Carlin Motorsport’s new signing Carlos Sainz Jr topped the second day of pre-season testing for the British Formula 3 Series at a wet and miserable Snetterton yesterday.
With much of the morning rained out, the Spaniard registered only 23 laps, setting a best of 1:53.749 toward the end of his final stint.
It was not all plain sailing for the Red Bull protégé – an off in the drying conditions damaged the nosecone of the F312,
Harry Tincknell made it a Carlin 1-2, jumping to 2nd spot with his final lap of the day. The Briton’s drying weather laptimes spent much time in the company of teammate Jack Harvey and Fortec pairing Alex Lynn and Pipo Derani.
Tincknell’s last gasp effort – a 1:54.401 – jumped him ahead of Lynn (3rd) and Derani (4th), with Harvey taking a close 5th, proving beyond doubt that he was close to fully recovered from his winter hand injury.
Harvey, meanwhile, only registered seven laps in his F312 Volkswagen, preferring instead to avoid potential on track hazards.
Hannes van Asseldonk continued to bed himself in with the Fortec squad. The Dutch racer secured 7th after logging 44 laps in his Mercedes-powered Dallara, setting a best just under a second shy of the top spot.
From there, the gaps extended, with Felix Serralles (Fortec, 8th) ahead of CF Racing’s Hywel Lloyd*, who busied himself behind the wheel of the team’s Rookie Class F308.
Yesterday’s fastest pilot, Jazeman Jaafar completed only six laps, registering time good enough for 10th spot.
The intensity of the rain at the Norfolk circuit ensured few decided to run during the morning session, with only six of the assembled sixteen drivers setting a lap count in the double figures – indeed van Asseldonk proved to be one of the few who did get some running in.
As a result, the Dutch racer headed the time sheets as the test broke for lunch, although his best was several seconds off the eventual quick pace. John Bryant-Meisner and Mitchel Gilbert completed installation laps in morning, but set no times, while Harvey, Fantin, Jaafar did not venture out at all.
The next British Formula 3 test takes place at Rockingham next week from Tuesday.
* {note 1}
Although CF Racing team boss Hywel Lloyd is by no means a rookie, the British F3 veteran is taking driving the squad’s Rookie Class F308 chassis, while his team continue their search for a driver.
It is expected that CF Racing will field one of three full-time drivers to compete in this year’s Rookie Class division.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1m53.749s 23 2. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 1m54.401s +0.652s 31 3. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m54.420s +0.671s 36 4. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m54.466s +0.717s 45 5. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 1m54.495s +0.746s 7 6. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 1m54.642s +0.893s 13 7. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m54.725s +0.976s 44 8. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m55.024s +1.275s 23 9. Hywel Lloyd CF Dallara-Mugen 1m56.144s +2.395s 30 10. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 1m56.144s +2.395s 6 11. Richard Bradley Carlin Dallara-VW 1m56.811s +3.062s 31 12. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m57.623s +3.874s 37 13. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m59.292s +5.543s 34 14. John Bryant-Meisner Performance Dallara-VW 1m59.795s +6.046s 34 15. Yannick Mettler Performance Dallara-VW 2m01.773s +8.024s 48 16. Mitchell Gilbert Performance Dallara-VW 2m09.379s +15.630s 9 Italics = National Class
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Esteban Gutierrez rose to the top of the time sheets as the second day of GP2 testing at the Circuit de Catalunya closed.
The Lotus GP pilot made the best of the cold morning conditions to set a best of 1:28.740 – a mere four-thousandths quicker than Caterham rival Giedo van der Garde. Carlin’s Max Chilton finished a further four-thousandths adrift in 3rd position.
It had been a very busy day for the Mexican, who had registered 83 laps by the time the evening chequered flag flew – only teammate James Calado (86 laps) and Arden’s Simon Trummer (85 laps) logged more miles than Gutierrez.
Davide Valsecchi spent part of the morning 3rd on the timing sheets, before van der Garde dropped the Italian one place on the sheets thanks to a quick late run.
In 5th spot, Scuderia Coloni’s Stefano Coletti was the first driver to not break the ‘1:29’ barrier, while Arden’s Luiz Razia lined-up 6th, as he made up for missing Tuesday’s sessions. Calado had been quickest in the early hours, but fell behind as the track conditions warmed amidst qualifying simulations during the lead up to lunch.
Having been quickest on the opening day, Fabrizio Crestani dropped to 8th after only managing 43 laps in the new Venezuela GP Lazarus machine, while Jolyon Palmer (iSport, 9th) and Fabio Onidi (Scuderia Coloni, 10th) rounded out the top ten.
Trident’s Julian Leal ran quickest in the slower afternoon session. The Colombian headed Ocean Racing Technology’s Nigel Melker; however having fallen far short of the mileage completed by Gutierrez (etc), both drivers may be somewhat disappointed.
Much of the afternoon running was dedicated to race simulations and pit stop practice – a vital component in the big paying Feature Race that leads every GP2 race weekend.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus GP 1:28.740 83 2. Giedo van der Garde Caterham Racing 1:28.744 78 3. Max Chilton Carlin 1:28.748 66 4. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1:28.785 57 5. Stefano Coletti Scuderia Coloni 1:29.047 54 6. Luiz Razia Arden International 1:29.065 65 7. James Calado Lotus GP 1:29.100 86 8. Fabrizio Crestani Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:29.150 43 9. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:29.195 62 10. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:29.198 60 11. Tom Dillmann Rapax 1:29.289 49 12. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:29.339 64 13. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1:29.397 74 14. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1:29.515 56 15. Jon Lancaster Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.533 64 16. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1:29.540 44 17. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:29.547 64 18. Josef Kral Barwa Addax Team 1:29.621 59 19. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:29.653 48 20. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1:29.865 67 21. Stephane Richelmi Trident Racing 1:29.860 61 22. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:29.881 85 23. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham Racing 1:30.169 83 24. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:30.200 62 25. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 1:31.220 50 26. Giancarlo Serenelli Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:32.740 61
It is always a great shame when politics overshadows a sport and few are as political as motorsport and Formula 1 in particular.
Formula 1 has spent much of its existence embracing battles of every kind, whether they involve drivers, the teams, the commercial wing or the governing body itself.
These soft wars – so regularly fought behind closed doors, amidst boardrooms and pristine suits – are occasionally solved with handshakes, difficult smiles, a felt pen and contract.
Rarely has an entire Grand Prix been lost.
In 1982, Formula 1 season endured a great deal of political infighting, starting with the temporary strike that threatened the opening Grand Prix of the year at Kyalami.
There followed a six-week gap to the following event in Buenos Aires, during which confidence in the commercial side of Formula 1 plummeted. The uncertainty caused by the Super Licence dispute in South Africa gave sponsors itchy feet, resulting in mass withdrawal of backers for the race.
