds), while Nasr and Coletti dropped off the pace badly. By lap 14, Coletti would grab the final points spot away from Nasr, with a courageous move around the outside of turn one.
Fabrizio Crestani drove an excellent race to 10th, after he started 17th in his Venezuela GP Lazarus machine. Crestani’s teammate – Giancarlo Serenelli was less graceful. The 30-year-old stalled on the grid, but started from the pitlane, only to spin off by himself four laps in.
It was a dire day for iSport. Jolyon Palmer’s entry suffered an electrical failure close to the end of the parade lap, resulting in an aborted start, while teammate Marcus Ericsson garnered a drive through penalty for ignoring yellow flags when in 11th place – the Swede finished 22nd.
Ericsson’s day was not helped when he was hit by a clumsy Fabio Onidi at the mid-point of the race.
2012 GP2 Round of Barcelona (Rd 4, Sprint Race, 25 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Luiz Razia Arden 40m08.411s
2. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 5.256s
3. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 5.897s
4. James Calado Lotus + 6.575s
5. Max Chilton Carlin + 13.117s
6. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 14.362s
7. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 14.874s
8. Stefano Coletti Coloni + 19.223s
9. Felipe Nasr DAMS + 19.703s
10. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus + 21.570s
11. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 22.852s
12. Tom Dillmann Rapax + 23.312s
13. Johnny Cecotto Addax + 30.155s
14. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 30.601s
15. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 31.281s
16. Josef Kral Addax + 31.834s
17. Julian Leal Trident + 32.817s
18. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 34.371s
19. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 34.818s
20. Simon Trummer Arden + 35.426s
21. Victor Guerin Ocean + 38.977s
22. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 39.878s
23. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 41.979s
24. Nigel Melker Ocean + 48.441s
Retirements:
Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus 3 laps
Jolyon Palmer iSport 0 laps
2012 GP2 Drivers' Championship (Rd 4) Pos Driver Points 1. Davide Valsecchi 129 2. Luiz Razia 104 3. James Calado 69 4. Giedo van der Garde 60 5. Esteban Gutierrez 59 6. Max Chilton 57 7. Fabio Leimer 41 8. Felipe Nasr 28 9. Tom Dillmann 27 10. Stefano Coletti 26 2012 GP2 Teams' Championship (Rd 4) Pos Team Points 1. DAMS 157 2. Lotus 128 3. Arden International 105 4. Carlin 73 5. Racing Engineering 64
“Thoughts on Pau and Raffaele Marciello”
Marciello also won at Hockenheim. © F3 Euro Series.
In person, Raffaele Marciello – last weekend’s victor of the 73rd Grand Prix de Pau – doesn’t quite come across as the most outwardly confident person that has crossed my path.
Hanging medium-high in pitch, while soft in texture, the low volume of his voice is not quite sheltered and at no stage do his words descend into a muted rumble; however they don’t necessarily punctuate either.
That’s not to say Marciello is short on confidence – the Swiss-Italian racer possesses that in abundance – rather the Prema Powerteam racer rarely appeared to acknowledge the pressures that surrounded.
All that is missing is the all-encompassing exuberance, yet when Marciello does speak, his words are rarely stifled – they are purposeful and touched by intent.
Pau was a natural example of that intent. Beyond Friday’s irrepressible 35°C heat, Prema Powerteam collected themselves well despite several minor incidents, all the while knowing Carlin and Fortec were the constant threats – indeed, Carlin’s Jazeman Jaafar appeared far more settled than ever after he led the way on Friday.
The heat switched to cooler climes on Saturday, before settling for a healthy mix of both conditions come Sunday and it was here that Marciello made his efforts count.
In the car, the Zurich-born pilot noted the state of his Cooper Tyres – the rears especially – while still pushing them hard. Each tour saw the gap to his followers steadily increase, until his Cooper rubber plateaued late on in the event.
Cool, calm and utterly confident – he merely let his Dallara F312 do the hard work for him. Steely aggression certainly played its part in Marciello’s eventual victory, but it would not have been possible had that fiery drive not been ring fenced by a tentative subtlety behind the wheel.
While others in the pack were fighting not just for position, but also for control, Marciello made it seem easy.
The Grand Prix de Pau did not rank as Marciello’s first win of the season*, but it may be thought of as one of his finest. He made his car dance and that was quite sublime to watch. Upon reading this performance, this latest Ferrari Formula 1 protégé may be no shrinking violet.
It does, however, remain to be seen if Marciello can turn this success into a consistent run – but he is young** and he still has so much to learn.
* {note 1}
Marciello claimed the top spot in race two of the F3 Euro Series round of the Hockenheimring last month, although a poor final race leaves him lingering 5th in the championship with 20 points.
He currently chases Daniel Juncadella (Prema Powerteam, 50 points), Carlos Sainz Jr (Carlin, 41 pts), Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport, 38 pts) and William Buller (Carlin, 28 pts).
There was also a race win at Hampton Downs during the brief Toyota Racing Series campaign in the Australasian region, although Marciello ended the championship in a disappointing 9th spot.
** {note 2}
Marciello only turned 17-years-old just before Christmas of last year. As a measure of his inexperience, this season represents only his third year as a car-racing driver.
“Marciello takes Pau Formula 3 prize”
Grand Prix de Pau. © Will Pittenger / Creative Commons
Prema Powerteam’s Raffaele Marciello claimed the Grand Prix de Pau in an emphatic style in the southern French town this afternoon.
Following in the footsteps of Tazio Nuvolari and Alberto Ascari, the Italian soared to a victory, untouched by threats from fellow podium sitters Carlos Sainz Jr and Jazeman Jaafar.
Marciello built a gap of 14.3 seconds to Sainz Jr, but lost much of that amidst lapped traffic. Undeterred, the Ferrari junior racer spread his wings once again, extending his lead to 13.1 seconds as he took the chequered flag.
While Sainz Jr and Jaafar fought in the distance, Marciello proved imperious out front, as he took the 73rd Grand Prix de Pau.
“It’s fantastic, because the car was perfect. Forty minutes is a very long race, but I make the car last very easily – it was very good. It was difficult with the tyres, because [last night] it rained, so after six laps, I had a little problem with the tyres, but it was not too big.
“[Concentration] was very difficult … when you’re over ten seconds ahead of the next guy, […] you don’t push the limit, so you relax and can make an error.”
Although Sainz Jr ended the day 2nd overall, the Spaniard was classed the top British F3 runner. It is a result that gives the Carlin racer the top spot in both the British F3 Series and the FIA European F3 Championship.
Sainz Jr had more than just Jaafar to contend with though – for much of the race, the Spaniard held off a train of up to nine cars, but the Carlin man played a canny game to keep 2nd spot, as others began to fall away.
“I am happy because obviously to win the British Formula 3 race is good, and to be leading the championship – it’s a really good start to the season. But in particular with this race I am not so happy – the Prema guys were so much faster and we were struggling to find grip; it’s a lesson that we must learn from.”
Jaafar, too, was feeling the pressure – this time from Daniel Juncadella (Prema Powerteam). The 2011 Macau Grand Prix winner ducked and dived around Jaafar’s mirrors, but the Mercedes-powered racer could do nothing to get by the Malaysian. Unsurprisingly, Jaafar was disappointed to not make it two class wins over the course of the weekend.
“It was a very tough race, one of the toughest I have done. I was chasing Carlos and really wanting that second place and the British F3 win, but at the same time I had Dani behind me the whole race and he’s so quick. It was hard to manage the situation for 40 minutes.”
Come the line, the trio would only be split by 1.061 seconds – in fact, the gap was rarely ever larger than that.
