© Daniel Kalisz/LAT Photographic
Mist comes naturally to Spa-Francorchamps. It is almost impossible to experience a weekend at the circuit without low cover of some description.
One could argue the mist adds an allure or a mystique to Spa-Francorchamps that most other circuits will never possess, but Friday morning of the Belgian Grand Prix isn’t just misty; it’s turning plain damp.
And as twenty-six GP3 cars exit the pitlane for their sole practice session, the rain appears determined to hang in the air.
First and foremost is the distinctive sound – and it is distinctive. Lacking the scream of its elders, the 2.0 litre Renault I4 engine that power the current GP3 cars hangs low in the air.
Its sound tingles slightly and not in the most pleasant of ways. Like a rumbling pack of bees its penetrative hum crawls upon the surface of the skin, itching away at the surface – and just like that it sweeps through.
Brushing the mist aside, the early Friday morning runners brave the cold climes of Spa-Francorchamps, absorbing as much of the famed circuit as they can in the conditions.
The intensity of the buzz does not last for too long. Completing their opening runs, the loose pack begins to deform and break apart – some go back to the pits, a few continue with longer programmes, while others make a gap to concentrate on qualifying simulations.
One thing is for certain – Spa’s inelegant weather makes for a trying session for drivers and engineers alike. And with that comes an inevitable frustration for a few.
“There’s just no speed. No speed at all…”
Words were unnecessary. The body language expressed by Alex Brundle, Carlin’s 22-year-old challenger, says it all. “It’s just wrong. We’ve gone for too much downforce. Everyone else just has so much more speed on the straights. In the middle sector, I’m setting purples, but I’m losing too much on the straights.”
And here lies the difficulty for drivers and engineers alike. With only one practice session on early Friday morning, the set-ups have to be on the button if a driver is to have any chance in qualifying.
“We can take a chance. Maybe pull the wing back, but…”
Frowns, too, permeated in one side of the garage at Status Grand Prix. Alice Powell’s tough first season in GP3 continued with the Oxford native lamenting mechanical issues of her own.
As the practice session draws to a close, Powell finds herself some 7.6 seconds shy of the top spot. “It won’t reach sixth gear,” says the 19-year-old. “I can reach fifth, but can’t seem to pull the revs to take sixth. We’re looking into it.”
Status GP would eventually solve the issue, but for Powell, it appeared to be a lost session.
It’s not all disappointment in the ranks though. Marussia Manor’s Tio Ellinas headed the dreary session amongst the forests and the smile across lightly stubbled face says everything. “It feels good. The balance is there, it’s good. There’s a few things we need to work on, but so far, it’s good.”
For Ellinas, the session represented a nice confidence booster. ‘The Flying Cypriot’ has regularly featured in the higher echelons of the points this season, but is still awaiting that first precious GP3 win. One feels it may be soon…
Lotus’ Conor Daly also enjoyed a good practice run, ending up 4th, two-tenths shy of Ellinas. Confident in his surroundings, the American is laid back, delighting in his surroundings. “It’s the same for everyone,” says Daly with his now trademark wry smile. After a short breath, Daly draws some final thoughts: “We have the same track, the same conditions as everyone else. But what a track!”
Indeed Conor, indeed.
© GP2 Media Services.
Title protagonists don’t always keep winning as a season’s progress in junior formulae.
Whereas an early charge can form the basis of a title challenge, it can be difficult to maintain that winning feeling as the season rumbles on.
In some cases drivers run out of steam, or maybe the once healthy budget begins to cough a little.
Occasionally though, a category’s fine young things or luckless wonders close in on the experienced lions and steal some of the glory.
GP2 is no different and it says much that title rivals Davide Valsecchi and Luiz Razia have found winning difficult in recent months. Indeed Razia’s last victory was at Silverstone in July, while Valsecchi must look to late April in Bahrain for his last success.
Spa-Francorchamps – hosting the tenth of twelve rounds – witnessed Marcus Ericsson and Josef Kral celebrating, while Valsecchi and Razia lingered below once again.
The title fight between the leading duo is intense – Razia and Valsecchi lie level at 204 points, but at this rate the direction of the title could come down to a straight fight over the lesser positions. It is just that close…
—-
Feature Race (September 1st)
Marcus Ericsson grabbed his first GP2 victory of the season following a heavily disrupted Feature Race at Spa-Francorchamps. Crossing the finish line, the Swede enjoyed an 11.5 second gap over James Calado, with Davide Valsecchi shadowing in 3rd spot.
The iSport racer made a super start from the second row, jumping to 2nd just behind polesitter Rio Haryanto, before eventually slipping passed the Indonesian exiting Eau Rouge on the third lap.
That also proved a tense move – in the background, Rodolfo Gonzalez slid off at the exit of Eau Rouge, prompting a sector yellow flags; however the stewards adjudged Ericsson had made the move after the dangerzone.
From there, Ericsson’s pace was such that he may well have pulled away had it not been for an incident unfolding behind him.
As a train of cars drew up the top of Radillon, Nigel Melker’s Ocean Racing Technology machine darted left across the track, pummelling the tyre barriers at the end of the endurance pitlane. Melker was extracted from his destroyed machine and was taken to hospital for checks and an overnight stay.
The Dutch racer received some bruising, but beyond that was relatively unharmed.
Such was the ferocity of the crash, red flags were unfurled – first to care for Melker and then to fix the deranged barrier – a stoppage that lasted close to an hour. A brief safety car period preceded the red flag, allowing many of the field to pit for their mandatory tyre stop on the sixth tour.
Initially Ericsson was beaten out of the pits by Haryanto, who then lost several spots by spinning behind the safety car…
Meanwhile Giedo van der Garde, Stephane Richelmi, Stefano Coletti and Simon Trummer all stayed out, but were damned to fall behind when their tyre change eventually came.
When the race restarted Ericsson merely had to wait for the latent foursome to accept their fate, yet the Swede pushed his way passed a clearly struggling Trummer and continued to press van der Garde, Richelmi and Coletti despite their obvious need to stop.
His time would come, with Ericsson inheriting a healthy lead from Richelmi with two laps remaining.
It was a similar story for Calado. The Englishman ran 4th early on after being swamped on the Kemmel Straight, but a solid stop by Lotus mechanics allowed Calado to pull two extra places. From there, his race became a story of tyre management as he struggled with a set of degrading Pirelli’s.
Calado had done enough – just enough – to stay ahead of Valsecchi, although should the race have been a little longer, that might have been a very different tale.
The Italian – on a charge as he attempts to get his title hopes back on track – pitted with the main pack, emerging 8th and sliding back up the order as late stops came in to play. Valsecchi had an extra place gifted him by a spinning Simon Trummer on lap 17.
Josef Kral worked himself into points contention after the Czech nailed a near perfect start. The Barwa Addax racer had climbed to 8th after his safety car tyre change, becoming 4th as the field sorted itself.
Admittedly, Kral only just pipped van der Garde and Luiz Razia at the line. Staying out until lap 19, van der Garde kept enough life and pace in his Pirelli tyres to play his way into the points. A tenth lap pass on Julian Leal gave the Dutch racer some much-needed free air; however there was not enough left to demote Kral.
Razia was a big winner in the pitlane, but also made much needed moves on track when the opportunity arose. Indeed, the Brazilian wasted no time in forcing a way passed Jolyon Palmer and Leal when race restarted to break into the top ten, eventually rising to 6th at the flag.
Meanwhile Leal drove a canny race to 7th to grab some rare points, pipping Felipe Nasr by two seconds over the line.
For Nasr it was a close run thing – the Brazilian was on a charge after being held behind Valsecchi in the pits, dropping to 20th at the stops. Tactical driving played into his hands – where degradation depleted the pace of opponents, Nasr maintained his Pirelli’s allowing the DAMS’ pilot to rise through the field.
Passes on the battling Rio Haryanto and Max Chilton in the final few tours promoted Nasr to 9th, before taking Stephane Richelmi just before the finish line to assume 8th and reverse grid pole for Sprint Race.
Richelmi – whose strategy came so close to working out perfectly – hung on for 9th, while Haryanto claimed the final point, ending a tough day for the poleman.
The Indonesian attempted to brutally squeeze Gutierrez against the pitwall at the start, before spinning on his own under the safety car. Unlike Ericsson, Gutierrez was penalised for overtaking under yellow flag conditions following Gonzalez’ off, after he sailed passed Calado in Eau Rouge. A sluggish stop only served to worsen his day.