On February 9th – four weeks before the event was due to take place on March 7th 1982 – the FIA announced the cancellation of the Argentine Grand Prix, enforcing a six-week gap between at the season start.
At the time, there was an outstanding request from the promoters to reschedule the race for later in the year*; however this was denied and the Formula 1 did not return to Argentine shores until 1995.
* {note 1}
The promoters of the Argentine event were not the only group seeking the rescheduled slot, as promoters in Spain were also in the hunt to have their Grand Prix reinstated, after losing their own race in 1981.
An application to FISA to have a race take place at Jarama on June 27th – during the 1982 Football World Cup, which was also being held in Spain – was quickly turned down by the motorsport authorities.
Carlin’s Jazeman Jaafar assumed the top spot in the first day of British Formula 3 testing at Snetterton yesterday.
The Malaysian spent much of the day in the ‘high 1:40’s – low 1:41s’, before upping his pace in the final stint, nailing his best of 1:40.096 on his third last lap.
Mixed conditions dictated the pace of the respective sessions, as early stints were conducted on a damp, but drying Norfolk track.
Jaafar registered 69 laps in the new Dallara F312 come the chequered flag – an impressive feat considering the relative newness of the 2012 machine*.
“It couldn’t have been a better start to pre-season testing for me. I thought we could be quick today and we were. To be fastest on the first day is a really good feeling. We have had a really productive day, putting plenty of mileage on the car and starting to learn about its characteristics.
“I’ve been working on all aspects of my race programme over the winter – fitness training, simulator work, preparations with my driving coach and engineers, as well as working closely with everyone at Carlin – and I feel that this has really paid off with the performance we had today.”
Indeed, it was an all-Carlin top five, as the Farnham squad took advantage of their shakedown test at Pembrey last week**.
Jack Harvey lined-up a quarter-of-a-second shy of Jaafar’s best following his 71-lap day, while Carlin new boy, Pietro Fantin secured 3rd overall in his first day’s official running with the team.
The fastest man following the damp morning running – Carlos Sainz Jr – fell to 4th as the day drew to a close. After enjoying a successful 2011 in the Formula Renault Eurocup Series, the Spaniard – part of Red Bull’s extensive junior programme – made an early mark at Snetterton, grabbing the initiative on a green and greasy surface with a best of 1:43.340. Sainz Jr sliced just under three seconds off of that, but it was not enough to hold the top spot.
Former Fortec racer Harry Tincknell rounded out the top five, with a quickest time a half-second off of Jaafar’s ultimate pace.
Mitchell Gilbert was the first of the non-Carlin runners in 6th. The Malaysian – who was present as an invitational driver – proved there was still solid pace in the Rookie Class machine. Gilbert logged 75 laps in the F308 chassis, before moving to European ground to compete in the German Formula 3 Championship.
Reigning Formula Renault UK champion, Alex Lynn, was the quickest Fortec racer on day one, heading off teammates Pipo Derani (8th, 74 laps), Felix Serralles (10th, 65 laps) and Hannes van Asseldonk (11th, 45 laps).
It was an impressive run of tours by the Fortec squad, whose cars had not run at all prior to yesterday’s green flag, with only a clutch problem stuttering van Asselbank’s programme.
Invitational driver, Richard Bradley, split the Fortec’s in 9th place when he set a quickest of 1:41.429 in Rookie Class machine, prepared by the Carlin squad.
In 12th was Hywel Lloyd – team boss at CF Racing. The Welshman registered 60 tours of the Snetterton venue in a hybrid-chassis F308; finishing seven-tenths clear of Nick McBride***.
Drivers from the invitational Performance Racing filled out 14th and 15th positions too, as Yannick Mettler and John Bryant-Meisner completed a brief number of miles. Rookie Class pilot Spike Goddard rounded out the field in his T-Sport F308 – the ex-Formula Ford driver completed an admirable 75 laps, while he beds himself into the formula.
* {note 1}
The new chassis remains the only “major” change to the 2012 Formula 3 regulations. Initially, Formula 3’s various international classes were also due to welcome new engine regulations this season; however following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council last September, the FIA postponed the new engine formula to 2013 at the earliest.
Last October, an invitation to tender for a uniform Formula 3 electronic control unit was announced.
** {note 2}
The F312 made its debut at Pembrey last week; when all five Carlin drivers took the Welsh track to shakedown their respective machines.
Also present at the test was ex-Formula 1 driver, Karun Chandhok, who tested Spike Goddard’s T-Sport’s F308 chassis. Chandhok’s run was a dual purpose outing – as well as testing the Rookie Class machine for T-Sport, the Indian pilot claimed some needed racing miles before heading to Sebring for the opening WEC round later this month.
*** {note 3}
McBride is spending the test driving T-Sport’s Rookie Class F308 chassis, but will move to International Class machinery next week, upon the arrival of his Nissan-powered F312.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Jazeman Jaafar Carlin Dallara-VW 1m40.096s 69 2. Jack Harvey Carlin Dallara-VW 1m40.347s + 0.251s 71 3. Pietro Fantin Carlin Dallara-VW 1m40.377s + 0.281s 53 4. Carlos Sainz Jr Carlin Dallara-VW 1m40.476s + 0.380s 61 5. Harry Tincknell Carlin Dallara-VW 1m40.569s + 0.473s 74 6. Mitchell Gilbert Performance Dallara-VW 1m41.017s + 0.921s 75 7. Alex Lynn Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m41.170s + 1.074s 53 8. Pipo Derani Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m41.285s + 1.189s 74 9. Richard Bradley Carlin Dallara-VW 1m41.429s + 1.333s 43 10. Felix Serralles Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m41.524s + 1.428s 65 11. Hannes van Asseldonk Fortec Dallara-Merc 1m42.132s + 2.036s 45 12. Hywel Lloyd CF Dallara-Mugen 1m42.689s + 2.593s 60 13. Nick McBride T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m43.344s + 3.248s 88 14. Yannick Mettler Performance Dallara-VW 1m43.347s + 3.251s 44 15. John Bryant-Meisner Performance Dallara-VW 1m43.973s + 3.877s 14 16. Spike Goddard T-Sport Dallara-Mugen 1m44.891s + 4.795s 75 Italics = National Class
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Raised eyebrows became the order of the day, when Auto GP promotee Fabrizio Crestani set the quickest time on day one of the second pre-season GP2 test at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The Italian registered his benchmark – 1:29.420 – toward the end of the morning session, pipping previous fast men Stefano Coletti and Giedo van der Garde.
Crestani managed a solid 50 laps in his Venezuela GP Lazarus Dallara – an important benchmark as the team readies itself for their first GP2 weekend.