Pipo Derani took 5th for Fortec. The Brazilian spent much of the race in a frustrating 6th place, only to pounce on Felix Rosenqvist’s sole mistake 25 laps in. Rosenqvist refused to give in and – like Juncadella – proceeded to show his face in Derani’s eyeline, hoping desperately for an error, but none came.
It was a disappointment, of course, for Rosenqvist, yet the Mücke Motorsport racer can take some pleasure from a stunning start that saw him jump from 9th to 5th…
Alex Lynn stuck to Derani’s wheel tracks early on, but lost sight of the Brazilian once he had jumped Rosenqvist. It was the same story for both Jack Harvey (Carlin, 8th) and Pascal Wehrlein (Mücke Motorsport, 9th) who struggled to make an impression on Lynn.
Prema Powerteam’s Sven Muller rounded out the top ten just ahead of teammate Michael Lewis, ensuring that the gap from 2nd to 11th was a mere 8.73 seconds.
It was not all plain sailing amongst the pack. Harry Tincknell (Carlin), Hannes van Asseldonk (Fortec) and Andrea Roda (Jo Zeller Team) all ended their Pau adventures in the barriers, while both Geoff Uhrhane and Felix Serralles suffered early punctures.
Tom Blomqvist (ma-con Motorsport) also pitted to repair damage, as did Spike Goddard (T-Sport) who early race troubles handed the National Class win to Double R’s Duvashen Padayachee.
FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 2, Race 2, May 13th, 33 laps)
[also British F3 Series (Rd 3, Race 2)]
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Raffaelle Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 40m02.512s
2. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW + 13.129s
3. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 13.817s
4. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc + 14.190s
5. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 15.797s
6. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc + 16.500s
7. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 17.510s
8. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW + 19.062s
9. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc + 19.835s
10. Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc + 20.939s
11. Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc + 21.861s
12. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW + 34.069s
13. Emil Bernstorff ma-con Dallara-VW + 37.861s
14. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 54.307s
15. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 57.908s
16. Sandro Zeller Jo Zeller Dallara-Merc + 1 lap
17. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen + 1 lap
18. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc + 1 lap
19. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 2 laps
20. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen + 2 laps
21. Tom Blomqvist ma-con Dallara-VW + 2 laps
Retirements:
Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 13 laps
Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 9 laps
Andrea Roda Jo Zeller Dallara-Merc 1 lap
FIA European Formula 3 Championship standings (Rd 2, Race 2)
Pos Driver Points
1. Daniel Juncadella 62 points
2. Carlos Sainz Jr 62
3. Raffaele Marciello 58
4. Felix Rosenqvist 50
5. William Buller 20
6. Sven Muller 11
7. Tom Blomqvist 6
8. Pascal Wehrlein 6
9. Lucas Wolf 4
10. Michael Lewis 3
British Formula 3 Series standings (Rd 3, Race 2)
International Class
Pos Driver Points
1. Carlos Sainz 104 points
2. Jazeman Jaafar 101
3. Jack Harvey 83
4. Felix Serralles 73
5. Alex Lynn 64
6. Pipo Derani 61
7. Harry Tincknell 48
8. Pietro Fantin 48
9. Hannes van Asseldonk 25
10. Nick McBride 24
National Class
Pos Driver Points
1. Spike Goddard 141
2. Duvashen Padayachee 102
“First blood to Marciello in manic F3 opener at Pau”
Grand Prix de Pau. © Will Pittenger / Creative Commons
Raffaele Marciello claimed not only the first race at the Grand Prix de Pau this afternoon, but also his first win in the FIA European F3 Championship.
The Prema Powerteam earned a 6.7 second win over Carlin’s Jazeman Jaafar, while an embattled Alex Lynn (Fortec) took 3rd overall.
Marciello – part of the Ferrari F1 development team – led from the start, chased initially by teammate Daniel Juncadella and Mücke Motorsport’s Pascal Wehrlein.
The Swiss-Italian pilot had grafted a 2 second lead, when Wehrlein dived down the inside of Juncadella at the tight turn four. At first colliding and then locking wheels, the pair blocked the circuit, bringing out a safety car, while a furious Juncadella was left to gesticulate at Wehrlein.
Meanwhile, Marciello continued after the restart and built a significant gap to Jaafar to ensure full honours for Saturday.
“It was fantastic, because yesterday I crashed. So then I got pole position and the race was perfect. After the safety car, I controlled the tyres as they are difficult to make them [last] for the race. On the first lap push, but then I push just a little bit after that and then I made 20 laps with the tyres.”
Fortec’s Pipo Derani was also caught up in the incident when his route around the corner blocked, causing the Brazilian to lose his engine.
Unfortunately for Derani, it was deemed that the marshal’s gave him outside assistance to restart, earning a black flag for his troubles.
Running 4th, Jaafar now slotted into 2nd spot, although a brief challenge across the line as the safety car withdrew, alerted Marciello to Jaafar’s threat.
Marciello pulled clear bit-by-bit each lap around, although Jaafar had enough of a gap over Lynn to be sure of his runner-up place. The runner-up finish would also ensure Jaafar claimed his first British F3 class victory.
“I didn’t really have a good start. Then I had a big lock-up and lost a bit of time there. I saw the yellow flags and was quite shocked to see who had crashed. Then I just focused as much as I could on the restart but I didn’t have as much speed as I needed. Raffaele drove really well and deserved the win. It’s been a good weekend and the team has worked really well.”
Lynn held Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport) off for the distance, despite losing his engine when the Juncadella / Wehrlein incident stopped running.
“I was quite lucky because I stalled into the hairpin and it wouldn’t fire up initially. I had to reset everything and then it fired up second time, which was a real Godsend.”
Jack Harvey led home a trio of Carlin cars. The 19-year-old, who lost out to Rosenqvist off the line, ended up spending much of the race holding Carlos Sainz Jr at bay, until a late burst pulled him clear of the Spaniard. However, for Harvey, there was a share of relief.
“Everybody stopped into the hairpin and it was hard to slow down and I hit another car. To finish with a broken front wing and a bent trackrod is pretty good.”
Harry Tincknell enjoyed a solid day, going from 11th to 7th, as the Englishman sneaked by Felix Serralles when the field bunched up at the turn four melee.
Fahmi Ilyas took a credible 9th overall. The Malaysian narrowly led a quartet of contenders across the finish line, with Michael Lewis (Prema Powerteam, 10th), Hannes van Asseldonk (Fortec, 11th) and Sven Muller (Prema Powerteam, 12th) all covered by a mere 1.7 seconds.
In the National Class, T-Sport’s Spike Goddard claimed yet another class win when Duvashen Padayachee failed to start.
Despite only just returning from a bout of appendicitis, the Australian displayed excellent pace and even challenged International Class competitor Geoff Uhrhane (Double R) for position in the latter half of the race.
Goddard also held F3 Euro Series regular Sandro Zeller (Jo Zeller Team) off until the flag to complete a satisfying day.