2012 GP2 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 10, Feature Race, 25 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1h55m36.519s
2. James Calado Lotus + 11.530s
3. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 13.604s
4. Josef Král Addax + 15.098s
5. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 15.482s
6. Luiz Razia Arden + 16.903s
7. Julian Leal Trident + 26.615s
8. Felipe Nasr DAMS + 28.903s
9. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 29.230s
10. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 29.568s
11. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 31.182s
12. Max Chilton Carlin + 32.160s
13. Daniel de Jong Rapax + 37.340s
14. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 39.130s
15. Simon Trummer Arden + 49.936s
16. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 54.918s
17. Johnny Cecotto Jr. Addax + 58.788s
18. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 1m25.639s
19. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1 lap
Retirements:
Stefano Coletti Coloni 22 laps
Victor Guerin Ocean 21 laps
Jolyon Palmer iSport 18 laps
Sergio Canamasas Lazarus 11 laps
Nigel Melker Ocean 2 laps
Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 0 laps
Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham 0 laps
Sprint Race (September 2nd)
Kral grabbed his first GP2 win following a controlled drive at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday. A storming start made the difference, as the Barwa Addax man surged through from the third row to the front of the pack.
Nasr came through to claim a late 2nd place from Calado’s Lotus machine.
Having to fight off a determined Calado for the opening half of the event kept Kral on his toes, but the Czech withstood the pressure and began to pull away as Calado’s tyres ran short of breath. From 1.1 seconds at the halfway mark, the leading gap grew to over five seconds as the chequered flag waved for the delighted Kral – his first win in forty-four GP2 starts.
For Nasr, the Brazilian endured a difficult start. An untried clutch proved to be slipping, dropping Nasr to 5th by the opening turn, as Kral slipped through followed by Calado, Razia and Valsecchi.
Part of Nasr’s problem would resolve itself rather quickly, when a defensive Calado squeezed Razia on the Kemmel Straight, causing the Brazilian to slide across track and collect the innocent Valsecchi. Razia would continue – albeit near the back – but Valsecchi’s day was done.
Up front, Calado pressed Kral hard – too hard in fact; by the two-third mark, the Englishman was struggling for grip, allowing Nasr back into play for 2nd spot. A tough dual in the final laps saw Calado put up a brave fight, but when his Lotus slid sideways through the Bus Stop on the final lap, Nasr dived through to take the runner-up spot.
Calado had little choice but to accept 3rd, knowing that in the process he had also risen above teammate Gutierrez in the points standings.
Ericsson was only a second adrift of the Nasr / Calado fight. The Swede had once again displayed stellar speed in Sunday’s Sprint and needed to after being passed by Gutierrez and Fabio Onidi off the line.
Moves on Onidi, Haryanto and Richelmi brought Ericsson back into contention, with his efforts being made easier when Leal and Gutierrez clashed during a battle over 4th spot; an incident that promoted everyone else two places as well.
Somehow Fabio Leimer claimed 5th place as his own. Starting 23rd, the Swiss pilot was 12th after lap one. Leimer was in the mood for points on Sunday and it showed – an early pass on Sergio Canamasas took the Racing Engineering driver to the edge of the top ten, before swooping upon Palmer (lap 10), Onidi (lap 12), Haryanto (lap 14) and Richelmi (lap 15).
There was then a 13 second gap to 6th place Richelmi, who led a gaggle of four cars across the line. After several laps holding Gutierrez (and later Ericsson) at bay, the Monegasque racer began to lose tyre grip, forcing him into a fight with Haryanto, Stefano Coletti, Leal and Palmer.
Despite the pressure, the Trident racer held on, aided somewhat by the rearguard action fighting amongst themselves.
Initially Haryanto pressed the difficult Richelmi, until Coletti and then Palmer took the charge, but with the laps running short, Richelmi persevered to take three points and 6th place. Haryanto was a mere six-tenths shy at the line, with Coletti – the final point scorer – a further seven-tenths back. Leal and Palmer just missed out on points, despite their valiant efforts.
There was disappointment for Onidi, whose fabulous start promoted him from 16th to 9th, becoming 8th two tours later; however the Italian fell back down the order almost as quickly, ending the day a rather distant 12th.
It wasn’t all great first lap runs unfortunately. Johnny Cecotto Jr made a rather questionable start by driving down start / finish on the grass strap lining the pitwall, passing nearly a dozen cars in the process.
Robbed of grip as he approached La Source, the Venezuelan powered back onto the track, pummelling the rear of Chilton. The embarrassed Cecotto Jr retired on the spot, while Chilton continued, albeit in last place.
2012 GP2 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 10, Sprint Race, 18 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Josef Kral Addax 36m59.474s
2. Felipe Nasr DAMS + 5.109s
3. James Calado Lotus + 5.290s
4. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 6.335s
5. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 11.041s
6. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 24.694s
7. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 25.237s
8. Stefano Coletti Coloni + 25.957s
9. Julian Leal Trident + 26.257s
10. Jolyon Palmer iSport + 27.441s
11. Daniel de Jong Rapax + 32.681s
12. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 35.830s
13. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 35.928s
14. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 37.222s
15. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 37.867s
16. Simon Trummer Arden + 38.387s
17. Rene Binder Lazarus + 41.470s
18. Victor Guerin Ocean + 47.175s
19. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 52.735s
20. Luiz Razia Arden + 56.434s
21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham + 1m19.121s
22. Max Chilton Carlin + 1m22.027s
Retirements:
Sergio Canamasas Lazarus 9 laps
Davide Valsecchi DAMS 9 laps
Johnny Cecotto Addax 0 laps
2012 GP2 Series Drivers' Championship (Rd 10) Pos Driver Points 1. Luiz Razia 204 2. Davide Valsecchi 204 3. James Calado 160 4. Esteban Gutierrez 150 5. Giedo van der Garde 141 6. Max Chilton 124 7. Fabio Leimer 103 8. Marcus Ericsson 89 9. Felipe Nasr 85 10. Johnny Cecotto Jr 80 2012 GP2 Series Teams' Championship (Rd 10) Pos Teams Points 1. Lotus 310 2. DAMS 289 3. Arden International 208 4. Carlin 162 5. Racing Engineering 160
Alessandro Zanardi.
Legend, inspiration, hero, honourable gentleman and now a gold medallist at the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
A stunning achievement for someone whose life has become an emblem for dignity.
Kudos Alex, kudos.
© GP3 Media Services.
Daniel Abt and Matias Laine celebrated their maiden GP3 victories at Spa-Francorchamps at the weekend during a round that saw the title favourite stumble rather than stride amidst the forests.
It was bound to happen to Mitch Evans eventually. Where consistency is a vital component in any championship charge, it is difficult to expect a trophy of some sort every weekend.
Admittedly, Evans’ ambitions have been helped by the recent inability of rival Aaro Vainio to score big points and in a round where Evans faltered somewhat, Vainio happened to have a nightmare.
Evans did indeed nab a podium during the opening race to follow a hard earned pole position, but as the race was concluded after only four laps, the reward was of reduced value.
Meanwhile, a reinvigorated Antonio Felix da Costa keeps surging forward. The Portuguese racer has nabbed 82 points in the past two rounds, compared to the 34 of Evans and the 24 scored by Vainio.
It is a strong run that has propelled da Costa ahead of Vainio in the standings, while Evans’ lead shrunk to 21.5 points.
Suddenly the final round at Monza this week takes on an extra vitality and judging by their respective performances at Spa, da Costa is in the hot seat and is setting Evans up for a surprise.
Meanwhile at Spa-Francorchamps…
Race 1 (September 1st)
Daniel Abt took his first GP3 win of the season in an accident marred opening race at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday.
The German made the key move on the third lap, when he slipped past the duelling Antonio Felix da Costa and Mitch Evans in the middle of Les Combes in a beautifully executed and opportunistic move. Abt spent the next two laps defending hard against da Costa, yet despite his best efforts, the Portuguese racer could neither intimidate nor force an error.
Their battle almost came to a head on the fourth tour – again at Les Combes – when da Costa slipstreamed alongside Abt, only to be forced wide and onto the escape road, damaging the floor of his Carlin car in the process.
Evans finished 3rd after several brief battles in the shortened event. When Evans’ new clutch proved less than effective, the poleman was passed by teammate Laine off the line; however the Kiwi retook Laine on the approach to Les Combes. Running wide as a result, Laine dropped to 5th behind the fast starting Tio Ellinas.
Almost immediately, da Costa clung to the rear of Evans, eventually sweeping by on the Kemmel straight on lap two, before both lost out to Abt the next time around.
Meanwhile, Ellinas jumped from 10th on the grid to a stunning 4th thanks to an aggressive start; however the Anglo-Cypriot could do little about Evans, despite pressing the Kiwi hard on Spa’s long lingering bends.
Aaro Vainio passed Lewis Williamson for 6th on the opening tour, finishing just ahead of Lotus teammate Conor Daly come the flag.
Indeed, a poor start by the Irish-American dropped him from 5th to 8th as the field unravelled; however Daly made up one spot – again on Williamson – on the second lap to claim 7th place.