Max Chilton nabbed the 2nd spot for Marussia-Carlin after he ran fastest in the afternoon session. The Briton enjoyed 38 laps during a day interrupted by several red flags, when Julian Leal (Trident) and Nathanael Berthon (Racing Engineering*) stopped on track. Spins from Felipe Nasr (DAMS) and Fabio Onidi (Coloni) also stopped the clock briefly.
Leal would eventually end up 3rd with a quickest run just shy of Chilton, while Marcus Ericsson just missed out on a top three spot, but led the iSport charge regardless.
The Swede was the first of a batch of drivers locked in the ‘1:26.6’ bracket, mere hundredths ahead of group that included iSport teammate Jolyon Palmer (5th). Stephane Richelmi (Trident, 6th), Rio Haryanto (Marussia-Carlin, 7th) and Coletti (Coloni, 8th) all ensured a close gap.
Last week’s quick man Davide Valsecchi fell to 9th overall after a busy day in his DAMS machine. The Italian logged 64 laps throughout the days running, with a best of 1:29.726 ensuring a top ten spot.
Valsecchi held a small gap over GP3 graduate James Calado, who improved his time in the afternoon to secure 10th spot in the leading Lotus entry.
Come the chequered flag, the top 18 drivers were covered by less than one second. Arden’s Luiz Razia completed only two installation laps, but withdrew early on due to illness.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus 1m29.420s 50 2. Max Chilton Carlin 1m29.479s + 0.059s 38 3. Julian Leal Trident 1m29.494s + 0.074s 51 4. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m29.605s + 0.185s 44 5. Jolyon Palmer iSport 1m29.645s + 0.225s 51 6. Stephane Richelmi Trident 1m29.658s + 0.238s 49 7. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1m29.673s + 0.253s 51 8. Stefano Coletti Coloni 1m29.687s + 0.267s 41 9. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1m29.726s + 0.306s 64 10. James Calado Lotus 1m29.740s + 0.320s 40 11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m29.750s + 0.330s 42 12. Simon Trummer Arden 1m29.892s + 0.472s 65 13. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 1m29.902s + 0.482s 47 14. Johnny Cecotto Addax 1m29.947s + 0.527s 44 15. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1m30.014s + 0.594s 46 16. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m30.053s + 0.633s 52 17. Fabio Onidi Coloni 1m30.311s + 0.891s 36 18. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1m30.393s + 0.973s 46 19. Nigel Melker Ocean 1m30.603s + 1.183s 43 20. Jon Lancaster Ocean 1m30.715s + 1.295s 38 21. Sergio Canamasas Rapax 1m31.468s + 2.048s 69 22. Josef Kral Addax 1m31.606s + 2.186s 38 23. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham 1m31.967s + 2.547s 48 24. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax 1m32.613s + 3.193s 51 25. Giancarlo Serenelli Lazarus 1m35.420s + 6.000s 45 26. Luiz Razia Arden (no time) 2 ^ Notes compiled from team releases and live updates.
Monza. © Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Reigning Italian Formula 3 champion Sergio Campana topped the opening pre-season Auto GP test at Monza on Friday.
The Italian topped the sheets with a best lap of 1:36.875, giving Campana an advantage of one-tenth over 16-year-old Sergey Sirotkin.
Campana and Sirotkin were the only drivers to break into the 1:36’s, with former DAMS GP2 racer Pal Verhaug next up.
His best lap – 1:37.141 – ensured the Norwegian pilot had secured 3rd ahead of the morning’s fastest man, Victor Guerin.
Facundo Regalia and Giacomo Ricci filled out the top six, as the gap to the quickest stretched to half-a-second.
It was the series’ first day of official running on Kumho tyres, with the morning dedicated to soft rubber on a “green” track, before the hard compounds were run late on.
Cooler temperatures and a new series of soft tyres in the late afternoon allowed the times to tumble further.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Sergio Campana MLR71 1m36.875s 2. Sergey Sirotkin Euronova 1m36.970s + 0.095s 3. Pal Varhaug Virtuosi UK 1m37.141s + 0.266s 4. Victor Guerin SuperNova 1m37.157s + 0.282s 5. Facundo Regalia Campos 1m37.303s + 0.428s 6. Giacomo Ricci Zele 1m37.442s + 0.567s 7. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs SuperNova 1m37.554s + 0.679s 8. Giuseppe Cipriani Campos 1m37.699s + 0.824s 9. Zoel Amberg Virtuosi UK 1m38.463s + 1.588s 10. Daniel de Jong Manor MP 1m38.669s + 1.794s 11. Max Snegirev Campos 1m38.830s + 1.955s 12. Antonio Spavone Euronova 1m38.873s + 1.998s 13. Giancarlo Serenelli Ombra 1m39.558s + 2.683s 14. Michele la Rosa MLR71 1m40.526s + 3.651s 15. Camilo Zurcher Ombra 1m41.672s + 4.797s ^ Notes compiled from series / team reports and live updates.
Reigning GP3 Series Champions Lotus GP finalised their 2012 line-up on Friday when they added former-Star Mazda champion Conor Daly to their roster.
Daly will be partnering Aaro Vainio and Daniel Abt as the Anglo-French-Malaysian aim to make it three titles in a row.
The 20-year-old, who tested for Lotus toward the end of 2011, returned to the squad for the first pre-season test in Estoril last week. With more mileage under his belt, Daly showed impressive speed throughout the test, underlining his rising confidence.
“I am very pleased to be with the Lotus GP team in 2012! The goal in the off-season was to try and put myself in the best position to try and win the championship this year and I have no doubt that I’ve got the best chance to do so with Lotus GP.
“I was fortunate enough to test with the team at the end of 2011 and was extremely happy with what I was able to learn. I now look forward to learning more during pre-season testing from the team and my new teammates.”
Last, year, the American displayed improving pace throughout the season, eventually claiming 10 points with Carlin Motorsport to finish 17th overall. Lotus GP founder and Team Principal, Frederic Vasseur, noted much the same:
“Lotus GP closely followed Conor Daly’s progress in 2011 because he was one of our competitors in the GP3 Series. His second half of the season was marked by strong progress in his performance and his pure racing speed in particular drew our attention.
“During the off-season tests, we found him to be a charming young driver who is very motivated by his work and his progress in a series which is ultra competitive. The quality of his work and his margin of progress convinced us that he is the man that Lotus GP needed to round out its 2012 line-up.”
Daly twinned his GP3 campaign with a drive in the Indy Lights Series for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, taking one win and a podium in five events.
Dutch racer Hannes van Asseldonk has become the fourth driver to be announced by Fortec Motorsport’s British Formula 3 effort.
