© 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
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.
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 71st 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
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
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
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)
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.
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
© 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
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
© 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.
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…
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.
© 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
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.
Carlos Sainz Jr claimed his second win of the weekend in yet another wet British Formula 3 race at Monza.
As with the opening race the previous day, the 17-year-old led every lap, garnering a 17-second lead ahead of Fortec rival Felix Serralles come the chequered flag.
And just like the morning’s Sprint Race, the afternoon Feature started behind safety car, but for only a single tour.
As soon as the race was green, Sainz Jr was gone into the distance. By the end of the first racing lap, the Spaniard drew a clear 2.3 seconds ahead of Serralles, extending that advantage to 9 seconds by the tenth tour. In complete command, Sainz Jr erected a lead that would not be punctured.
“The car was perfect today, so a big thank you to the team. The conditions were very tricky today, but I just focused on my own race and not making any mistakes this afternoon and pulled out a gap bit by bit. It’s been a fantastic weekend, and to take two races wins at such an important circuit as Monza in such challenging conditions means a lot.”
Much of Serralles time loss was down to a faltering gearbox, but the Puerto Rican held on magnificently to record another podium finish, garnering the “Mobil Service Centre Master of the Weekend” award.
Well behind the leading pair, Alex Lynn enjoyed a quiet run to 3rd for his first Formula 3 podium of the season.
Carlin’s Jazeman Jaafar was far busier – the Malaysian spent the race holding Hannes van Asseldonk at bay for 4th and 5th respectively, with Jaafar pipping the Fortec combatant by one second come the flag.
Harry Tincknell won a tough battle for 6th spot, as the Englishman made the most of his Volkswagen-powered Dallara in the final two laps.
Precious late moves on Jack Harvey (Carlin, lap 18) and Pipo Derani (Fortec, lap 19) garnered vital positions for Tincknell, bringing him joint-6th with Pietro Fantin in the points standings.
Tincknell’s move on Derani – at the Roggia chicane – provided a disappointing end to the weekend for the Brazilian Derani, who had gallantly held 6th spot to that point. Harvey, though, was the biggest loser, after having spent much of the race pressing against Derani’s rear wing.
For his part, Fantin lay within the four-way battle for the top six in the early running, but fell out after seven tours with an electrical failure.
Behind Harvey, Nick McBride (T-Sport) assumed 9th place, well ahead of Double R runner Fahmi Ilyas, who was subjected to a drive-through penalty after he removed teammate Geoff Uhrhane from the action.
Spike Goddard claimed his fifth National Class win of the season, although it is becoming apparent that sole class rival Duvashen Padayachee is closing in on pace with every event.
The second round gives Sainz Jr an eight-point championship lead over of Serralles, with Jaafar and Harvey in close quarters.
After that short burst of races, the next round is not for another month, where the series moves to the south of France for the iconic Grand Prix de Pau – an event that also makes up a round of the reborn FIA European Formula 3 Championship.
2012 British Formula 3 Round of Monza (Rd 2, Race 3, 19 laps) Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 2. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc + 16.711s 3. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc + 27.424s 4. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW + 32.083s 5. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc + 33.891s 6. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW + 38.530s 7. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc + 41.236s 8. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW + 41.749s 9. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Nissan + 49.826s 10. Fahmi Ilyas Double R Dallara-Merc + 1m30.064s 11. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen* + 1m44.938s 12. Duvashen Padayachee Double R Dallara-Mugen* + 1m52.702s Retirements: Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 7 laps Geoff Uhrhane Double R Dallara-Merc 6 laps Italics = National Class ^Notes compiled from updates and team releases.
.
2012 British Formula 3 Series (Round 2) International Class Pos Driver Points 1. Carlos Sainz Jr 74 2. Felix Serralles 66 3. Jazamen Jaafar 65 4. Jack Harvey 63 5. Pipo Derani 48 6. Pietro Fantin 40 7. Harry Tincknell 40 8. Alex Lynn 39 9. Hannes van Asseldonk 22 10. Nick McBride 19 National Class Pos Driver Points 1. Spike Goddard 104 2. Duvashen Padayachee 82
TheMotorsportArchive.com 