Williamson made best with 8th and reverse grid pole for the Sunday morning race, as he kept ahead of the battling Giovanni Venturini and Alex Fontana.
The race was red flag on the fifth lap following a massive accident for Robert Cregan just before the fiercesome Pouhon.
The Ocean Racing Technology driver was squeezed in between David Fumanelli and Alex Brundle on the approach to the turn, with Cregan’s left rear suspension taken the brunt of the hit.
Robbed of control as his left rear wheel mounting collapsed, Cregan slid hard into the tyre barrier, destroying both his machine and the protective barrier in one large hit. Frighteningly, Cregan’s flailing tyre – pinched in place by its protective tethers – swung gangly into the Irishman’s cockpit, pinning him into place.
Thankfully, the Irishman was uninjured beyond a stiff neck; however as only a single round remains for this chassis, it is thought that he may now not have a car at his disposal for this weekend’s visit at Monza.
2012 GP3 Series Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 7, Race 1, 4 laps) Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Daniel Abt Lotus 8m54.720s 2. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin + 0.321s 3. Mitch Evans MW Arden + 1.410s 4. Tio Ellinas Manor + 1.971s 5. Matias Laine MW Arden + 2.655s 6. Aaro Vainio Lotus + 3.157s 7. Conor Daly Lotus + 4.679s 8. Lewis Williamson Status + 6.081s 9. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 7.024s 10. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 7.584s 11. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 9.396s 12. Kevin Ceccon Ocean + 10.170s 13. Will Buller Carlin + 10.790s 14. Marlon Stockinger Status + 11.119s 15. Robert Visoiu Jenzer + 13.438s 16. Vicky Piria Trident + 15.145s 17. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS + 16.967s 18. Alice Powell Status + 18.793s 19. Alex Brundle Carlin + 19.166s 20. David Fumanelli MW Arden + 19.480s 21. Robert Cregan Ocean + 19.787s 22. Dmitry Suranovich Manor + 20.844s 23. John Wartique Atech CRS + 22.634s 24. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS + 23.445s 25. Fabiano Machado Manor + 24.117s 26. Carmen Jorda Ocean + 27.131s
Race 2 (September 2nd)
Laine claimed his first GP3 win on Sunday morning at Spa, thanks mainly to a stunning start from the second row.
Antonio Felix da Costa took his second runner-up spot of the weekend, while Conor Daly added a sixth podium to his 2012 collection when he crossed the line in 3rd spot.
As in the opening race, Laine launched off the line with vigour, passing a surprised Williamson in the short entry at La Source; but would lose the lead prior to Eau Rouge.
This time, the determined Laine slipped back passed on the Kemmel Straight and held the front thereafter.
It helped too that Daly recovered from a poor getaway to also charge passed Williamson, although the Scot would correct that on the following lap to retake 2nd place before Les Combes.
Of course, little of this mattered to Laine, as he escaped the frantic battle in his mirrors, although the MW Arden racer did not simply drive away.
Where Williamson and Daly were busy making life difficult for themselves, Laine edged away, with the lead tricking outwards – 1.5 seconds by lap six; then 2.4 seconds after the final tour, yet Laine rarely looked truly threatened.
It was a prime example of close measured racing – dominant without being unnecessarily exuberant.
Meanwhile, da Costa was busy scything through the field. Starting 7th, the Portuguese racer inherited two spots almost immediately when Ellinas and Vainio clashed on the opening lap, removing each other from contention. That became 4th when Evans’ pace dramatically fell away, leaving only Williamson and Daly in the near distance.
Indeed Williamson too was struggling for speed and grip. With Daly persistent in his attacks, the Status GP racer defended hard – too hard at times to be frank – a tactic that only served to let da Costa close in.
Both Daly and da Costa would be ahead of Williamson by lap nine – rather easily – but da Costa was not ready to relent.
Having pressed Williamson for much of the race, now Daly was being pressurised by da Costa, with the Carlin man finally forcing his way passed his Irish-American rival on the penultimate tour.
Amidst the squabbling, da Costa also secured two bonus points for the fastest lap, just as he had in the previous three races. For Daly, another podium was a decent result, although the Lotus racer was probably expecting a touch more for his troubles.
Fontana impressed in his final outing before returning to the Formula 2 next weekend. The Swiss racer made an excellent start from 10th place, driving a rather conservative race and grabbing positions while others erred.
Behind Fontana, it was all rather close for comfort, with Fontana, Abt (5th), Patric Niederhauser (6th) and Williamson (a disappointed 7th) all covered by 3.8 seconds.
Like Fontana, Abt and Niederhauser climbed the leaderboard as others fell off it. The duo enjoyed a brief battle of their own at the start thanks to a poor start by Abt; however the German had retaken the Jenzer racer come the second tour.
They group stayed bunched together through the mid section of the race, mainly because they all held up by Evans, making for some startling action as they tooed-and-froed for position.
For Williamson, his race fell apart once Daly was by. With nothing left in reserve, the Scot dropped down the order – easy meat for those on fresher Pirelli rubber.
Will Buller claimed the last point of the race after passing Venturini on the final tour. The County Down man launched his way from 13th on the grid, winning out in tight group battle with Venturini, Tamas Pa’l Kiss (10th, after starting 19th !!) and Brundle.
A special mention for Alice Powell, whose late charge to 12th spot included overtaking Evans and Marlon Stöckinger around the outside of Les Combes in one move.
In the final laps, Evans could not control the slide and finished 15th,
2012 GP3 Series Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 7, Race, 12 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Matias Laine MW Arden 26m39.329s
2. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin + 2.404s
3. Conor Daly Lotus + 3.460s
4. Alex Fontana Jenzer + 7.151s
5. Daniel Abt Lotus + 8.494s
6. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer + 9.671s
7. Lewis Williamson Status + 10.961s
8. Will Buller Carlin + 17.259s
9. Giovanni Venturini Trident + 18.754s
10. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS + 19.460s
11. Alex Brundle Carlin + 19.828s
12. Alice Powell Status + 22.462s
13. Robert Visoiu Jenzer + 23.628s
14. Aaro Vainio Lotus + 26.226s
15. Mitch Evans MW Arden + 28.547s
16. Marlon Stockinger Status + 29.267s
17. John Wartique Atech CRS + 29.469s
18. Dmitry Suranovich Manor + 30.471s
19. Vicky Piria Trident + 31.849s
20. Kevin Ceccon Ocean + 33.410s
21. Fabiano Machado Manor + 33.967s
22. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS + 34.451s
23. Carmen Jorda Ocean + 54.689s
Retirements:
David Fumanelli MW Arden 6 laps
Tio Ellinas Manor 4 laps
© GP3 Media Services.
Mitch Evans claimed GP3 pole position at Spa-Francorchamps this morning, just ahead of MW Arden teammate Matias Laine.
Daniel Abt headed the Lotus charge, taking 3rd spot despite being blocked on his final quick run.
Evans spent much of the session at or near the top of the timing screens, with Abt and Lewis Williamson in close company.
The Kiwi lost a quick run several minutes from the end when he was blocked by Carmen Jorda; however the points leader recovered to put the top spot beyond reach four minutes from the end.
Laine missed out on a shot at pole when he made a slight error on one of his quick laps – the MW Arden racer may well have gone faster later in his run were it not for his aging Pirelli’s.
Abt led the session for the moist part, losing out as track conditions improved during the thirty minutes. Being blocked on his last lap only compounded frustrations for the German.
Antonio Felix da Costa continued his impressive run. The Portuguese pilot fills out the second row, just ahead of Conor Daly (5th) and Lewis Williamson (6th). Indeed the GP3 returnee pipped a close group to the top six, with Williamson, Aaro Vainio (7th), Venturini (8th), Alex Fontana (9th) and Tio Ellinas (10th) all covered by less than two-tenths.
Former Indy Lights racer Carmen Jorda just made the field. After a spectacular spin early in the session, the Spaniard ended the session over eight seconds adrift of pole.
2012 GP3 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 8, Qualifying) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Mitch Evans MW Arden 2m10.513s 2. Matias Laine MW Arden 2m10.738s + 0.225s 3. Daniel Abt Lotus 2m10.754s + 0.241s 4. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 2m10.980s + 0.467s 5. Conor Daly Lotus 2m11.064s + 0.551s 6. Lewis Williamson Status 2m11.320s + 0.807s 7. Aaro Vainio Lotus 2m11.366s + 0.853s 8. Giovanni Venturini Trident 2m11.382s + 0.869s 9. Alex Fontana Jenzer 2m11.397s + 0.884s 10. Tio Ellinas Manor 2m11.501s + 0.988s 11. Marlon Stockinger Status 2m11.541s + 1.028s 12. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 2m11.637s + 1.124s 13. Vicky Piria Trident 2m11.723s + 1.210s 14. Will Buller Carlin 2m11.742s + 1.229s 15. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 2m11.746s + 1.233s 16. David Fumanelli MW Arden 2m11.804s + 1.291s 17. Alex Brundle Carlin 2m12.224s + 1.711s 18. Robert Visoiu Jenzer 2m12.410s + 1.897s 19. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 2m12.508s + 1.995s 20. Alice Powell Status 2m12.530s + 2.017s 21. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 2m12.713s + 2.200s 22. Robert Cregan Ocean 2m12.765s + 2.252s 23. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 2m12.886s + 2.373s 24. Fabiano Machado Manor 2m12.917s + 2.404s 25. John Wartique Atech CRS 2m13.478s + 2.965s 26. Carmen Jorda Ocean 2m18.719s + 8.206s
© GP2 Media Services.