FIA European F3 Championship (Rd 2, Race 1, May 12th, 23 laps)
[also British F3 Series (Rd 3, Race 1)]
Pos Driver Team Time / Gap
1. Raffaele Marciello Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 29:54.589
2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen +6.734
3. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes +8.057
4. Felix Rosenqvist Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes +8.813
5. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen +12.329
6. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen +15.351
7. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen +16.099
8. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes +16.928
9. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes +23.716
10. Michael Lewis Prema Powerteam-Mercedes +24.465
11. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes +25.155
12. Sven Muller Prema Powerteam-Mercedes +25.498
13. Tom Blomqvist ma-con Motorsport-Volkswagen +27.434
14. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen +28.120
15. Nick McBride T-Sport-Nissan +29.738
16. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes +36.887
17. Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda +37.434
18. Sandro Zeller Jo Zeller Team-Mercedes +39.384
19. Andre Roda Jo Zeller Team-Mercedes +1 lap
Retirements:
Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 12 laps
Daniel Juncadella Prema Powerteam-Mercedes 8 laps
Pascal Wehrlein Mücke Motorsport-Mercedes 8 laps
Emil Bernstorff ma-con Motorsport-Volkswagen 0 laps
Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 0 laps
2012 British F3 Series (Rd 3, Race 1) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jazeman Jaafar 86 2. Carlos Sainz Jr 84 3. Jack Harvey 75 4. Felix Serralles 72 5. Alex Lynn 54 6. Pipo Derani 48 7. Harry Tincknell 48 8. Pietro Fantin 42 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 25 10. Nick McBride 20 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 125 2. Duvashen Padayachee 82 2012 European F3 Championship (Rd 2, Race 1) Pos Driver Points 1. Daniel Juncadella 50 2. Carlos Sainz Jr 44 3. Felix Rosenqvist 42 4. Raffaele Marciello 33 5. William Buller 20 6. Sven Muller 10 7. Tom Blomqvist 6 8. Lucas Wolf 4 9. Pascal Wehrlein 4 10. Michael Lewis 3
“Jaafar heads Pau Formula 3 practice”
Carlin Motorsport’s Jazeman Jaafar claimed spot following the opening day’s practice at the Grand Prix de Pau for the second round of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship.
The Malaysian headed a muggy and hot afternoon in the Pyrenees town with a best of 1:11.784, holding an advantage of 0.142s over teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.
It has thus far been a very promising weekend for Jaafar, who has exuded confidence since he sat in the car for the morning running..
Alex Lynn (Fortec) and Jack Harvey (Carlin) ensured an all British F3 top four, although the former was disappointed to have clipped the barriers at Beaumont, ending the day with a slightly damaged Dallara.
Next followed a quartet of F3 Euro Series pilots fronted by Felix Rosenqvist (Mücke Motorsport). Pascal Wehrlein assumed 6th ahead of Raffaelo Marciello and recent Macau Grand Prix winner Daniel Juncadella (both Prema Powerteam).
Juncadella had headed the morning session after pipping Marciello and Jaafar to the top spot, although a minor accident in the afternoon stopped the Spaniard from making further progress.
Fortec pairing Hannes van Asseldonk and Felix Serralles rounded out the top ten, with the Puerto Rican Serralles ended the session nine-tenths shy of top man Jaafar, while it proved to be a difficult day for Carlin’s Harry Tincknell, who claimed 11th spot, albeit 1.1 seconds shy of his pace setting teammate after he too damaged a wheel at Beaumont.
Pietro Fantin missed the morning session due to a gearbox failure – he could only manage 16th as he played catch up in FP2.
In the British F3 National Class, Duvashen Padayachee headed Spike Goddard by six tenths as the afternoon closed; however Goddard has worked wonders to be here at all, following an operation for appendicitis just last week.
2012 British Formula 3 Grand Prix de Pau (Rd 3, Free Practice) Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 1m11.784s 2. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1m11.926s + 0.142s 3. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m11.966s + 0.182s 4. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 1m12.095s + 0.311s 5. Felix Rosenqvist Mucke Dallara-Merc 1m12.105s + 0.321s 6. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Dallara-Merc 1m12.194s + 0.410s 7. Raffaele Marciello Prema Dallara-Merc 1m12.341s + 0.557s 8. Daniel Juncadella Prema Dallara-Merc 1m12.427s + 0.643s 9. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m12.689s + 0.905s 10. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m12.697s + 0.913s 11. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 1m12.917s + 1.133s 12. Sven Muller Prema Dallara-Merc 1m12.941s + 1.157s 13. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m13.040s + 1.256s 14. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc 1m13.141s + 1.357s 15. Michael Lewis Prema Dallara-Merc 1m13.142s + 1.358s 16. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 1m13.186s + 1.402s 17. Emil Bernstorff Ma-Con Dallara-VW 1m13.246s + 1.462s 18. Andrea Roda Jo Zeller Dallara-Merc 1m13.473s + 1.689s 19. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan 1m13.568s + 1.784s 20. Tom Blomqvist Ma-Con Dallara-VW 1m14.113s + 2.329s 21. Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 1m14.169s + 2.385s 22. Sandro Zeller Jo Zeller Dallara-Merc 1m14.221s + 2.437s 23. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen 1m15.280s + 3.496s 24. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m15.820s + 4.036s Italics = National class
“Looking to the Grand Prix de Pau”
The 2012 British Formula 3 Series takes in a number of historic and famous locations as it weans its way around the UK and Europe, but few are more prestigious than the Grand Prix de Pau in the beautiful south of France.
Inaugurated in 1900, the race did not become a regular feature until 1933 when Formula Libre contested the tough streets. Since then, numerous categories have flashed around the normally quiet roads, hills and laneways, including Formula 2, Formula 3, WTCC and of course, Formula 1.
Marcus Wittmann was the victor when Formula 3 returned to the famous streets in 2011 following an absence of five years, but with Wittmann now moved on, the onus falls to a new generation to pick up the crown of Pau.
Many famous names have graced the winners step come Sunday afternoon in the Pyrenees town. Current Formula 1 racers Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean have found success in Pau as have endurance racing notables Benoit Treluyer and Anthony Davidson.
A further look into the race’s history and names like Jack Brabham, Jochen Rindt, Francois Cevert, Rene Arnoux and Patrick Depailler have all tasted Formula 2 success in Pau, while Jean Alesi, Gil de Ferran and Juan-Pablo Montoya won their respective Formula 3000 races.
Formula 1’s has enjoyed three brief sojourns in Pau, most notably during the 1960s when Jim Clark twice etched his name on the trophy.
Initially a British Formula 3 weekend only, this year’s event brings with it an added emphasis due to the addition of the FIA European Formula 3 Championship. Mixing several Formula 3 Euro Series competitors may help to swell the field up to at least twenty-five entries.
Reigning Macau Grand Prix champion Daniel Juncadella will be looking to add Pau to his list of achievements. The Spaniard currently leads the European F3 Championship following two victories at the opening round in Hockenheim last month.
Indeed, there is something of a Spanish flavour at the top of the standings.
Not far shy of Juncadella in the points in Carlos Sainz Jr. The Carlin racer is the leading British F3 competitor in the European standings and has responded brilliantly since a sometimes-difficult opening set of races at Oulton Park during the Easter weekend.
Since then, Sainz Jr has picked up two wins at the follow-up British F3 round at Monza, with a pair of 2nd places behind Juncadella in Hockenheim. It is quite a turnaround for the 17-year-old (and let’s not forget he is only 17) who at times looked under a great deal of pressure at Oulton.
Sainz Jr is the only British F3 racer to have registered for the European Championship – something that may press on his shoulders as the weekend progresses. When one considers that he is also taking part in the F3 Euro Series this year, it is easy to see why Sainz Jr appears to – occasionally – have a lot on his plate.
One of the surprises of the British F3 Series thus far has been Puerto Rican pilot Felix Serralles. The Fortec teenager has taken two early victories to catapult himself into 2nd in the championship, only a single point ahead of Carlin regular Jazeman Jaafar.
Early championship favourite Jack Harvey lies in 4th, a further two points adrift of teammate Jaafar, following a tough weekend in Monza.
Behind the leading pair in the European Championship, Swede racer Felix Rosenqvist will be looking to move closer to the top spot, while Sven Muller and Raffaele Marciello sit a distant 5th and 6th respectively. Former-British F3 pilot William Buller is 4th in the series, but will be competing in GP3 this weekend instead.