The 20-year-old, who recently finished as runner-up in the Toyota Racing Series behind champion Nick Cassidy, will team up with Felix Serralles, Pipo Derani and reigning Formula Renault UK Champion Alex Lynn.
Van Asseldonk comes to the British Formula 3 Series with a season’s worth of F3 running under his belt. A 2011 campaign in the ATS German F3 Championship saw the Dutchman claim two pole positions and five podiums with Van Amersfoort Racing to finish 5th overall.
In November, van Asseldonk also claimed 5th place in an accident-peppered Macau Grand Prix.
Van Asseldonk took three wins at the wheel of his Giles Motorsport Toyota-Tatuus, on his to the runner-up spot in the Toyota Racing Series. Although British Formula 3 will be new to the Dutch pilot, he is confident of making some dents in the championship:
“I know there will be a lot of competition with some very strong drivers and I’m really looking forward to that. It will be tough as there are a lot of circuits that I’ll have to learn but I’m really confident that I can do a good job for the team and I can’t wait for the season to get underway.”
After a number of barren years in top level motorsport for the Netherlands, Van Asseldonk is one of a number of bright young things rising through the European feeder championships.
In GP2, the country is represented Nigel Melker and Giedo van der Garde, while Robin Frijns is leading the Dutch charge in this year’s Formula Renault 3.5 championship. Nyck de Vries, will be moving to the Formula NEC following his second consecutive Karting World Championship success last year*.
The opening test for the British Formula 3 Series starts at Snetterton today.
* {note 1}
De Vries’ double success is not a rarity in the Karting World Championship. Since its inception in 1964, seven other drivers have claimed multiple Kart World Championships, with Francois Goldstein and Mike Wilson taking five apiece.
Danilo Rossi and Davide Fore have both been crowned on three occasions, while Guido Sala, Felice Rovelli and Marco Ardigo were all double world champions; however none made headways in car racing.
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Formula 1’s pre-season testing season ended just how it started with Lotus GP’s Kimi Raikkonen fastest out of the assembled field.
The Finn’s best effort of 1:22.030 proved to the quickest lap over the eight days spent at the Circuit de Catalunya, just outside Barcelona,
At 121 laps, Raikkonen completed the longest distance yesterday, making up much of the time lost during Saturday’s interruption filled running.
The Enstone squad spent much of Sunday evaluating aerodynamic configurations and set-up changes, in a programme that included several short stints on Pirelli’s soft and medium tyres. After lunch, Raikkonen ran a simulation.
Ferrari assigned Fernando Alonso a number of short and long stints, as the Maranello squad continue to learn about their F2012 machine. The Spaniard logged 115 laps, as the team assessing Pirelli’s various tyre compounds.
Williams once again ran both of their drivers on the final day, with Bruno Senna completing 53 laps and Pastor Maldonado registering 48 tours. Amidst set-up work and aero correlation tests, Senna had an updated package added to the FW34, while the team completed a final tyre evaluation programme.
Force India used Sunday to complete final preparations for the opening Grand Prix weekend, although Nico Hulkenberg’s anticipated afternoon race simulation was cut short; however the team used the data collected to solve several niggling set-up issues that had developed on the VJM05.
Kamui Kobayashi’s continued Sauber’s qualifying preparation programme, as commenced by Sergio Perez on Saturday, before switching to a race simulation in afternoon. Unfortunately for the Swiss squad, they lost the final ninety minutes of the test when their Ferrari-056 power unit failed in yet another knock to the C31’s reliability form.
McLaren continued with their first upgrade package of the season, with 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton registering 115 laps in the MP4-27. With such limited time available, the Woking-based squad wasted little time in testing various set-up configurations, while their pursuit of a neutral balance. A hydraulic issue ended McLaren’s day prematurely.
Vitaly Petrov had the use of a new seat for the first time yesterday, as he put the Caterham CT01 through its paces. The Russian broke the century lap barrier, while running a race simulation programme with no reported problems.
Michael Schumacher ran a series of short stints in the morning, with a focus on aero configurations and tyre management (on Pirelli’s hard and soft compounds), before moving to a race simulation in the afternoon.
Toro Rosso put Daniel Ricciardo through some long stints, as they balanced their STR7 machine; however sister team Red Bull endured a day of interruption. An early off by reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel damaged the front wing, leaving the German garage bound for a time. Conditions also restricted running in the afternoon, ensuring Vettel completed a mere 23 laps.
HRT will be completing a filming day in Barcelona today, after missing the final test due to the late build of the F1-12.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Raikkonen Lotus 1m22.030s 121 2. Alonso Ferrari 1m22.250s +0.220 115 3. Senna Williams 1m22.296s +0.266 53 4. Hulkenberg Force India 1m22.312s +0.282 101 5. Kobayashi Sauber 1m22.386s +0.356 72 6. Hamilton McLaren 1m22.430s +0.400 115 7. Petrov Caterham 1m22.795s +0.765 101 8. Schumacher Mercedes 1m22.939s +0.909 100 9. Maldonado Williams 1m23.347s +1.317 48 10. Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m23.393s +1.363 100 11. Vettel Red Bull 1m23.608s +1.578 23 ^ Notes compiled from trackside reports and updates
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Sauber’s Sergio Perez moved to the top of the timesheets on the third day of the final pre-season F1 test in Barcelona.
The Mexican’s quickest tour – coming in at 1:22.094 – ensured he was mere thousandths ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button come the chequered flag.
On what was Perez’ final day of testing before heading to Melbourne for the opening race, the 22-year-old completed qualifying simulations* in the morning, before commencing a race preparation programme after lunch, including an intensive series of pitstop practices. By the end of day, Perez had logged an impressive 114 laps.
The afternoon was rain interrupted, allowing teams to garner some time on Pirelli’s intermediate weather tyres.
McLaren spent the third day evaluating their new aerodynamic package, tailored for the opening Grand Prix; however much time was lost when a hydraulic issue kept the MP4-27 at bay.
As a result of the failure and the changing weather, McLaren’s proposed tyre-comparison programme and race simulation were moved to Sunday, limiting Button to 44 laps.
Toro Rosso enjoyed a solid day with Daniel Ricciardo at the wheel of his STR7. The Australian completed an aero development evaluation prior to running a race simulation in the afternoon – a vital detail that allowed the inexperienced Ricciardo to run a race stint in changeable conditions.
Felipe Massa completed 122 tours of the Circuit de Catalunya in the Ferrari F2012, as he logged set-up comparisons and a Grand Prix simulation. Force India ran a complete Grand Prix weekend simulation with Paul di Resta at the wheel of the VJM05.