Rio Haryanto secured his first GP2 pole position at Spa-Francorchamps this evening.
The Carlin racer headed Lotus’ James Calado as the clock ran down during a very wet session at the famed Belgian circuit.
Coming in with a best of 2:17.535, Haryanto proved to be one-tenth of-a-second too quick for the impressive Englishman. It was an impressive tour from the Indonesian, who has struggled for consistency at times this season – in this instance, Haryanto was inch perfect.
Beyond Calado was Lotus teammate Esteban Gutierrez who was a further tenth behind the flying Haryanto.
While the poleman gained a nice bundle of bonus points and two spots in the standings (Haryanto now claims 13th), the starting grid gives the Lotus pairing ample opportunity to build their battle for 3rd place overall – a battle Gutierrez currently leads.
iSport duo Marcus Ericsson and Jolyon Palmer were next up, with the Swede edging Palmer to the second row by three-tenths. Championship challenger Davide Valsecchi rounded out the top six, some thirteen places ahead of his chief rival Luiz Razia…
There was a surprise when Sergio Canamasas grabbed 7th for Venezuela GP Lazarus who lurched onto the fourth row thanks to a late effort. Canamasas heads Fabio Leimer (Racing Engineering), Felipe Nasr (DAMS) and Giedo van der Garde (Caterham).
As noted, it was a poor session for series leader Razia. The Brazilian starts rom 19th place tomorrow and it will take a stellar drive from the pit of his boots to lift a result from that.
2012 GP2 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 10, Qualifying) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Rio Haryanto Carlin 2m17.535s 2. James Calado Lotus 2m17.643s + 0.108s 3. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 2m17.736s + 0.201s 4. Marcus Ericsson iSport 2m18.058s + 0.523s 5. Jolyon Palmer iSport 2m18.368s + 0.833s 6. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 2m18.397s + 0.862s 7. Sergio Canamasas Lazarus 2m18.582s + 1.047s 8. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 2m18.603s + 1.068s 9. Felipe Nasr DAMS 2m18.801s + 1.266s 10. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 2m18.930s + 1.395s 11. Stefano Coletti Coloni 2m19.328s + 1.793s 12. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 2m19.721s + 2.186s 13. Max Chilton Carlin 2m19.803s + 2.268s 14. Fabio Onidi Coloni 2m20.100s + 2.565s 15. Josef Kral Addax 2m20.224s + 2.689s 16. Victor Guerin Ocean 2m20.289s + 2.754s 17. Julian Leal Trident 2m20.455s + 2.920s 18. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 2m20.484s + 2.949s 19. Luiz Razia Arden 2m20.712s + 3.177s 20. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham 2m20.752s + 3.217s 21. Nigel Melker Ocean 2m20.888s + 3.353s 22. Daniel de Jong Rapax 2m20.921s + 3.386s 23. Stephane Richelmi Trident 2m21.070s + 3.535s 24. Simon Trummer Arden 2m21.790s + 4.255s 25. Johnny Cecotto Addax 2m21.942s + 4.407s 26. Rene Binder Lazarus 2m22.795s + 5.260s
© GP2 Media Services.
Racing Engineering’s Fabio Leimer finished at the top of the timing screen following a very wet GP2 practice session at Spa-Francorchamps this afternoon.
The Swiss racer ended the session well ahead of Nigel Melker (Ocean Racing Technology) and Johnny Cecotto Jr (Barwa Addax) thanks to best effort of 2:22.580 near practice end.
Championship challengers Luiz Razia and Davide Valsecchi ended the practice , 4th and 5th after heading the timesheets early on, while Marcus Ericsson closed out the top six for iSport.
James Calado led the Lotus charge in 7th, with Esteban Gutierrez three spots behind. They were split by Victor Guerin (OCR, 8th) and Stefano Coletti (Coloni, 9th).
The positions would remain as such in the final minutes, when Cecotto Jr planted his GP2/11 car hard into the barrier at Pouhon, bringing out the session’s sole red flag.
Flat on the power during a fast lap, the Venezuelan climbed Pouhon’s gripless kerbs, only to be thrown clear of the track.
Cecotto was one of many to spin in the treacherous conditions, but only one of the few to inflict damage or embarrassment.
A number of drivers enjoyed harmless spins at various parts of the circuit, especially Les Combes, where Daniel de Jong tapped the barrier, ending his session early.
Indeed, such was the depth of water at some points of the circuit, it was clear to see drivers struggling behind the wheel of their GP2 machines. Hopefully the weather may be somewhat kinder come tomorrow’s running.
* {note 1}
Rene Binder joins Venezuela GP Lazarus this weekend in place of perennial lappee Giancarlo Serenelli. It may represent a huge step up for the Austrian, who currently competes in the German Formula 3 Cup.
2012 GP2 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 10, Free Practice) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 2m22.580s 2. Nigel Melker Ocean 2m23.540s + 0.960s 3. Johnny Cecotto Jr Addax 2m23.911s + 1.331s 4. Luiz Razia Arden 2m24.292s + 1.712s 5. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 2m24.394s + 1.814s 6. Marcus Ericsson iSport 2m24.665s + 2.085s 7. James Calado Lotus 2m25.145s + 2.565s 8. Victor Guerin Ocean 2m25.330s + 2.750s 9. Stefano Coletti Coloni 2m25.431s + 2.851s 10. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 2m25.540s + 2.960s 11. Felipe Nasr DAMS 2m25.957s + 3.377s 12. Julian Leal Trident 2m25.961s + 3.381s 13. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 2m25.969s + 3.389s 14. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham 2m26.226s + 3.646s 15. Jolyon Palmer iSport 2m26.687s + 4.107s 16. Rio Haryanto Carlin 2m26.841s + 4.261s 17. Stephane Richelmi Trident 2m27.804s + 5.224s 18. Fabio Onidi Coloni 2m27.945s + 5.365s 19. Simon Trummer Arden 2m28.078s + 5.498s 20. Josef Kral Addax 2m28.639s + 6.059s 21. Max Chilton Carlin 2m28.751s + 6.171s 22. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 2m30.324s + 7.744s 23. Sergio Canamasas Lazarus 2m30.461s + 7.881s 24. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 2m31.938s + 9.358s 25. Daniel de Jong Rapax 2m33.864s + 11.284s 26. Rene Binder Lazarus 2m34.328s + 11.748s
© GP3 Media Services.
Tio Ellinas made the best of torrid conditions at Spa-Francorchamps to claim the top spot for GP3 Free Practice.
The Marussia Manor driver pipped Carlin rival Antonio Felix da Costa as the clock ticked to zero, with a best lap of 2:28.100 – just four-hundredths quicker than da Costa come the chequered flag.
Lotus pairing Daniel Abt and Conor Daly took 3rd and 4th respectively, coming to within three-tenths of Ellinas’ leading time.
Alex Brundle enjoyed a solid session with a run to 5th, while Aaro Vainio made it three Lotus’ in the top six. Next up were MW Arden duo Mitch Evans and Matias Laine, just ahead of Lewis Williamson* and Alex Fontana who headed the Status GP and Jenzer charge respectively.
The session proved to be incident packed, with many drivers suffering spins and trips through the gravel, including Jenzer Motorsport’s Patric Niederhauser, who aquaplaned at the top of the Kemmel Straight. Luckily, despite hopping the steep kerbs, the Swiss pilot escaped with no serious damage.
The same could not be said for Atech CRS racer John Wartique. The GP3 returnee lost control of his Renault-powered Dallara running through Eau Rouge, eventually slamming into the awaiting tyre barriers.
His car firmly stuck underneath the wall, the session was brought to a halt for seventeen minutes while his car was retrieved.
* {note 1}
In a piece of welcome news for the Scot, Lewis Williamson has been confirmed to run with Status GP for the remaining two rounds, replacing Japanese pilot Kotaro Sakurai.
Williamson ran in GP3 last year, taking one win and two podiums to finish 4th overall in the points. A difficult season in Formula Renault 3.5 would see Williamson dropped by the Red Bull junior programme; however it appears he has enough of a budget to finish the season in GP3 at least.