But the season is young and all of these things could change virtually overnight on the French streets.
Those who don’t have the pleasure of being in France can catch all of the action – including the support races – on Motors TV from 1.10pm on Saturday, starting with the crucial 30-minute Sprint Race.
On Sunday, broadcast for the Feature Race will commence from 12.45pm on Sunday, again followed by a number of support events from the Pyrenees.
For now though, it’s time to think of slick airports, with quick passenger turnover times and plenty of affordable food and comforts to keep the mind at bay. All that will have to wait though – I’m off to Gatwick instead.
British Formula 3 Championship (after Round 2) 1. Carlos Sainz Jr. (74 points) 2. Felix Serralles (66) 3. Jazeman Jaafar (65) 4. Jack Harvey (63) 5. Pipo Derani (48) FIA European F3 Championship (after Round 1) 1. Daniel Juncadella (50 points) 2. Carlos Sainz Jr. (36) 3. Felix Rosenqvist (30) 4. William Buller (20) 5. Sven Muller (10)
“HRT: Moving on up”
One of the more quietly impressive performances in 2012 has come from the tiny HRT Formula 1 team.
Hampered by persistent money woes and structural calamity, the Spanish squad still somehow manage to make a decent go of motorsport’s top level.
For all the criticism the team receive, the team are rarely ever threatened by the 107% rule in qualifying and were at least 2-and-a-half seconds clear of the dangerzone at the last Grand Prix in Bahrain.
Of course, the debacle that surrounded the team leading up to and throughout the opening race weekend in Melbourne greatly tarnished their formbook, but that was seven weeks ago and things have moved on somewhat.
With the fifth round of the World Championship in Barcelona on the horizon – possibly a wet one should the long range forecasts ring true – HRT are showing something of a stable front, in spite of apparent organisational anarchy.
Admittedly, the team may fall back toward the drop-out point as the season progresses. The lack of in season updates, paralleled by development strides at the front – especially in what is looking like an ultra competitive season – could warrant worried looks come the final flyaway races.
Of course, HRT decided to miss last week’s three-day test at Mugello in lieu of moving into their new headquarters in Madrid’s Caja Mágica region.
So, it is good to see the team pick up at least some sponsorship – and not just for their home Grand Prix either.
Spanish windscreen repair and replacement company, Cristalbox, have not only signed up a sponsor for HRT for the rest of the season, but have also been contracted to glaze the squad’s new Madrid headquarters.
In fairness, Cristalbox have spent much of the past two-and-a-half seasons sponsoring Formula 1 television broadcasts, so they have had some involvement within the sport, although placing their name on the side of the F112 may yet garner a little less coverage compared to their media partnerships.
As well as that, HRT have added olive oil producers Carbonell to their list of sponsors, in a collaborative deal that will see the team’s lunchtime meals impress even the stuffiest of connoisseurs. Probably.
To be fair to Carbonell, this deal makes them the first Spanish-centric food brand to operate in Formula 1, so good for them. They claim to “…transform dishes (…) give them soul, makes the normal special [and] turns the experience of eating into something sublime…” Uh-huh.
Meanwhile, HRT reserve and GP2 veteran Dani Clos will take part in his first Friday session of the season, when he sits in for Narain Karthikeyan during the opening ninety-minute practice session.
It will mark the first time that a Spanish pairing will front a Spanish team in the category’s history. For Clos, the 23-year-old has a tough prospect – after sitting in for Josef Kral at Barwa Addax for rounds 2 and 3 of this year’s GP2 Series, the Spaniard returns the drive to Kral having scored no points.
Indeed, both rounds proved invisibilities lack of value, with Clos barely making a blip on the radar during his brief tenure, although past seasons have seen the Spaniard nab two wins and seven podiums.
He will be hoping for much better exposure when he takes to the circuit on Friday morning.
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“Gilles”
Gilles Villeneuve. Torn from this world, the victim of a violent accident thirty years ago today.
The tragic loss of a young life – only 32 years old, we mustn’t forget – now timeless. The cross-swept brown hair, so often shagging above penetrating eyes, never did grey, nor did it thin in his short time either. And it never will.
Should one look around, one may find plenty of stories – and these do add flesh to the legend that is Villeneuve – however photographs of the Canadian at work also tell tales.
Rear-end kicking out – it would for most be the beginning of an accident. For Gilles – and a few like him – it would merely be part of the dance; unconscious of any “work”, it was merely reflex.
His hands a blur – a mere thousand actions occurring instantaneously – the penetrating eyes rarely darted, or drew distraction; just focus, deeply intense focus.
Every inkling of a mis-step corrected long before the machine would make up its mind as to where to throw Gilles next. And then there was Zolder – and the last of the mavericks was gone for good.
Somehow, this modern world has forgotten that art, that beauty. Shame.
“European F3 Open: April round-up”
© European F3 Open.
The 2012 European F3 Open Series got off to something of grey and miserable start in the Algarve, although the weather would be the only downer on display.
Indeed, there was some pleasant surprise when the series revealed a packed field of 26 cars for the season, with the possibility of further entries during the year.
The grid has been filled with fourteen brand new Dallara F312 chassis’, while twelve competitors have opted to run in the Copa Class with the previous generation’s cars, the F308 – also a Dallara product, albeit one with several years of development.
Of the pack, Mans Grenhagen showed his worth in the opening round, taking a win and a 2nd place to lead the standings with 45 points, some 15 up on Canadian racer Gianmarco Raimondo.
Mexico’s Juan Carlos Sistos took the opening race, but a difficult second event saw him drop to 3rd in the championship, some 17 points shy of Grenhagen.
Kevin Giovesi took the opening Copa Class victories, finishing 5th overall in both races, earning 20 points and an 8-point lead over next placed runner Alexandre Cougnaud.
There is a four-week gap to the next event, this time at the classic Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit, before the series heads off to Spa-Francorchamps, Brands Hatch and Paul Ricard during the summer months.
Ending the season will be three Autumn rounds at the Hungaroring, Monza and Barcelona.
—-
TV Notes
European F3 Open Round of the Algarve (Rd 1, Race 1, Portimao, 17 laps)
Juan Carlos Sistos took the opening race of the 2012 season thanks to a smart drive in his EmiliodeVillota Motorsport Dallara. The Spaniard led off the line, only to be taken by Gianmarco Raimondo come the start of the second tour. Raimondo held the lead for six laps before succumbing to persistent pressure, with Sistos forcing the issue on the approach into turn one.
Raimondo would soon fall backwards with first Mans Grenhagen making a move for 2nd on lap 11 and then Sam Dejonghe taking 3rd four tours later, dropping Raimondo to 4th. It marked impressive drives from Grenhagen who started 5th, while Dejonghe fought his way back from 7th after a bad start.
Kevin Giovesi took 5th and the Copa Class win, ahead of early challenger Facu Regalia (6th). Matteo Beretta and Noel Jammal sailed to 7th and 8th respectively while Matteo Davenia took 9th after starting last.
Two safety-car periods closed the gaps through the field – the first to retrieve Tatiana Calderon’s stranded Dallara following an engine blow up on lap 13. The race was green for only a few corners when it was neutralized once again, this time to clear a four car entanglement in turn one. The race finished under yellows.
Result: Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Juan Carlos Sistos EmiliodeVillota Motorsport 36:10.196s 2. Mans Grenhagen EmiliodeVillota Motorsport +0.202s 3. Sam Dejonghe Team West-Tec F3 +1.283s Full results (coming shortly).
European F3 Open Round of the Algarve (Rd 1, Race 2, Portimao, 17 laps)
In contrast, race two started under safety car conditions due to heavy rain at the Portimao circuit, giving poleman Grenhagen a secure lead when the race got going on lap four. The Spaniard spent the remaining laps stretching his legs, winning by 5.8 seconds come the chequered flag.