Williams’ Bruno Senna flirted with low fuel runs and aero development tests in the morning, moving to a race simulation in the afternoon; however the team ended the race run early as the rain began to fall.
Despite only managing 64 laps, Caterham completed their Saturday programme with Heikki Kovalainen. The team set about running pre-race and start procedures, as well as background checks. There were also tests on some new parts that – according to the squad – delivered encouraging results.
Red Bull brought several developments parts to the track in preparation for the opening race. With Mark Webber at the controls, the reigning champions concentrated on short runs, with a view to set-up work and continued aero evaluation.
Nico Rosberg swapped between medium and long runs, Mercedes continue to assess their 2012 aero package and set-up options, allowing the German to register 129 laps in the F1 W03.
Less fortunate were Lotus, who suffered a power steering problem in the morning, before rain in the afternoon dampened their day further. The interruptions allowed Kimi Raikkonen only 43 attempts to circle the course.
* {note 1}
Qualifying is an area where Sauber struggled to find consistency through the 2011 season. An integral part of a team’s test programme, qualifying (and race) simulations come into play once systems checks and reliability diagnostics have been thoroughly digested.
This allows teams to figure out fuel and aerodynamic configurations, while also taking into account potential advantages and / or drawbacks with raceday set-ups and strategies.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Perez Sauber 1m22.094s 114 2. Button McLaren 1m22.103s +0.009 44 3. Ricciardo Toro Rosso 1m22.155s +0.061 131 4. Massa Ferrari 1m22.413s +0.319 122 5. Di Resta Force India 1m22.446s +0.352 108 6. Senna Williams 1m22.480s +0.386 111 7. Kovalainen Caterham 1m22.630s +0.536 64 8. Webber Red Bull 1m22.662s +0.568 70 9. Rosberg Mercedes 1m22.932s +0.838 129 10. Raikkonen Lotus 1m25.379s +3.285 43 ^ Notes compiled from trackside reports and updates.
When racecar designer Ben Bowlby guested on the Parc Ferme Podcast a few months ago, something that came up in conversation was the narrow wheel track at the front of the car.
Numerous armchair designers have commented that the car would not be able to turn a corner; however Bowlby was adamant that the truth was otherwise.
It has transpired however that the DeltaWing can, in fact, turn as witness at a shakedown test the Cal Club circuit at California’s Buttonwillow Raceway Park late last week.
Although it took to the track at shallow speeds, it showed at least in this instance that the DeltaWing can meet its basic capabilities of a racecar, proving somewhat that the DeltaWing was not drawn by the tooth fairy, but rather designers with engineering capabilities.
A higher speed run followed later in the day, before running was wrapped up for the shakedown.
The DeltaWing is to debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June – the third round of the inaugural World Endurance Championship – breaking cover at Le Sarthe on June 3rd for the series test day. Thus far, only Marino Franchitti has been announced as driver of the Michelin-shod machine.
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Romain Grosjean claimed the fastest lap on day two of the final pre-season Formula 1 test in Barcelona.
The French driver’s benchmark time of 1:22.614 left him half-a-second clear of the pack, following what proved to a busy day for the Enstone squad.
With the opening race only two weeks away, the team naturally concentrated on race distance runs and the challenges that brings, although the E20 suffered somewhat from excessive tyre degradation.
The team also completed numerous system checks, set-up comparisons and aero-focussed runs amongst other programmes, allowing the Grosjean to log 124 laps.
It was a less productive day for the Toro Rosso squad. An engine failure just prior to the lunch break, curtailed much of their test plan, leaving the Italian team to carry out brief pitstop practices and an aero-evaluation programme.
Red Bull endured a brief stoppage, but it did not stop Sebastian Vettel from registering 85 tours of the Circuit de Catalunya.
Fernando Alonso suffered no such problems in the Ferrari* F2012. The Spaniard completed 125 laps on a day filled with aerodynamic evaluation programmes and an afternoon race stint.
Heikki Kovalainen returned from illness to assume his position in the Caterham CT01, with the Finn clocking up 104 laps with tyre evaluations, followed by long runs in the afternoon.
Kamui Kobayashi suffered a hydraulic leak in the afternoon, losing the Sauber team one hour in the process. The issues were compounded by a number of stoppages throughout the day, disabling chances of clear stints.
The running was extended for an extra half-hour at the end of the day, due to late morning fog halting the session. There were multiple red flags throughout the day, which stuttered proceedings; however Kobayashi was quoted as being happy with C31’s handling under race conditions.
Force India also lost time with a driveline problem on the VJM05, disrupting a race simulation. Nico Hulkenberg did manage several runs in the morning, focussing on tyre evaluations for the medium and hard Pirelli’s.
Mercedes got 79 laps out of Michael Schumacher, much of which came in the afternoon as the team worked through set-up variations for the F1 W03.
Pitstop practices were the order of the morning at McLaren, before set-up assessments on the MP4-27 commenced. It would also be the final day McLaren ran their launch-spec aerodynamic package, with the team’s first upgrade expected for the third day.
There were also pitstop practices at Williams, as the Grove squad put new equipment and procedures into place. Unfortunately when it did come to on track running, Pastor Maldonado suffered an engine problem, costing the Venezuelan precious time. Pitstop practice continued into the afternoon, only this time Bruno Senna was in the driver’s seat.
It had been a bigger news day off track at Williams. Team Principal Frank Williams announced that he is to step down from the board at Williams Grand Prix Holdings, although Williams will retain his majority shareholding of the company and will continue in his role as Team Principal.
Daughter, Claire Williams, has been promoted to the role of Director of Marketing and Communications – a position being vacated by Dominic Reilly** at the end of this month.
* {note 1}
Indeed Alonso enjoyed a far better day than teammate Felipe Massa. Rumours of Massa’s dismissal from the Ferrari squad began to circulate on the Internet yesterday afternoon and as with many rumours within the digital realm, the whispers became “truth” within a matter of minutes.
Eventually Ferrari responded via their Twitter account – @InsideFerrari – labelling the rumours as “bullshit”, although that particular comment has since been removed.
** {note 2}
Although Dominic Reilly has spent much of his career in various marketing and sponsorship positions, he actually studied Zoology in the late 1980s at Swansea’s University of Wales (now known as simply Swansea University).
Apart from Reilly, there are several notable members of the university’s alumni, including Richey Edwards and Nicky Wire from the Manic Street Preachers.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Grosjean Lotus 1m22.614s 124 2. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m23.126s +0.512 31 3. Vettel Red Bull 1m23.361s +0.747 85 4. Alonso Ferrari 1m23.447s +0.833 125 5. Kovalainen Caterham 1m23.828s +1.214 104 6. Kobayashi Sauber 1m23.836s +1.222 77 7. Hulkenberg Force India 1m23.893s +1.279 36 8. Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.978s +1.364 79 9. Hamilton McLaren 1m24.111s +1.497 65 10. Senna Williams 1m24.925s +2.311 48 11. Maldonado Williams 1m25.801s +3.187 20 ^ Notes compiled from trackside reports and updates.