2012 GP3 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 7, Free Practice) Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Tio Ellinas Manor 2m28.100s 2. Antonio Felix da Costa Carlin 2m28.143s + 0.043s 3. Daniel Abt Lotus 2m28.204s + 0.104s 4. Conor Daly Lotus 2m28.392s + 0.292s 5. Alex Brundle Carlin 2m29.063s + 0.963s 6. Aaro Vainio Lotus 2m29.498s + 1.398s 7. Mitch Evans MW Arden 2m29.555s + 1.455s 8. Matias Laine MW Arden 2m29.692s + 1.592s 9. Lewis Williamson Status 2m29.925s + 1.825s 10. Alex Fontana Jenzer 2m30.093s + 1.993s 11. David Fumanelli MW Arden 2m30.122s + 2.022s 12. Will Buller Carlin 2m30.133s + 2.033s 13. Tamas Pal Kiss Atech CRS 2m30.296s + 2.196s 14. Marlon Stockinger Status 2m30.324s + 2.224s 15. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 2m30.556s + 2.456s 16. Kevin Ceccon Ocean 2m30.801s + 2.701s 17. Robert Visoiu Jenzer 2m30.998s + 2.898s 18. Giovanni Venturini Trident 2m31.157s + 3.057s 19. Robert Cregan Ocean 2m31.404s + 3.304s 20. Ethan Ringel Atech CRS 2m31.455s + 3.355s 21. Fabiano Machado Manor 2m31.584s + 3.484s 22. Dmitry Suranovich Manor 2m31.832s + 3.732s 23. Vicky Piria Trident 2m34.041s + 5.941s 24. Carmen Jorda Ocean 2m35.412s + 7.312s 25. Alice Powell Status 2m35.772s + 7.672s 26. John Wartique Atech CRS 2m36.035s + 7.935s
There are some occasions when I lament visiting some British circuits during the racing season.
To put it kindly, a number are rather “out of the way” ensuring some trips become more of an endurance than a flying visit – especially when is without a car…
On the other hand, the ease with which a certain few European circuits can be reached should do much to embarrass.
Monza is a prime example of a historic track based not too far from Milan, while the oft-criticised Spa-Francorchamps is not overly difficult to get reach when a little research is done.
Alas a Grand Prix does tend to add a little pressure to the local traffic system, while hotels have a dreadful tendency to fill up fast.
So for Formula One’s annual visit to the Ardennes, one has to venture fifty kilometres north to Liege to bed up for the weekend – not ideal, but good enough.
Getting to the circuit isn’t too difficult, but maybe a little arduous for some. From Liege, there are several stops before disembarking at Spa and cycling the final 8.5 kms to the track.
One only hopes the morning remains dry. Speaking of which as far as I am aware, there will be weather today at Spa, but it is doubtful that anyone knows quite what that weather will be.
Who would have thought that would be a possibility then..?
Earlier this week, the FIA announced an agreement to licence the commercial rights of the burgeoning electric car championship to Formula E Holdings (FEH).
Based primarily in London, FEH is headed by Spanish entrepreneur Enrique Bañuelos de Castro, while Addax Capital chairman (and GP2 team owner) Alejandro Agag sits as CEO and shareholder.
Lord Paul Drayson of Drayson Racing Technologies and Eric Barbaroux (chairman of French electric automotive company “Electric Formula”) are also involved.
The championship – due to begin in 2014 – will be the first to be powered exclusively by electric energy and is hoped to attract ten teams fielding twenty drivers, with races due to take place around some of the world’s leading cities, with Rio de Janeiro the first to confirm a date.
Mexico is looking into hosting a round, while Prince Albert of Monte Carlo has also been approached. The series will also be looking to major cities in the various continents around the world with an emphasis on Eastern venues.
On the subject of racing in cities as opposed to natural racing circuits, Agag was clear in his beliefs:
“We believe that cities are the natural environment for electric cars. The extended use of EV will play a very important part in reducing city air pollution. We want to race in the heart of some of the leading cities in the world. Cities committed to clean mobility and sustainability. We think we can be of help to those cities that are promoting the use of the electric car, by making it more popular.”
While there have been individual electric car Grands Prix before, this will be the first time championship status has been assigned to the category.
As a marker of his leadership of the FIA, this move further underlines President Jean Todt’s desire to involve categories outside of Formula 1.
“This new competition at the heart of major cities is certain to attract a new audience. We are pleased with this agreement with Formula E Holdings as they bring a very strong experience in Motorsport. The new events will provide a great way to engage the younger generation.
“This spectacular series will offer both entertainment and a new opportunity to share FIA values with a wide audience as clean energy, mobility and sustainability. This is a great day and a strong message to the motor sport community. The FIA is definitely looking to the future!”
Always a keen competitor, Agag was also open to share his ambitions for the series.
“We have 3 main objectives: The first is to create exciting and competitive racing. This will be a real competition between cars and drivers, where the best technology and the best pilot will win. We want to create a show for all ages, focusing on the younger generations that identify with many of our values.
“The second is to become a framework for the research and development around the electric vehicle (EV). Battery life and efficiency of electric engines are two fields in which many global corporations are investing vast resources. Technological breakthroughs in these fields will take the electric car to a different level. We would like to become the testing ground for those advances.
“The third is to make people believe in electric cars. Believe in the power of these cars; believe they work. To make people believe that they need an electric car and a more sustainable lifestyle. Many people don’t think about buying an electric car because they don’t know the facts about them. We want to show everyone what these cars can do.”
The Barwa Addax GP2 boss went further still:
“The automotive industry is currently going through a process of significant transformation that will become increasingly visible. New and more sustainable technologies are being introduced, which will make cars more efficient and environmentally friendly.
“In this transformation, the electric car will play a key role, as the most practical and immediate way to achieve these goals. We are convinced that the future of auto motion, particularly in cities, is electric.
“The promotion of clean mobility and sustainability is a priority for the FIA, so joining forces to set up the first sustainable global motorsport championship is a great opportunity for us. We expect this Championship to become the framework for research and development around the electric car, a key element for the future of our cities.”
Meanwhile, ex-Formula 1 racer Lucas di Grassi has signed on to be the official development driver for the series. Demonstrations of the Formula E machines are set to begin next year.
While disappointed with the somewhat static nature of the technical regulations, it may go someway to filling the grid until the series has imbedded itself within the world and culture of motorsport.
Formula E is a nod toward the future of motorsport, and the regulations may still be opened to provide avenues of development for electric racing to explore.
The series is open to any cars sanctioned as Formula E by the FIA; however the Formulec EF 01 prototype – the basis of the new car – is already in operation and is available for use by interested parties.
This will be a very interesting project to watch indeed, but it must be noted that anyone who says electric racing cars don’t make a sound hasn’t seen an electric car race.
They do make a sound, albeit a whiney one, much like a blender that has had that sharpness removed. It makes for quite an interesting experience indeed.
Jacques-Henri Lartigue, “Race Car” (1913)
One of the earliest exponents of motorsport photography was French artist Jacques-Henri Lartigue.
Born in Courbevoie just outside Paris in June 1894, Lartigue began shooting all forms of sporting action as a child, although many of these captures were merely photographs of friends and family playing locally.
Admittedly, the young Lartigue encouraged many of his peers to be almost hyper-active in their gamesmanship – as long as it made for a credible portrait.
Interestingly, amongst Lartigue’s early subjects was soap box racing – a most basic standard racing, but all this was more than enough to sow the seeds. In his formative years, Lartigue was already amassing a collection of toy cars – a special gathering noted in a portrait taken when he was only eleven years old.
Amidst all this action, a love of the early aeroplanes and motorcars grabbed at Lartigue’s imagination, encouraged somewhat by numerous visits to motor races of the decade. More importantly, Lartigue’s wealthy background allowed for eager access to a sport and an industry keen to develop before his eyes.
There was no holding the Frenchman back. By 18, he could be found trackside at Dieppe, shooting the 20-lap French Grand Prix – a race won with ease by Peugeot pioneer driver, Georges Boillot. Lartigue also photographed the Gordon Bennett Cup, while outside of motorsport, the ostentatious Parisian added the French Open to his list of pictorialised sporting events.
It was during the 1913 French Grand Prix at Amiens (also won by Boillot) when Lartigue took one of his most enduring photographs. Entitled “Race Car”, the shot utilised a rolling shutter to capture René Croquet and his riding mechanic distorted and leaning toward one side of the photograph, while the spectators are skewered in the opposite direction.
With the image stretched and unclean, the shutter appears to capture the extreme violence of Croquet attacking the road, while a couple of spectators look beyond for the next racer passing through.
As Croquet powers out of the corner hard, the spectators become mere blurred shadows. while the wheels remain sharp, demanding attention.
Just a single frame necessary to showcase the intensity of early Grand Prix motor racing capturing the wonderful nature of this early machines in a more carefree time.