Grenhagen spent much of the running untroubled from behind, as Raimondo and Niccolo Schiro fought amongst themselves for the runner-up spot – a battle eventually won by Raimondo, although Schiro appeared to back off in the final tours.
Regalia was the first to lose out having been passed for 3rd by Schiro as the race turned green; however the Campos racer enjoyed a twenty second gap over 5th place Giovesi, who secured his second Copa Class win of the weekend.
It was a tight battle for 5th in the latter half of the race with Giovesi swapping places with Beretta on numerous occasions, but once Giovesi had made the decisive move three laps from the end, Beretta had no answer.
Manuel Bejarano assumed a lonely 7th ahead of Jammal (who started 15th), while Sistos and Calderon rounded out the top ten.
Result: Pos Driver Team Time / Gap 1. Mans Grenhagen EmiliodeVillota Motorsport 35:33.516s 2. Gianmarci Raimondo RP Motorsport +5.872s 3. Niccolo Schiro RP Motorsport +7.143s Full results (coming shortly).
European F3 Open Championship Standings (Rd 1) Drivers’ classification Pos Driver Points 1. Mans Grenhagen 45 2. Gianmarco Raimondo 30 3. Juan Carlos Sistos 28 4. Facu Regalia 20 5. Kevin Giovesi 20 Teams’ classification Pos Driver Points 1. EmiliodeVillota Motorsport 20 2. RP Motorsport 12 3. DAV Racing 6 Copa Class classification Pos Team Points 1. Kevin Giovesi 20 2. Alexandre Cougnaud 12 3. Cristian Serrada 8
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“Auto GP World Series: April round-up”
© Auto GP World Series.
Former GP3 racer Adrian Quaife-Hobbs leads the 2012 Auto GP World Series after three of the seven round series.
Visits to Valencia and Marrakech last month saw the Englishman pick up a win, two 2nd place finishes and a 4th to build a comfortable 29-point lead over Sergey Sirotkin.
The 16-year-old Russian, however, may arguably be closer had he not fluffed two starts.
Pal Varhaug has also made notable errors, leaving the Norwegian 3rd in the standings, albeit only a single point shy of Sirotkin.
As the halfway point in the season approaches, we have seen five different winners from six races – such is the competitive nature of the series.
There will be some keen eyes focussing on Auto GP as the season progresses – especially as Varhaug and Quaife-Hobbs aim to rebuild their somewhat battered reputations. The real wonder will be whether Sirotkin can make it in the main feeders to Formula 1…
Beyond that, the series is looking at a new car for 2013 as it strives to develop and stretch its legs, while the current chassis’ – second generation A1GP machines – are beginning to age and fall out of fashion.
Series boss Enzo Coloni may bring an outside contractor to design it, he has not ruled out building the tubs in-house.
“We’re happy with the performance of our car, but at the same time we feel that after three seasons with the current design, something needs to be done in order to bring our championship even closer to the standards boasted by the top step of the motorsport ladder.
“In order to do that, you have to go for a major change, and that’s what we’ll do. It’s too early to go into the details, but you can expect an official announcement pretty soon. We don’t want the budgets to start rocketing, we have a strong identity as the only economically viable high-performance intercontinental championship, and we absolutely want to retain it”.
Auto GP still has some way to go before it is recognised as a truly worthwhile endeavour for top-line drivers, but if it continues sensibly on its current path, it will do its reputation no harm whatsoever.
—-
TV Notes
Auto GP (Round 2, Race 1, Valencia, 21 laps)
Euronova rookie Sergey Sirotkin cruised to his first Auto GP victory in Valencia. The Russian jumped poleman Adrian Quaife-Hobbs off the line to grab the lead, rarely looking threatened thereafter.
Sirotkin pulled out a five-second gap on Quaife-Hobbs, only for it to be wiped out by a late safety car period. A single flying lap at the end of the race ensured a small margin of victory come the chequered flag.
Quaife-Hobbs continued home to assume 2nd spot over Pal Varhaug (Virtuosi UK). The Norwegian spent much of the race in 4th, until he swept by a spinning Facu Regalia late on.
It was a stranded Victor Guerin brought out the safety car. The Super Nova racer spun on his own droppings when an oil line gave way on lap 18, causing Regalia and Max Snegirev to spin. Matteo Beretta also spun, clouting Guerin’s car, damaging it too much to continue.
Steady drives from Daniel de Jong and Sergio Campana rewarded them with 4th and 5th respectively, albeit just ahead of Chris van der Drift, while the recovering Regalia and Snegirev rounded out the top eight.
Results: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Sergey Sirotkin Euronova 32m49.721s 2. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Super Nova + 0.969s 3. Pal Varhaug Virtuosi UK + 3.374s Full results.
Auto GP (Round 2, Race 2, Valencia)
Stellar pace and tyre strategy helped Quaife-Hobbs to his second Auto GP win of the season. Starting 7th, the Englishman was 3rd by the first corner following a lightning getaway, with the Super Nova crew bringing him in after five laps.
Several fast laps on fresh rubber was more than enough to jump Quaife-Hobbs into the lead ahead of Regalia, easing into a well-deserved victory. Regalia came under late pressure from Sirotkin, who had also made a good start and an early tyre change, launching him from 8th to 3rd.
The big loser was Campana, who led for much of the running, dropping to 9th after he massively overshot his pitbox on lap 14, while de Jong – who was 2nd for the majority – dropped to 4th when he stayed on old tyres for too long.
Guerin enjoyed a stunning drive to 5th from 16th on the grid, aided amply when he bolted off the line, followed by an aggressive drive that saw him take a number of places on track. Unsurprisingly, poleman Snegirev went backwards in the race, with the Russian coming home 6th just ahead of van der Drift, Varhaug and Campana.
Results: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Super Nova 30m55.874s 2. Facu Regalia Campos + 5.496s 3. Sergey Sirotkin Euronova + 5.652s Full results.
Auto GP (Round 3, Race 1, Marrakech, 19 laps)
Campana took his first Auto GP win in a thrilling battle at Marrakech. The Italian valiantly fought off Quaife-Hobbs to the flag during an eight-lap tussle that saw Campana win by less than two-tenths.
Despite heavily worn rear Kumho tyres, Campana fended off every attack – no doubt aided by Quaife-Hobbs hitting the rev limiter at the end of each straight, giving the Italian just enough of an edge to garner full points.
Varhaug came home a disappointed 3rd. The Norwegian led the opening two-thirds with relative ease, only to stall during his tyre stop, losing him valuable seconds and positions.
Van der Drift started and finished 4th after an early battle with Giancarlo Serenelli; however it was Giacomo Ricci (5th) and poleman Sirotkin (6th) who briefly troubled the Kiwi during the latter stages. It could have been more for Sirotkin, who bogged down off the line and also misheard a pit call, causing him to lose further spots.
De Jong won a tight battle for 7th, just ahead of Antonio Spavone, while Yann Cunha and Francesco Dracone rounded out the top ten – a mere 0.50 up on the “tyred-out” Serenelli.
Result: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Sergio Campana MLR 71 29m34.199s 2. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Super Nova + 0.186s 3. Pal Varhaug Virtuosi UK + 5.951s Full results.
Auto GP (Round 3, Race 2, Marrakech, 19 laps)
Van der Drift grabbed his first win of 2012 after stealing the lead from Sirotkin in a breathless second race at Marrakech. From 6th, the Kiwi jumped to 2nd two laps in when de Jong ran into the back of poleman Spavone.