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Lotus new-boy Romain Grosjean headed the first day of the third pre-season Formula 1 test at the Circuit de Catalunya on Thursday.
The Frenchman logged 73 laps in the E20, setting a best of 1:23.252 along the way.
It was a good start for what is a key test for the Enstone squad, after missing last week’s four-day run in Barcelona due to suspension issues*.
With much catching up to do Grosjean logged numerous short stints, completing systems checks, set-up and data correlation, before moving focus to aerodynamic runs.
There a brief interruption to their day, when the E20’s KERS battery unit required a change.
Jenson Button completed 64 laps in his McLaren MP4-27 as the Woking-based team continued their pre-season preparations. With updated components to arrive in time for the weekend’s running, the team concentrated on pitstop practices and detailed set-up work.
Sergio Perez went a little further in the Sauber C31. The Mexican pilot registered 118 laps, while the Swiss team evaluated new aerodynamic parts, before shifting focus to mechanical set-up work. A series of short runs on medium compound Pirelli’s prior to the afternoon break allowed Perez to set a series of quick times.
The reigning world champions, Red Bull, spent Thursday completing performance work, switching from short to long stints as the clock ticked. With Mark Webber behind the wheel, the team set 102 laps on the Barcelona circuit.
Nico Rosberg ran 128 laps as the Mercedes squad looked at set-up evaluations for race day performance, while Jean-Eric Vergne logged 113 laps amidst pit stop practices and set-up comparisons.
Paul di Resta fell just shy of a century of laps in his Mercedes-powered Force India. The Scot clocked 98 laps, while the team evaluated the first series of aerodynamic updates for the VJM05.
Felipe Massa concentrated on set-up variables and long distance runs in the Ferrari F2012, while Vitaly Petrov busied himself at the wheel of the Caterham CT01. The Russian, who was filling in for an ill Heikki Kovalainen, worked through a tyre evaluation programme, despite the discomfort of not having his moulded race seat available.
Williams tested their Melbourne race package on Thursday with Pastor Maldonado at the controls; however niggling reliability issues limited the Venezuelan’s running to only 58 tours.
* {note 1}
According to Lotus Technical Director James Allison, the E20 suffered from a problem with the mounting of the upper front wishbone rear arm.
At the time, it was thought there may have been a delamination problem with the E20, leaving the team with little choice but to withdraw both versions of the E20 from testing. Coming in at around 1kg heavier – a significant weight gain for a carbon fibre product – the new components have come with a potential competitive price.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Grosjean Lotus 1m23.252s 73 2. Button McLaren 1m23.510s +0.258 64 3. Perez Sauber 1m23.820s +0.568 118 4. Webber Red Bull 1m23.830s +0.578 102 5. Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.992s +0.740 128 6. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m24.216s +0.964 113 7. Di Resta Force India 1m24.305s +1.053 98 8. Massa Ferrari 1m24.318s +1.066 105 9. Petrov Caterham 1m24.876s +1.624 123 10. Maldonado Williams 1m25.587s +2.335 58 ^ Notes compiled from trackside reports and updates.
Circuito de Jerez. © Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
DAMS racer Davide Valsecchi secured the top spot for the third consecutive day in the first GP2 test of 2012.
On the last day of the opening test at Jerez, the Italian set a quickest lap of 1:25.567 prior to lunch, with Scuderia Coloni rival Stefano Coletti a mere one-tenth in arrears.
During a busy day of running, Valsecchi logged 69 laps in his Renault-powered Dallara as the focus turned to longer runs and race simulations.
Although Coletti fell short of Valsecchi on the timing screens, the Monegasque pilot produced an extra four laps before the chequered flag brought the opening test to a close.
Those totals were bettered by the respective 3rd and 4th place men Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus, 81 laps) and Giedo van der Garde (Caterham) who registered an astonishing 96 tours.
Max Chilton led the Marussia-Carlin charge in 5th, holding a one-tenth advantage over iSport’s Marcus Ericsson.
Tom Dillmann was the first driver not to break the 1’26 barrier, with an effort four-thousandth too slow. The French racer notched up 47 laps in his Rapax machine, leaving Dillmann well down the lap charts this week, following three days with limited running.
James Calado (Lotus, 8th), Nigel Melker (Ocean Racing Technology, 9th) and Jolyon Palmer (iSport, 10th) followed, with British Formula 3 champion Felipe Nasr just missing the top ten by the narrowest of margins.
There was an early 45-minute stoppage when a curb came loose. Gutierrez and Fabrizio Crestani (Venezuela GP) brought out red flag as the afternoon commenced. Racing Engineering’s Fabio Leimer continued the trend of stoppages, when he spun into the gravel at the first turn, while Kevin Ceccon (Ocean Racing Technology) provided a fifth and final red flag with a late spin.
The next test comes in one weeks time, as the GP2 Series moves to Barcelona, before flying out for the opening round in Malaysia alter this month.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1m25.567s 69 2. Stefano Coletti Scuderia Coloni 1m25.670s 73 3. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus GP 1m25.725s 81 4. Giedo van der Garde Caterham Racing 1m25.742s 96 5. Max Chilton Carlin 1m25.801s 70 6. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1m25.940s 55 7. Tom Dillmann Rapax 1m26.003s 47 8. James Calado Lotus GP 1m26.046s 75 9. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1m26.082s 79 10. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1m26.126s 67 11. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1m26.127s 58 12. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1m26.148s 63 13. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1m26.148s 55 14. Stephane Richelmi Trident Racing 1m26.213s 51 15. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m26.342s 56 16. Luiz Razia Arden International 1m26.350s 69 17. Josef Kral Barwa Addax Team 1m26.361s 66 18. Fabrizio Crestani Venezuela GP Lazarus 1m26.369s 59 19. Dani Clos Rapax 1m26.453s 54 20. Simon Trummer Arden International 1m26.466s 70 21. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1m26.611s 70 22. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1m26.747s 40 23. Rodolfo Gonzalez Catheram Racing 1m26.749s 74 24. Kevin Ceccon Ocean Racing Technology 1m26.761s 55 25. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1m26.958s 60 26. Vittorio Ghirelli Venezuela GP Lazarus 1m27.143s 57 ^Notes compiled from trackside reports and updates.
Circuito de Jerez. © Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
GP2 veteran Davide Valsecchi topped the timesheets on the second day of GP2 pre-season testing Jerez yesterday.