Marvellous stuff.
As the roaring 1920s turned, Lartigue fell away from shooting motorsport, instead turning his hand to painting and although not hugely successful in his prime, he did manage to sell consistently to magazines such as La View au Grand Air.
He did continue to photograph in this time, although his subjects tended to be other artists, including famed cubist and innovator Pablo Picasso, as well as film-makers François Truffaut and Federico Fellini; however his mistress Renée Perle remains his frequent of subjects.
Throughout this period, Lartigue made approximately 120 huge photographic albums, composing an elegant autobiographical document detailing the first half of the twentieth century.
Painting allowed Lartigue to earn a living, but mainstream success continued to elude him for much of his adult life; however that all changed in the early 1960s, when Lartigue’s album set was rediscovered by Charles Rado – founder of the humanist press agency, Rapho.
Mesmerised by the collection, Rado brought Lartigue to meet John Szarkowski, curator of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, whereupon the then 69-year-old photographer enjoyed critical acclaim for his work, resulting in spread in Life magazine.
Lartigue’s life continued apace, publishing numerous pictorial books in his latter years, as word of his work spread worldwide. He would eventually pass away in 1986, at the age of 92.
Today, Grand Prix racing still plays host to a number of modern photographic artists, whether it be Darren Heath or Mark and Keith Sutton amongst others.
Irrespective of the time, these stunning cars still maintain a form of beauty, basking in power, but it is the ability of those who deliver such passion filled shots that really astound.
In recent years, the growth of understanding of modern social media has seen a wholesale shift in how company’s approach potential consumers, whether individual or corporate.
Where savvy little ditty’s and jaunty videos were at one time considered good enough vehicle’s to entice audiences, time and technology has moved on.
The advent of high speed broadband connections have enabled content producers to spread their wings somewhat and The Motorsport Archive is not saying simple ideas are being left behind; they may more often be shadowed by extravagance.
One such piece of overblown film work comes from Volvo Trucks who’s latest viral, “The Ballerina Stunt”, makes Red Bull’s high octane efforts appear quaint.
In an attempt to “…demonstrate the precision and control of the new Volvo FH series…”, two trucks headed toward down a motorway at high speed, while World Champion Slackliner Faith Dickey walks crosses between the lorries on an outstretched rope.
Quite simply, the viral is stunning produced and beautifully filmed and ensures the slick control of the FH lorries’ is drawn upon during the video.
While this viral has no connection to motorsport per se, it does go some way to showcasing how serious automotive bodies are taking this burgeoning outlet for product promotion.
Naturally, there will be folks out there screaming “faaaaaake”, but who cares when it is so well done. Good work Volvo, says I.
With Formula 1 returning to the US this year, time is beginning to close in; however a video released this week showed things coming along rather well.
Touring over the new Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, local realtor Perry Henderson recorded some helicopter footage of the circuit, showing much of the track not too far from completion.
Layers of asphalt were laid on the start / finish straight several days ago, with an additional coating due in the coming weeks. Other sections of the course have also received their initial layers in the recent past.
Although the circuit may look like a dust bowl at this time, much of the ancillary work trackside will likely come together quite quickly.
Heavy construction and paving of roads begins next week and is set to last for up to six weeks, during which FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting will conduct his final inspection.
As well as the Grand Prix – set for November 18th – the circuit will also host Moto GP, V8 Supercars and the American Le Mans Series. It is believed the IZOD IndyCar Series may also be in talks with the circuit.
Toward the end of July, COTA unveiled plans for an open air concert venue at the base of the circuit’s observation tower. It was also revealed concert promoter Live Nation had entered into a booking agreement with the circuit to attract popular, top selling artists to the circuit.
“…or a rare opportunity for self indulgence.”
It is rather easy for one to tell when the Formula 1 summer break is in full swing when a pile of utterly pointless stories and press releases drop.
From the grand release of race logo’s to Heikki Kovalainen’s shocking revelation that he would be open to another stint with McLaren, news has been very thin on the ground.
There are those who are desperate and will punch these headlines out for all the non-worth possible, but realistically these stories merely fill the void while nothing is happening.
Admittedly, I too would like to drive for McLaren, but am afraid I must rule myself out of 2013 seat – sadly.
Yet, it is quite surprising that the non-story mill continues, despite the Olympics. And trust me, nothing is happening.
After a rather busy couple of months taking in numerous British F3, several visits to Europe (including the legendary Spa 24), even I get to settle back for a short while. It is quiet.
In a few weeks, it will all kick off again with visits to the Belgian Grand Prix weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, before heading to Silverstone the following week for the penultimate British F3 round of the season.
Only a few days later the final round – at Donington Park – takes place and with the possibility of visits to a further two F3 Euro Series events after that, it is clear there is not much space where one can simply kick back and stretch out without having to worry about booking / catching flights, train journeys and hotels.
At times like this, one does not particularly envy independent Formula 1 journalists who cover the whole season.
Mixing all of this with full-time employment merely complicates matters. So here I relax, read a little, probably sleep a bit and look out the window for minutes at a time.
Sometimes it’s good just to sit down and take a moment to breathe. And in. And out.
This post isn’t really about anything at all. And that suits me down to the ground.
© SRO.
Following on from a tough opening pair of races, Carlos Sainz Jr partially recovered his weekend with a stellar victory in Sunday afternoon’s British F3 feature at Snetterton.
And Sainz Jr did it in tough damp conditions – again. Heavy shower some 45 minutes before the start rendered parts of the circuit sodden; a brief downpour on the parade lap only adding to the difficulty.
Yet, as the field lined-up on the grid, the sun again broke, although it remained cool, ensuring track drying would be a slow process. Wet tyres for the duration, no doubt.
Sainz Jr has excelled in these conditions at times this year and this race would be no different. Starting on the outside of the front row, the Spaniard surged ahead as his polesitting teammate Jack Harvey scraped his way off the line.
Also getting a good start from the outside lane was Fortec’s Felix Serralles, who launched passed both Alex Lynn and Harvey to nab 2nd spot. It is at times like these one wonders why pole position and the inside lane of the grid at Snetterton is not on the racing line…
With complete confidence in both his own abilities and mechanisms of his Carlin-Volkswagen, Sainz Jr pulled out a generous early lead, but Serralles’ Mercedes-powered entry hit the optimum – albeit far too late to make the difference.
By halfway, the Spaniard led by just under nine seconds; a gap that extended to 12.4 when he assumed the chequered flag.
“It felt great again. I don’t know why in these conditions we are always fast – I can demonstrate. Regarding the championship, I am not thinking about it any more, especially after yesterday, but I still want to get these kinds of wins and show everyone that with a bit more luck, I might have been in the championship.”
For a time, the leading duo swapped fastest laps – key for Serralles who is in the championship hunt – until the Puerto Rican settled for 2nd and solid points over Harvey.
“It was a good race – I started P4 and ended P2. I like any conditions, so was up it dry or wet. I got a really good start, but didn’t push Sainz, because I knew Harvey was behind me and I was pulling away, so I tried to maintain my pace and finish the race and make no mistakes.
“It dried out about the last five laps, it stayed pretty constant when me, Carlos and Harvey were all pushing for the fastest lap. I think I had the pace to take the race, but I didn’t want to make any mistakes and go off and leave a [points] bigger gap to Harvey.”
However that extra point for fastest lap would not belong to either Sainz Jr or Serralles. Indeed, Sainz Jr probably could have taken it had he not slowed during the last sector on the final lap – something that Carlin might raise should he find himself involved in a future title hunt.
“In the last lap, I backed off on the straight line to see my mechanics – I was setting “purple” “purple”, but in that moment, you are so happy that you are not really thinking about the racing. You are first over the line and you want to, in a way, thank the mechanics.”
For Harvey, 3rd would be his best reward – not exactly was the Lincolnshire desired from his pole position, but he may be content to leave the Snetterton round with the points lead back in his hands.
The top pace did eventually come to Harvey, with the Carlin racer taking the fastest lap point on the penultimate tour.
“I started on new tyres and got a lot of wheelspin. There wasn’t a great deal to do to prevent it and that was that. Also because we were on new tyres, they were a bit of trouble at the start, just when the others were so fast – I couldn’t really say with them, but in the end I was fast enough; it was too late.”
From there, the gaps spread significantly, with 4th place Alex Lynn (Fortec) over 35 seconds adrift of the victor. Far too far ahead of Jazeman Jaafar, but too distant to challenge the leading trio, Lynn settled for a lonely race.
“I was pretty disappointed really. The track was just getting quicker and quicker and I wasn’t quick enough to stay with Jack, but there were big gaps everywhere. It was pretty boring.”
Jaafar’s race was more interesting for a time, as he fought to hold a persuasive Hannes van Asseldonk at bay for a time; however the Dutch pilot’s pursuit ended when went wide at Riches on lap 11, losing eight seconds in the process.