Sirotkin who built a lead of five seconds, before stopping on lap thirteen; however several tours on cold tyres was countered by four hot laps from van der Drift, earned the Manor MP racer a narrow lead. A manic late push from Sirotkin could not overturn the deficit.
Varhaug would have taken 3rd had he not jumped the first back stretch chicane on the last lap. The Norwegian was busy holding a frantic Quaife-Hobbs and Ricci at bay when he made the error, dropping to 7th following a penalty.
At the same moment, a boatful of wheelspin dropped Quaife-Hobbs behind Ricci for 3rd, while Guerin took 5th, despite losing his front wing in a late clash into the side of Serenelli.
Meanwhile, Cunha closed the top six. Race One winner Campana might have had a top five had he not rashly tried to take Michele la Rosa in the final turn at the halfway point, prematurely ending both their races.
Results: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Chris van der Drift Manor MP 29m10.823s 2. Sergey Sirotkin Euronova + 0.651s 3. Giacomo Ricci Zele + 20.597s Full results.
Auto GP World Series points standings Drivers’ Championship 1. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs 105 2. Sergey Sirotkin 76 3. Pal Varhaug 75 4. Chris van der Drift 69 5. Daniel de Jong 43 Under-21 Trophy 1. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs 120 2. Sergey Sirotkin 98 3. Pal Varhaug 85 Teams’ Championship 1. Super Nova International 121 2. Manor MP Motorsport 112 3. Euronova Racing 94
“Valsecchi sets the standard in opening GP2 Bahrain meeting“
TV Notes
Davide Valsecchi claimed two race wins, a pole position and a fastest lap at the second round of the 2012 GP2 Series in Bahrain.
The DAMS pilot proved to be imperious throughout the weekend, showcasing his ability to led from the front during the Saturday afternoon Feature, while also cutting through the field in the Sprint Race.
Feature Race
The Feature Race performance was startling, as the Italian cleared off and into the distance. Runner-up Luiz Razia and 3rd place man Esteban Gutierrez could only imagine that feeling.
From pole (set early during the qualifying session*), Valsecchi made it appear almost relaxed, while Gutierrez (Lotus), Johnny Cecotto (Barwa Addax), Felipe Nasr (DAMS) and Razia (Arden) battled hard to be Valsecchi’s bridesmaid.
Lingering not far behind were another trio; Fabio Leimer (Racing Engineering), Max Chilton (Carlin) and James Calado (Lotus).
While Valsecchi stretched his lead, the fight for 2nd rose in intensity – at one point, the pack battling over the runner-up position grew to nine cars.
Two entries fell out of that battle on the 16th lap. Amidst a tight battle with Razia, Nasr was taken out by Cecotto thanks to a mindless lunge by the latter at turn one, serving only to turn both into retirement, while also bringing out the safety car. For reasons unbeknownst to me, Nasr copped a grid penalty for the Sprint Race.
Razia had moments earlier been run clean off the track by Cecotto, but emerged unscathed, if somewhat dustier.
By then Valsecchi had garnered a 12.8 second lead over Gutierrez; however Calado would soon benefit from an inspired pit strategy.
Having spent much of the early laps running at the rear of the battle for 2nd spot, Calado pitted on lap 9. On fresh tyres, Calado’s next few laps were key, as he skipped passed opponents during the stops – his extra laps on newer tyres proving far quicker than the ageing Pirelli’s still worn by many in the field.
Calado’s price? His late race tyre degradation would be rather severe. Valsecchi, meanwhile, disappeared once again, building a 7.7 second gap as he took the chequered flag for the win and twenty-five points – and an extra two for the fastest lap.
Razia’s timing would be inch perfect. A quick stop on lap 12 helped the Brazilian jumped to 4th ahead of Gutierrez and Nasr, while not far behind Calado and Chilton.
The Arden man received a little help from Racing Engineering’s Nathanael Berthon four tours later.
Staying out on flagging Pirelli’s, Berthon** – running a very temporary 2nd – cluttered the pack, allowing Razia to dive by Chilton as they began lap 16; however the Brazilian had to wait until after the safety car period to tackle Calado.
It took a little longer than expected. Calado – his tyres finally falling away – defended vigorously from Razia, despite the Brazilian’s pressure; however the Englishman would finally crack toward the end of 24 tours.
Now in a constant sliding motion through corners, the Lotus man lost tyre grip in the final turn as the friction ebbed away – faced with an opening door, Razia took 2nd, leaving Calado at the mercy of the train just behind.
They included Gutierrez and Chilton, both of whom swept passed Calado, both of who swept passed the Englishman with ease on lap 28, solidifying 3rd, 4th and 5th in the process.
Tom Dillmann earned a stellar 6th place thanks to a hard grafted drive from 13th on the grid, following a disastrous opening day***. The Frenchman struggled for grip early on, but – like Calado – pitted before a dozen laps, before filtering into clear air.
Several fast laps brought the Rapax racer into the points fold, although the safety car helped. As the race restarted, Dillmann founds himself in 8th, but made that 7th with a move on Leimer on lap 22.
It was a difficult day for Leimer, who started 4th, only to fall to 6th off the line. A slow stop on lap 15 lost the Swiss precious time, before succumbing to Dillmann’s intentions later on.
Further back, Coloni’s Fabio Onidi notched a credible 8th ahead of Rio Haryanto (Carlin, 9th), while substitute driver Brendon Hartley**** rounded out the top ten, despite starting last. The Kiwi soaked up pressure from Stephane Richelmi, Julian Leal< Marcus Ericsson and Fabio Crestani in the final few tours, engineering the final points place as the end drew close.
* {note 1}
Dillmann initially set the poletime – a credible effort considering his lack of Friday running; however the Frenchman would be bettered moments later by Gutierrez.
Valsecchi followed this by beating Dillmann’s time and then pipping Gutierrez to pole the next lap around. Nasr jumped to 3rd late on, just pipping Leimer, Cecotto and Ericsson initially assumed the third row ahead of Richelmi, a disappointed Calado, Razia and Chilton.
Carrying ten-place penalty from the Malaysian round dropped Ericsson to 16th, thereby promoting Haryanto into the top ten. Dillmann eventually fell to the seventh row, as others improved.
Hartley was penalised for causing an accident with Van der Garde and Trummer, dropping him to last.
** {note 2}
Questions must be asked regarding Berthon’s frightening sweep across track to the pitlane for his tyre stop. Despite being boxed in on the outside of start / finish by a trio of cars, the Frenchman charged diagonally across track to peel into the pit lane.
While there was no accident on this occasion, Razia cam very close to being sideswiped as the group approached the grid markings. It was a frankly ridiculous move, reminiscent of the Patrese / Berger crash from the 1992 Portuguese Grad Prix.
** {note 3}
The story was quite similar during Free Practice. Valsecchi topped the times, with a best some six-tenths quicker than Chilton, although Cecotto, Nasr, Razia and Leimer made it a close run thing.
Unfortunately for Dillmann, his Rapax machine gave up with mechanical issue on his second flying lap, handicapping the Frenchman for the remainder of the weekend.
*** {note 4}
The second weekend of the season saw the first driver substitutions of the season, as Dani Clos replaced Josef Kral at Barwa Addax and Brendon Hartley sat in for Jon Lancaster at Ocean Racing Technology.
It is believed Lancaster’s absence may be down to financial concerns; however little has been revealed as to why Kral did not appear. Both Clos and Hartley will continue come the third round at the this weekend’s repeat visit to Bahrain.