The Italian registered a best of 1:24.783 in his DAMS machine during the morning – already more than 1.2 seconds quicker than the fastest from day one – beating Mexican rival Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus) by four-tenths.
In what transpired to be a busy day at the circuit in Southern Spain, Valsecchi logged 60 laps, with Gutierrez going five further. Marussia-Carlin’s Max Chilton also broke the sixty lap mark, taking 3rd by the end of the day with a lap half-a-second shy of Valsecchi.
Indeed both Gutierrez and Chilton briefly held the top spot, before deposed by the quick Valsecchi.
While many concentrated on short stints and qualifying simulations in the early sessions, the afternoon was dictated by race runs, allowing numerous runners to contribute long stints.
iSport duo Joylon Palmer (5th, 65 laps) and Marcus Ericsson (6th, 63 laps) also climbed to the top of the sheets temporarily, before dropping down the order at the break of play. Not only were Palmer and Ericsson pipped by the top three as the day aged, Scuderia Coloni’s Stefano Coletti also toppled the pair to assume 4th.
Wednesday was quieter day for Dani Clos (Rapax, 7th) and Fabio Onidi (Scuderia Coloni, 8th) – both of whom clocked up only 36 and 46 laps respectively.
Lotus’ James Calado broke the timing barrier more often than most, when he completed 72 tours of the Jerez circuit, claiming 9th best. Calado enjoyed a three-tenths advantage over Racing Engineering’s Fabio Leimer, who rounded out the top ten just ahead of Giedo van der Garde (Caterham, 11th) and Stephane Richelmi (Trident, 12th).
The morning was broken up by another red flag when British F3 champion Felipe Nasr spun his way into the gravel on cold tyres.
Ocean Racing Technology pairing Nigel Melker and Tom Dillmann experienced their share of misfortune today. Dillmann stopped early in the afternoon with a gearbox problem, capping his day’s total to 32 laps, while Melker only managed 2 laps in the morning, before clashing with the barrier early on.
A spin from Racing Engineering’s Nathanael Berthon and a mechanical failure for Julian Leal (Trident) brought out two more stoppage’s as the day aged.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1:24.783 60 2. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus GP 1:25.193 65 3. Max Chilton Carlin 1:25.294 61 4. Stefano Coletti Scuderia Coloni 1:25.358 56 5. Jolyon Palmer iSport International 1:25.359 65 6. Marcus Ericsson iSport International 1:25.374 63 7. Dani Clos Rapax 1:25.467 36 8. Fabio Onidi Scuderia Coloni 1:25.505 46 9. James Calado Lotus GP 1:25.569 72 10. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1:25.845 51 11. Giedo van der Garde Caterham Racing 1:25.893 52 12. Stephane Richelmi Trident Racing 1:25.903 60 13. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1:26.006 66 14. Simon Trummer Arden International 1:26.017 63 15. Luiz Razia Arden International 1:26.049 66 16. Julian Leal Trident Racing 1:26.128 48 17. Tom Dillmann Ocean Racing Technology 1:26.177 32 18. Josef Kral Barwa Addax Team 1:26.351 56 19. Vittorio Ghirelli Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:26.477 47 20. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1:26.545 55 21. Fabrizio Crestani Venezuela GP Lazarus 1:26.551 39 22. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1:26.648 49 23. Johnny Cecotto Barwa Addax Team 1:26.665 28 24. Rodolfo Gonzalez Catheram Racing 1:26.707 61 25. Daniel de Jong Rapax 1:26.712 49 26. Nigel Melker Ocean Racing Technology 1:41.035 2
Circuito de Jerez. © Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Former GP2 Asia Series champion, Davide Valsecchi claimed the fastest lap after the opening day of GP2 pre-season testing at Jerez.
The Italian set his quickest lap of 1:26.014 during the quicker morning session, giving Valsecchi a two-tenths advantage over next fastest Fabio Onidi.
Valsecchi also proved to be one of the busier drivers throughout the day, registering an impressive 55 laps, as the 25-year-old making the best of the limited testing available this year.
Onidi, who last year finished 5th in the Auto GP Series, completed 50 laps, eventually falling two-tenths shy of Valsecchi. Next up was iSport’s Joylon Palmer, who set the most laps of the twin sessions, logging 59 tours of the Jerez course by the chequered flag.
Marcus Ericsson (iSport) and 2009 GP3 champion Esteban Gutierrez (Lotus) secured 4th and 5th respectively. Ericsson – surely one of the title favourites – exchanged the top spot with Valsecchi as the circuit warmed in the last morning.
An off from Ocean Racing Technology’s Tom Dillmann ensured the morning session was prematurely halted, although the battle for the top spot continued once running the red flag was cleared.
The field comprised of numerous graduates to the category, including GP3 Series runner-up James Calado, who secured 6th on the time sheets after completing 44 laps.
Other GP3 promotees included Nigel Melker (Ocean Racing Technology, 11th), Rio Haryanto (Marussia-Carlin, 15th), Simon Trummer (Arden, 18th), Dillmann (23rd), Daniel de Jong (Rapax, 24th) and Vittorio Ghirelli (Venezuela GP Lazarus, 26th).
British Formula 3 Champion Felipe Nasr completed 51 laps in his DAMS machine, setting the 25th best time overall.
Varying degrees of experienced filled out the top ten, headed by third year driver Fabio Leimer (Racing Engineering, 7th), just ahead of Trident’s Stephane Richelmi who will be competing in only his third GP2 event come the opening round in Malaysia. Heading into his second full season of GP2*, Stefano Coletti claimed 9th spot for Coloni, just half-a-tenth up on HRT reserve driver Dani Clos (Rapax).
As the afternoon aged, Ghirelli brought out a second red flag when his stopped Venezuela GP Lazarus entry briefly stopped on track.
Series tyre supplier, Pirelli, will be utilising just the hard and medium tyres throughout the three-day test.
* {note 1}
Coletti briefly raced with perennial GP2 backmarkers Durango toward the tail end of 2009; however during the Feature Race of his second event at Spa-Francorchamps, the Monegasque driver suffered a catastrophic car failure going through Eau Rouge.
The car went straight on at the top of the hill, hitting the barriers head on, writing off the monocoque and causing Coletti to suffer compressed vertebrae, amongst other minor injuries. Although due to return at Monza some weeks later, Coletti was withdrawn when he began to suffer recurring pains prior to the event. He also missed the Formula Euro Series round at Brands Hatch following the crash.
Coletti dropped down to GP3 in 2010, eventually returning to GP2 last year with Trident and claiming two race wins, before getting injured (again) in a bizarre Feature Race** (again) at Spa-Francorchamps (again).** {note 1b}
From 2011 GP2 Round of Spa-Francorchamps (Rd 8, TV Notes)
“…Having completely missed the leaders, the safety car drew to a halt exiting the pitlane, whereby cars refused to pass it. The confusion grew deeper still as the rain suddenly picked up, dousing the field in large plumes of spray, even at slow speed.