Van Asseldonk kept hold of the position – only just – emerging just ahead of Carlin’s Harry Tincknell; however the Fortec man drew ahead of Tincknell as the laps peeled away.
Brazilian duo Pipo Derani (Fortec) and Pietro Fantin (Carlin) had an enthusiastic battle over 8th and 9th places, eventually won by Derani with a move two laps from the end.
It was something of a recovery effort from Derani, who dropped to 12th (from 7th) at the start. The Fortec racer would be helped by a spinning Nick McBride, before slicing by Adderly Fong and Fahmi Ilyas, eventually reaching the rear of Fantin.
As the laps fell away, Fong held both Fahmi and Geoff Uhrhane at bay for much, but he too would succumb to the pressure from newer cars eventually. That mattered little for the CF Racing / Fong entrant, as he went on to claim all three National Class rounds.
“A good weekend. I had a little trouble on Friday, so thanks to CF Racing for getting the car back up, but got back on track and had good pace all weekend. I’ve driven this circuit in the wet before – this was the track where I learned to drive in the wet.”
There followed a gaggle of National Class cars with Pedro Pablo Calbimonte (13th), Spike Goddard (14th) and Duvashen Padayachee (16th), split by a recovering McBride.
2012 British Formula 3 Round of Snetterton (Rd 8, Race 3, 21 laps) Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 41:18.082 2. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes +12.413 3. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen +19.182 4. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes +35.565 5. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen +45.719 6. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes +52.926 7. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen +1:08.437 8. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes +1:09.382 9. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen +1:10.815 10. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes +1:24.037 11. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes +1:24.173 12. Adderly Fong CF Racing / FONG Mugen Honda +1:28.988 13. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport-Mugen Honda +1:55.303 14. Richard Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda +1 lap 15. Nick McBride T-Sport ThreeBond Nissan +1 lap 16. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda +1 lap
2012 British Formula 3 points standings (Rd 8, Race 3) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jack Harvey 252 2. Felix Serralles 248 3. Jazeman Jaafar 232 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 197 5. Alex Lynn 186 6. Harry Tincknell 169 7. Pietro Fantin 145 8. Pipo Derani 117 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 99 10. Nick McBride 79 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Richard Goddard 331 2. Duvashen Padayachee 297 3. Adderly Fong 161 4. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte 55
© SRO.
In conditions that could not be more different from yesterday, Harry Tincknell strode to his third British F3 victory of the season at a hot, sunny and bright Snetterton.
The Devonshire man took the main finishing spot, after ending the sprint event ahead of teammate Jazeman Jaafar and T-Sport’s Nick McBride – the latter securing his first in the category.
Tincknell’s victory did owe a little something to the number of “B” Class cars starting in his mirrors, with National Class duo Duvashen Padayachee and Spike Goddard starting around him, while T-Sport backmarker Geoff Uhrhane claimed 4th on the grid.
The Carlin man enjoyed a good start to streak ahead of Fong (CF Racing / FONG), although it would only be a lap before Jaafar was through; however the gap – 3.6 seconds in less than six miles – was already beyond the 2nd place man. Tincknell knew exactly what he had to do:
“My starts are usually one of my strong points and I just knew I had to get another good one today. From there, the first couple of laps were key – just build a gap and there it was cruising around.”
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the 20-year-old, whose Volkswagen-powered machine began to suffer from gearbox hiccoughs in the final tours.
“We had a slight gearbox issue that we had to manage toward the end – upshifting was becoming an issue, so I just had to be fairly mindful of that and start short shifting. If you blow the engine up, you don’t get any points.”
Jaafar closed the gap to three seconds come the flag, although was rather relieved to come away with this after losing out badly yesterday. Having climbed back to the mid-table, the Carlin man earned a 7th place start for the second event.
By the opening turn, Jaafar was already 4th, before nabbing 3rd from Fong later in the lap. A move on Goddard during the following circulation promoted him to 2nd, but the Malaysian was simply too far away to pressurise Tincknell.
“I lost so much points in this yesterday and from 7th, this was the only way to get back into the championship. I didn’t want to wait too much time behind the National Class cars and then I needed to pull away. I’ll see where I finish in race three.”
Goddard picked up a drive through penalty at the halfway point for starting out of position – it was decision that released Fong and with it, the train of cars that followed.
After jumping Uhrhane off the line, McBride had a much tougher time attempting to pass the Chinese / Canadian driver, as the aerodynamic effect kicked in through Snetterton’s quicker sweeps.
“I had to work hard for it. The tough part was being stuck behind the National Class cars – the amount of understeer you get through the high-speed stuff really hurts you.”
Once the Australian was through, Fong fell backwards, allowing championship leader Jack Harvey into the frame for a podium. However
McBride was confident in holding his 3rd spot, knowing the Carlin racer would be having a similar issue with bad aero.
“[Jack] had the same problem as me. Once you get to the car in front you just understeer and I knew I could just gap him in some corners.”
Harvey did have a go on the last lap, but it was not enough and the 19-year-old eventually had no choice but to settle for solid points; however considering he started 12th, Harvey can take some pleasure in his result.
“On the final lap, I only had one chance to get by [McBride] and he just covered the line, so there was not much I could do. From where we started, to finish there was really good.”
Alex Lynn rose to 5th once Goddard, Uhrhane and Fong disappeared from the action, as did series challenger Felix Serralles, while mid-table regulars Pipo Derani and Pietro Fantin climbed to 7th and 8th respectively.
Once the gates opened, Fong eventually fell to 9th with Uhrhane three-tenths adrift in 10th place; however the disappointment of the race has to be Carlos Sainz Jr, who could do no better than 11th spot.
Pedro Pablo Calbimonte managed to finish today’s event without any automotive hostilities, some five seconds clear of Padayachee. Goddard dropped to 14th after his drive through penalty.
Hannes van Asseldonk suffered a problem with his left front on the opening lap, requiring pitstop. The Dutch racer finished 15th and last, while Fahmi Ilyas was the only retirement of the race.
2012 British F3 Round of Snetterton (Rd 8, race 2, 11 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time / Gap
1. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 18:59.075
2. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen +3.088
3. Nick McBride T-Sport-Nissan +28.552
4. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen +28.827
5. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes +29.497
6. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes +29.649
7. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes +31.663
8. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen +32.486
9. Adderly Fong CF Racing/Fong-Mugen Honda +34.699
10. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes +34.983
11. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen +35.391
12. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport-Mugen Honda +43.462
13. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda +48.704
14. Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda +49.863
15. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes +1:09.700
Retirements:
Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes +7 laps
2012 British Formula 3 points standings (Rd 8, Race 2) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jack Harvey 239 2. Felix Serralles 233 3. Jazeman Jaafar 224 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 177 5. Alex Lynn 176 6. Harry Tincknell 165 7. Pietro Fantin 143 8. Pipo Derani 114 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 93 10. Nick McBride 79 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Richard ‘Spike’ Goddard 319 2. Duvashen Padayachee 287 3. Adderly Fong 140 4. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte 40
© SRO.
British Formula 3 racer Jack Harvey took the lead in the point standing following a shortened opening race at Snetterton yesterday.
The 19-year-old led from start-to-finish in a race tinged with poor conditions, as Fortec duo Felix Serralles and Alex Lynn trailed in his mirrors.
It appeared as if the Lincolnshire native had bogged down ever so slightly, yet Harvey – in his Volkswagen-powered Carlin managed keep ahead of the pack as they fought amongst themselves.
With Serralles, Lynn and Jazeman Jaafar scrambling for position into Riches, Harvey began his escape, slowly at first, before extending the gap to nearly four seconds. A fourth lap error by Serralles eased the pressure somewhat; however his rivals were only part of the problem.
“That was really hard. The first two laps I took it east and assessed the situation; after that I decided to push it forward and get the fastest lap. Then the rain started to come down and when you are leading in that situation it’s mightily hard to decide when to push. The conditions were unbelievable at the end.”
With the track still damp from an earlier storm – and it was a storm – the field had little choice but to adopt the grooved Cooper wets tyres. For Harvey it was just another element to be mindful of.
“It’s really challenging when you’re the first one around and the conditions are changing so much, but I was in a good position to not do anything silly. I could see it was drizzling, and that was good to have to keep the tyres cool, but I think when the heavens opened, it was the total opposite.
“I was on the radio when it was raining a lot and on the final lap, I thought “this is ridiculous’. In situations like that, it doesn’t take much to lose a lot of time.”
And my word, the heavens did most certainly open. With only six minutes left on the clock, a sudden bout of torrential rain pummelled the circuit, leaving a few small areas of the circuit flooded. The red flag emerged, rendering the race done after eight laps.
For Serralles, ending the race was the right call, after coming close to losing it at the halfway – in the end; only two seconds were dropped to the leader. The Puerto Rican may have fallen behind Harvey in the standings, but he was not overly disappointed considering the conditions.