2012 GP2 Round of Bahrain (Rd 2, Feature Race, 32 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 59m31.115s
2. Luiz Razia Arden + 7.770s
3. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 13.528s
4. Max Chilton Carlin + 14.088s
5. James Calado Lotus + 16.278s
6. Tom Dillmann Rapax + 16.559s
7. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 17.243s
8. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 28.109s
9. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 32.846s
10. Brendon Hartley Ocean + 36.093s
11. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 37.377s
12. Julian Leal Trident + 38.677s
13. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 40.627s
14. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus + 41.009s
15. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 44.028s
16. Simon Trummer Arden + 44.552s
17. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 47.776s
18. Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus + 52.464s
Retirements:
Dani Clos Addax 30 laps
Nigel Melker Ocean 30 laps
Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 29 laps
Johnny Cecotto Addax 16 laps
Felipe Nasr DAMS 16 laps
Giedo van der Garde Caterham 16 laps
Stefano Coletti Coloni 2 laps
Jolyon Palmer iSport 0 laps
Sprint Race
Valsecchi made it two for two when he battled through to win Sunday’s Sprint Race, although the Italian required help from the stewards and a hamstrung Lotus to do.
The DAMS pilot took the lead – and the win – from Gutierrez on the final lap, as the Mexican’s tyres fell away late on, although it could realistically have been a pass for 2nd place.
While Valsecchi took the spoils, Leimer lamented a lost opportunity. Having forced his way into the lead on the sixth lap with a move on Calado, Leimer headed the field with confidence, until the race stewards deemed the Racing Engineering man had travelled far too quickly through a yellow flag zone.
The subsequent drive through penalty dropped Leimer out of the lead battle and down into a battle for 12th place.
Running 5th at the time, Valsecchi stepped up with moves on Chilton and Calado, before charging toward the rear of Gutierrez. What was a five second gap with five laps to go, was quickly whittled away until the pair were line astern with only two tours remaining.
By the time the Italian had grabbed the lead, there was little life left in Gutierrez’ fragile Pirelli’s, ensuring Valsecchi of a narrow, but well earned victory.
For Gutierrez, it was disappointing, but remained a minor success. The Lotus man started 6th, yet was already 3rd by the opening corner, before assuming 2nd from Leimer a lap later.
With both Lotuses’ up front come lap 5, the fight for the lead became a nervous one, with Calado repeatedly outbraking himself as he held Gutierrez at bay – indeed Calado even managed to swipe a front wing endplate section of his teammate’s machine*****.
As Calado slid tentatively around turns 3 and 4, Gutierrez ran wind in avoidance; allowing Leimer through on the Mexican – for Leimer, Calado was easy meat.
Gutierrez resumed his attack on lap 6; this time slicing by Calado into turn four and 2nd place. Leimer’s penalty gave Gutierrez a relatively brief lead, only for it to be stolen on the final tour…
Meanwhile Calado fell some ten seconds behind the leading pair; after he destroyed his Pirelli’s defending against Gutierrez.
Razia grabbed 4th from an ailing Chilton late on, although the latter certainly made it difficult for the former championship leader.
While Valsecchi’s drive was certainly outstanding, his teammate – Nasr – matched it for sheer audacity. Starting last, the Brazilian grabbed five places on the opening lap, soon moving to 14th place after nine laps.
Nasr continued to progress, but hit the jackpot as Onidi, Ericsson, Jolyon Palmer, Giedo van der Garde, Simon Trummer, Dani Clos fell over each other for the lower points positions.
As they held and blocked each other for lap after lap, Nasr drifted into play, before taking the group one by one over the last six tours to grab a stunning 6th spot.
Palmer eventually came 7th, while the battle for 8th fell away. It was eventually won by Trummer, who beat a group containing van der Garde, Dillmann, Clos and Leimer over the line only 2.4 seconds.
***** {note 5}
Some of the methods of defence utilised by James Calado left a lot to be desired. In a number of shots while holding Gutierrez, Leimer or Valsecchi at bay, the Englishman swung across the circuit vigorously, before sweeping back onto the racing line.
Not impressed, not impressive at all.
2012 GP2 Round of Bahrain (Rd 2, Sprint Race, 22 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 39m22.363s
2. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 0.399s
3. James Calado Lotus + 10.617s
4. Luiz Razia Arden + 12.463s
5. Max Chilton Carlin + 13.573s
6. Felipe Nasr DAMS + 15.414s
7. Jolyon Palmer iSport + 22.950s
8. Simon Trummer Arden + 30.425s
9. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 31.976s
10. Tom Dillmann Rapax + 32.545s
11. Dani Clos Addax + 32.632s
12. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 32.856s
13. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 36.275s
14. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 36.477s
15. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 39.988s
16. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 40.386s
17. Julian Leal Trident + 47.410s
18. Nigel Melker Ocean + 56.196s
19. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus + 59.488s
20. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 1m52.968s
21. Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus + 1m53.295s
22. Johnny Cecotto Addax + 1 lap
23. Stefano Coletti Coloni + 2 laps
Retirements:
Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 15 laps
Brendon Hartley Ocean 2 laps
Stephane Richelmi Trident 0 laps
Pos Driver Points 1. Davide Valsecchi 70 2. Luiz Razia 57 3. Esteban Gutierrez 45 4. James Calado 39 5. Max Chilton 35 6. Felipe Nasr 22 7. Fabio Leimer 22 8. Giedo van der Garde 12 9. Stefano Coletti 10 10. Tom Dillmann 8
“Fly on the wall”
© Ferrari
There are days when I would love to be a fly on the wall – or at least a quiet observer in a room, as two respected heads of industry exchange thoughts amidst conversation.
Stanford University in San Francisco would probably count as just one of those occasions, when Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemelo met with Apple CEO Tim Cook for a two-hour face to face chat a few days ago.
Di Montezemelo was one of a number of feature speakers at a conference entitled ‘View from the Top’, in front of the heads of Google, Apple and approximately 600 students at the world famous private research university. The Ferrari boss declared that he was
“…not here to sell cars, but to communicate a dream…”
Prior to his private meeting with Cook, the 64-year-old also urged the attendant students to:
”Be creative, follow your goals, use technology, dominate innovation, but don’t become dependent on machines, you have to be in the driver’s seat of your lives. Never lose the curiosity for what is around you.”
“Intelligence and innovative ideas can contribute to change and shape the future. Passion and attention for the smallest details are what makes our cars, those who create them and those who drive them so special, living continuous excitement.”
Like many, I am certain the conversation may have an interesting spectacle, if possibly rather dry. Cook, however, was apparently quite impressed with the fiery Italian:
“We’re building cars, they build computers. But Apple and Ferrari are connected by the same passion, the same love for the product, maniacal attention to technology, but also to design.”
Stanford University boasts impressive alumni, including seventeen Nobel Prize honoraries and four Pulitzer Prize winners, plus numerous holders of various accolades.
“Youth”
Next week’s Formula 1 test at Mugello could prove to be crucial for a number of teams in a tight Constructors’ Championship; however for a few, the focus will be on youth.
Running from May 1st-3rd. the three-day run is the sole chance teams will have to test outside of Grand Prix weekend’s until the young driver test later in the year.
Some squads will be much needed time to perfect their machinery, while others may spend time putting their drivers through their paces. In a season where the midfield battle is tighter than ever, this test could prove to be crucial.
Alas, Lotus will be offering a day’s running each in the E20 to roving Belgian reserve Jerome d’Ambrosio and both their regular drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean.
The 26-year-old former GP2 racer is to open the test for the Enstone squad, in what will be d’Ambrosio’s first opportunity to drive the real E20, as opposed to the factory simulation.
Describing the announcement, d’Ambrosio said:
“It’s an amazing opportunity for me, and I’d like to thank Lotus F1 Team for giving me the chance to experience the E20; it’s a great car and I can’t wait to drive it. I know the team from my rookie day in Abu Dhabi in 2010, and I’ve felt very comfortable at Enstone this year which I’m sure will be a big help.
“Kimi and Romain needed time in the car during the winter after two years away, so the fact that this test has been put on the calendar after the first four races of the season gives me an opportunity to drive. It will be very valuable for me to get back into a Formula 1 car after 6 months, which has felt like quite a while.
“I’ve said all along that a third driver position with a top team would be much better for my career this year, and I’m starting to see the benefits of that strategy. I’ve learnt a lot so far with Lotus F1 Team, and this is just the beginning.”
Caterham will also be bringing a third driver to the fore, although the spot will not go to either of the team’s regular reserves. In fact, it will be (Future World Champion™) Rodolfo Gonzalez who will sit in the green-and-yellow car during the opening day.
Gonzalez – who tested for Caterham at last year’s Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi – races for the team’s GP2 squad; however the Venezuelan has yet to score a point in the opening four races* of the 2012 season. The 25-year-old was reasonably delighted:
“I am very excited about getting back into an F1 car at the Mugello test… it will be my third time in an F1 car with this team and it will be another good chance for me to further my experience at the top level of motorsport.
“To be able to help their development programme mid-season is another good step in my career and something that I can take lessons from back into my GP2 season with Caterham Racing.”
One young driver who will most certainly not be at the test is HRT reserve Dani Clos. Indeed, the Spanish team have decided to withdraw completely from the Mugello sessions, while they set up shop at their new base in Madrid.
HRT Team Principal Luis Perez-Sala noted that:
“The start to the season was a little bit rushed for us and, since the cars were set up for the first time, we have been working on them at the Grands Prix. The team and the material have just got back from Bahrain after leaving for Australia in early March. And they return, for the first time, to the team’s new headquarters at the Caja Mágica in Madrid.
“This move is very important for us and by not going to Mugello we can work thoroughly on the car to prepare for the Spanish Grand Prix. We won’t have the new upgrade package until then so we’ve preferred to focus on what can contribute more to us, which is teamwork at the headquarters. And there is a lot to do”.
No possibility of laps for Clos then**.
* [note 1}
Rodolfo Gonzalez has only scored 4 points in 3-and-a-bit seasons in GP2; however the Venezuelan did secure a victory with Fisichella Motorsport in his F3000 Euroseries campaign in 2009.
Gonzalez was also the 2006 British Formula 3 National Class champion.
** {note 2}
Who knows?? Maybe that was a slight exaggeration – Clos might be at the test, but he certainly won’t be driving – unless a last second deal crops up out of nowhere.
Although that would not be hugely revelatory – only last weekend, Clos found himself racing in GP2 with Barwa Addax as a late replacement for Josef Kral. Painfully unlikely though…
“British F3 switch to Norisring round; Paul Ricard out”
The sixth round of the 2012 British Formula 3 Series will now be taking place in Germany’s Norisring, rather than Paul Ricard as originally planned.
Scheduled to take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France at the end of June, the switch to the Norisring was designed to bolster grids for the fledgling FIA European Formula 3 Championship.
Launched last month, the European Formula 3 Championship will comprise of ten rounds – eight of which make up the entire F3 Euro Series. British Formula 3 rounds at Pau and Spa-Francorchamps fill out the other two race weekends.
As it stands, the European F3 Championship has confirmed fourteen competitors, including Carlin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. With the addition of the British F3 field, numbers for the Norisring round should collate between 26-28 entries.
The Spaniard is the sole British F3 driver that to be running in both the British F3 Series and the European F3 Championship; however teammate Harry Tincknell has confirmed that he will be racing at the Hockenheimring.
Fortec will also be attending the German event with Hannes van Asseldonk, Felix Serralles and Alex Lynn this weekend. There were plans to bring a fourth car; however Pipo Derani is unavailable to compete.
The Fortec trio and Tincknell will be ineligible for points in either Euro Series or the European Championship as they have not registered for points in either series.
Currently, drivers must be registered for a full season with either the British F3 Series or the Euro Series to avail of a place in the European Championship, although a place in the latter still requires a registration.* Whether that changes in future seasons remains to be seen.
The switch between the Norisring and Paul Ricard will not affect the structure of the British F3 Series, as both events had earmarked three races. A replacement for the British F3 slot at Paul Ricard has yet to be announced.
* {note 1}
According to the FIA, the entry fee for the European Championship is €5,000 per season. This is a separate registration payment as demanded by the British F3 / Euro Series championships.
“Art in Formula 1 and motorsport”
© Ferrari Store, Regent Street
Installation art and Formula 1 are not the most common of bedfellows, but for the next two weeks, the Ferrari Store on Regent Street, London are challenging that notion.
Coinciding with the London Festival of Architecture, an innovative and unique design adorns the front of the shop, thanks to a display created by Feix and Merlin architects.
Drawing upon the idea of a racing machine inside a windtunnel, the piece re-imagines ripped patterns of air, as depicted with entwined ribbons and shadowy neon lights, creating the outlines of a Formula 1 car in one window and a GT machine in another.
The project theme – entitled “Play” – was commissioned in support of the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Regent Street Window Project. It will remain on display until the close of business on Sunday May 6th.
© Paul Chenard
Other fantastic artists exist in the wide world of motorsport – one of the most prolific being Paul Chenard of the website Automobiliart.
The Canadian artist has spent several years completing numerous pencil drawings of historic motorsport events, machinery and the pilots who drove them.
In 2011, Chenard released his first publication, “Silver Clouds: The 1934 Grand Prix Season” – a series of artworks detailing a frantic year of change in motorsport.In an e-mail, Chenard told me that this was his first book, but this was more a work of art than a mere book.
Everything about the quality of the work told of a deep love for the subject; whether it be the thorough research, the exquisite detail or the sumptuous drawings inside – “Silver Clouds” was a simply stunning achievement.
I am led to believe that Chenard is currently working on a similar project detailing the 1986 Grand Prix season – frankly, I cannot wait to see the results.
© Ferrari Store, Regent Street
Revamps for Cadwell Park on hold — for now
Plans for the proposed revamp of Lincolnshire-based circuit Cadwell Park were finally revealed last week.
Owners of the Cadwell Park circuit, MotorSport Vision, are hoping to upgrade the track in order to bring more events to the track, including the British Formula 3 International Series and the British GT Championship.
While the track has been marked out for extensions and enhancements to bring it in line with the needs for F3 and GT racing, the plans would also see the development of a motor technology park – originally announced in July 2011 – alongside the circuit.
To do this, Lincolnshire County Council may need to purchase land from the Crown Estate to accommodate up to 25,000 square feet of floor space for the technology centre; however plans were in situ until environmental studies could be completed.
It is believed that discussions between the county council and the Crown Estate are ongoing. For their part MotorSport Vision appear ready to spend approximately £6 million on circuit upgrades, including new pits and grandstands.
A hotel, motorsport-related museum and improved dining facilities are also under the project’s consideration.
It has not been completely straightforward though. Protests against the planning have been lodged with the council – an expected turn of events due to the circuit’s close proximity to the Lincolnshire Wolds; an area of best known for its vast Greenland and extensive beauty.
As a result of the protests lodged last week – which were to be expected – the long view plans for Cadwell Park may yet still extend substantially.
Cadwell Park currently attracts the British Superbike Championship over August Bank Holiday weekend, yet whereas the circuit is suitable for motorbikes, it remains far too narrow for many forms of car racing.
The track is also well known for its extreme elevation changes, earning it the nickname “mini-Nurburgring.”
Apart from Formula 3 and GT events, an improved Cadwell Park may eventually open the door for other forms of motorsport at the circuit; however the technology park may be a more significant boost to Lincolnshire’s economy.