“It was wet – again. It was an OK race and definitely the right call to end it. I was catching Harvey toward the end, so obviously I would have liked to challenge him more after the mistake I made, so in the end I finished on the podium.”
Lynn spent much of the race in a state of limbo – too far behind Serralles to make a challenge, but too far ahead of teammate Hannes van Asseldonk to be worried.
“I got a good start and managed to hold my position on the first lap. Our pace was quite good and the front three were a bit quicker than the rest of the field, so from that point of view it was quite good. Other than that, it was a pretty lonely race.”
The Fortec runner was quite happy to miss the first lap bumping that took place, although van Asseldonk was rather closer to the action. The Dutch racer made a sold start from 9th, only to be surprised when Pedro Pablo Calbimonte launched himself into the pack at turn two from the rear of the field. Considering the incident and how close he was to a crash, van Asseldonk proved to be his usual pragmatic self.
“I started a bit further down the grid, had a really good stat and overtook two people before the first corner – some people went in way too fast and slid off. I got out because I was on the inside.”
Van Asseldonk escaped, but several others did not, with Carlos Sainz Jr and Pietro Fantin being squeezed clean off the circuit and into retirement. Sainz Jr – currently on the fringes of the championship – was not happy in the slightest.
“Calbimonte tried to overtake the whole grid under braking! Fantin and me were battling, braking and then suddenly […] he banged Pietro in the side, and he [Pietro] went over me – he overtook the whole grid. That’s racing – you’re fighting for the championship and this guy comes in at the [eighth] race and that’s it.”
Also caught out were Harry Tincknell and Pipo Derani, with the former picking up a slow puncture on the left front immediately following the collision, while the latter went off and rejoined.
Tincknell spent the duration mired in last spot; however Derani – just ahead in 11th – caught the National Class runners, passing Duvashen Padayachee and Spike Goddard, before having another off when the storm returned.
The frantic opening tour allowed for a couple of surprises in the top six as usual car magnet Fahmi Ilyas (Double R) assumed 5th and Nick McBride (T-Sport) took 6th place, although the latter worked for it.
Starting on the outside of the sixth row, McBride benefited somewhat from the first lap melee, before charging past Geoff Uhrhane and Adderly Fong before halfway.
Jazeman Jaafar was also having to do much overtaking after he went off exiting turn one on the opening tour. The Malaysian swept by Fong, Uhrhane and Padayachee as the race turned over, but could do nothing about McBride in the final stages – Jaafar needs a big result today to keep he championship hopes alive.
Fong settled for 8th and the National Class win, with Uhrhane a disappointing 9th, while Goddard took Padayachee on lap four, solidifying 10th for the Australian.
2012 British Formula 3 Round of Snetterton (Rd 8, Race 1, 8 laps)
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 15:43.816
2. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes +4.672
3. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes +5.999
4. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes +9.857
5. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes +23.788
6. Nick McBride T-Sport-Nissan +24.944
7. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen +25.906
8. Adderly Fong CF Racing/FONG-Mugen-Honda +31.858
9. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes +33.434
10. Richard “Spike” Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda +56.440
11. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda +58.697
12. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen +1:09.118
Not Classified
Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen +5 laps
Retirements
Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes +1 lap
Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen +8 laps
Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport-Mugen Honda +8 laps
2012 British Formula 3 points standings (Rd 8, Race 1) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Jack Harvey 229 2. Felix Serralles 227 3. Jazeman Jaafar 208 4. Carlos Sainz Jr 176 5. Alex Lynn 168 6. Harry Tincknell 145 7. Pietro Fantin 140 8. Pipo Derani 110 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 93 10. Nick McBride 67 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Richard ‘Spike’ Goddard 309 2. Duvashen Padayachee 275 3. Adderly Fong 119 4. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte 25
© SRO.
Jack Harvey claimed both poles for the eighth round of the Cooper Tyres British Formula 3 Series at Snetterton.
When considering his lap, Harvey noted a clean balance as his inspiration for the double pole, although it was a close run thing.
The 19-year-old set a quickest tour of 1:41.170 during his second run, edging out Carlin teammate Carlos Sainz Jr by a mere 0.011 seconds. Indeed, the top four all pulled incredibly close times, with only 0.129 seconds covering the quartet.
Fortec duo Alex Lynn and Felix Serralles coveted the second row, with the former taking the optimum racing line for tomorrow’s feature race.
Carlin secured the third row as Harry Tincknell headed his Malaysian stablemate Jazeman Jaafar by a four-hundredths.
From there, the gaps extended notably. Pipo Derani (Fortec, 7th) ended the session three-tenths adrift of Jaafar, with Carlin’s Pietro Fantin an additional two-tenths in arrears.
Hannes van Asseldonk endured a difficult session to come 9th, while Geoff Uhrhane drove his Double R entry to a credible 10th place. Fahmi Ilyas (Double R) placed his Mercedes powered Dallara one tenth up on the ThreeBond Nissan of Nick McBride.
Adderly Fong took the National Class pole in his third weekend back in the series; however the CF Racing driver topped category new boy Pedro Pablo Calbimonte (T-Sport) by only 0.003 seconds.
Duvashen Padayachee beat class title rival Spike Goddard to 15th on the grid.
Harvey will lead the grid for the weekend’s opening event, this time ahead of championship leader Serralles. Lynn and Jaafar secured 3rd and 4th respectively, while Sainz Jr drops to 5th ahead of Tincknell.
2012 British F3 Round of Snetterton (Rd 8, Race 1 grid) Pos Driver Team Time 1. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.270 2. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.377 3. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.420 4. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.524 5. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.610 6. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.707 7. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.932 8. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.959 9. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes 1:42.109 10. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes 1:42.453 11. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes 1:42.493 12. Nick McBride T-Sport-Threebond Nissan 1:42.515 13. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1:44.124 14. Adderly Fong CF Racing / FONG-Mugen Honda 1:44.277 15. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 1:44.406 16. Richard Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1:44.576 2012 British F3 Round of Snetterton (Rd 8, Race 3 grid) Pos Driver Team Time 1. Jack Harvey Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.170 2. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.181 3. Alex Lynn Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.295 4. Felix Serralles Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.299 5. Harry Tincknell Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.408 6. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.477 7. Pipo Derani Fortec-Mercedes 1:41.729 8. Pietro Fantin Carlin-Volkswagen 1:41.930 9. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec-Mercedes 1:42.102 10. Geoff Uhrhane Double R-Mercedes 1:42.407 11. Fahmi Ilyas Double R-Mercedes 1:42.410 12. Nick McBride T-Sport-Threebond Nissan 1:42.514 13. Adderly Fong CF Racing / FONG-Mugen Honda 1:43.845 14. Pedro Pablo Calbimonte T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1:43.848 15. Duvashen Padayachee Double R-Mugen Honda 1:43.980 16. Richard Spike Goddard T-Sport-Mugen Honda 1:44.376
Earlier this morning, I heard the story from the Olympics regarding several badminton teams and individual players deliberately trying to lose a match in order to get a better tie later in the competition.
Later came was the apparently practiced cycling fall by Team GB rider Philip Hindes, in attempt to force a restart for a race in which the GB quartet would eventually win the gold medal.
Both incidents have caused their fair share of consternation, although the anguish was less vocal following the Hindes’ incident.
Neither action has been deemed illegal by the Olympic committee, yet the badminton players have been sent home for going against the spirit of the rules, but surely any game that clings to that age old sporting hazard “spirit of the rules” actively leaves itself open to disrepute.
And if these tactics can be exploited by players and teams clever enough to spot them, then surely is it not natural to take the advantage and run for it?
Typically, the tabloids led the way with lurid headlines following the badminton scandal, whereas the broadsheets were somewhat more composed – but equally as cutting – in their criticism.
Yet, these incidents do prompt me to ask:
why are we surprised when these actions come to the fore and why do we have a problem with these tactics? Or have I been watching Formula 1 and motorsport for so long, that I now consider “moral cheating” to be part and parcel of modern sport?
What does this have to do with motorsport? Well, I will admit to being somewhat annoyed when the revelations of Singapore Grand Prix in 2008 came to the fore, but my initial thought was “why doesn’t this happen more often?”
The same came to mind following Michael Schumacher’s engineered victory at the A1-Ring in 2002 and Bryan Herta’s “mysterious” spin, bringing out a late safety car and allowing Marco Andretti to ride safety to victory at Watkins Glen in 2006.
And why not use the tools at hand and use them to your advantage. If the rules allow it, then why not grab every advantage possible? Surely that’s how sport works, right…?
It is something that might make an interesting debate, as I would be quite interested to hear thoughts of the possible disconnect. Also, do other motorsport fans feel the same way when tactics in other sports bring them in to disrepute?
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