Amidst the disorder, Stefano Coletti crashed hard into the rear of Michael Aleshin, with the former flying high, sustaining compressed fractures of two vertebrae as he landed.
Unsure of the order, drivers slowed severely under the safety car, causing several machines to fall into “stand-by mode”, with some units switching off altogether. The race did eventually restart with one lap left, albeit with a far different leaderboard…”
Combined times: Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Davide Valsecchi DAMS 1m26.014s 55 2. Fabio Onidi Coloni 1m26.217s + 0.203s 50 3. Jolyon Palmer iSport 1m26.219s + 0.205s 59 4. Marcus Ericsson iSport 1m26.266s + 0.252s 47 5. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus 1m26.408s + 0.394s 49 6. James Calado Lotus 1m26.586s + 0.572s 44 7. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m26.776s + 0.762s 50 8. Stéphane Richelmi Trident 1m26.888s + 0.874s 48 9. Stefano Coletti Coletti 1m26.891s + 0.877s 54 10. Dani Clos Rapax 1m26.944s + 0.930s 40 11. Nigel Melker Ocean 1m26.944s + 0.930s 33 12. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham 1m26.971s + 0.957s 46 13. Giedo van der Garde Caterham 1m26.990s + 0.976s 38 14. Johnny Cecotto Addax 1m27.013s + 0.999s 30 15. Max Chilton Carlin 1m27.187s + 1.173s 50 16. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering 1m27.205s + 1.191s 42 17. Josef Kral Addax 1m27.236s + 1.222s 39 18. Simon Trummer Arden 1m27.408s + 1.394s 52 19. Luiz Razia Arden 1m27.437s + 1.423s 35 20. Fabrizio Crestani Lazarus 1m27.496s + 1.482s 54 21. Rio Haryanto Carlin 1m27.580s + 1.566s 50 22. Julian Leal Trident 1m27.799s + 1.785s 45 23. Tom Dillmann Ocean 1m27.871s + 1.857s 22 24. Daniel de Jong Rapax 1m27.914s + 1.900s 50 25. Felipe Nasr DAMS 1m28.076s + 2.062s 51 26. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus 1m29.117s + 3.103s 48
The 2012 GP2 Series field is a step closer to completion today with the announcement of Giedo van der Garde and Rodolfo Gonzalez at Caterham Racing.
Both drivers will bring a great deal of experience to the Caterham team, each having raced for three years in the category.
Van der Garde joins the Anglo-Malaysian squad after spending two years with Barwa Addax, with a highest championship ranking of 5th in 2011.
This may prove to be a key year for the Dutch pilot, for although van der Garde has proved himself a consistent podium finisher in recent seasons, the 26-year-old has not won a GP2 Series event since taking the Feature Race at Monza in 2009.
Van der Garde had held 2nd in the GP2 Series for most of last season, owing to persistent point scores; however two disastrous final rounds at Spa and Monza saw the Dutchman drop to 5th overall.
Alongside his GP2 commitments, Van der Garde was also confirmed as Caterham’s Formula 1 reserve several weeks ago, where it is believed he will contest several Friday morning practice sessions.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez assumes the second seat at Caterham. In three seasons of GP2 competition, the Venezuelan has notched up two point scoring races* in forty events. Gonzalez tested with the Caterham’s GP2 team in November at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, having also tested twice with the parent squad at the 2010 and 2011 Young Driver Tests.
Caterham joined the GP2 Series in 2011 under the guise of Team AirAsia, finishing 6th in the Teams’ Championship with Luiz Razia and Davide Valsecchi. They achieved one race victory, courtesy of Valsecchi, at the prestigious Feature Race in Monaco.
Marussia-Carlin also filled their driver quota with Rio Haryanto and Max Chilton. After competing in the GP2 Series last year as Carlin, the Farnham-based team have formed a technical partnership with Marussia’s junior programme**.
Chilton, who is returning to Carlin, will be hoping it’s third time lucky after enduring tough GP2 campaigns in 2010 and ‘11; however for GP3 race winner Haryanto, this will be a whole new adventure.
After finishing highest of the Marussia Manor drivers in 2010, the (then) Virgin team rewarded Haryanto with a test at the Young Driver Test in Abu Dhabi.
Arden International completed their line-up today, when they revealed that Luiz Razia is to partner Simon Trummer.
Razia, who is also starting his fourth GP2 season, is also winless in GP2 since Monza 2009*** has endured a tough few seasons, but has garnered a reputation for regular point scoring rather than victorious charges.
Meanwhile, the new Venezuela GP Lazarus team wasted no time in signing up their first driver. Italian racer Fabrizio Crestani will be making a return to the GP2 Series, following a couple of occasional stints with Ocean Racing Technology (2009) and DPR (2010).
A spell in Auto GP last year saw Crestani take 6th in the championship with Lazarus Racing, following four podiums and a pole position. Although it is arguable that Crestani never received a fair crack at GP2 first time around, it is difficult to envisage this being a largely successful campaign, considering how late this project has come together.
The first pre-season GP2 test session starts today at Jerez in Southern Spain.
* (note 1}
Both of those points finishes came at Spa in 2010, when Gonzalez came home 8th (Feature Race) and 4th (Sprint Race). His average finishing position in the other twenty-six races he classified for was 15th, having retired from twelve other races.
In the sixteen GP2 Asia races he contested, Gonzalez never registered a points result.
** {note 2}
The announcement of Marussia’s link with Carlin means the squad is now the third in GP2 to be directly affiliated with a Formula 1 team.
During the tense “Group Lotus vs Team Lotus” courtroom battle of 2011, both company’s backed GP2 teams, with the Proton owned Group Lotus aligning themselves with ART Grand Prix, while Tony Fernandes’ Team Lotus entry assumed the vacant slot left by DPR.
DAMS have, in the past, been loosely linked with Renault’s Formula 1 entity via Team Principal Eric Boullier. Arden International are jointly led by Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner and his father Garry.
Marussia have also formed a partnership with Carlin in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series; however the Russian company are linked with Manor Motorsports in GP3. Carlin also compete in the GP3 Series, but do so independently.
*** {note 3}
Whereas van der Garde took the Feature Race at Monza in 2009, Razia claimed the Sprint Race the following morning.
As previously noted, neither have won a GP2 race since then; however Razia has one extra victory in his roster after winning a GP2 Asia Sprint Race at Bahrain at the start of 2009.
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Kamui Kobayashi ran quickest on the final day of the second pre-season F1 test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.
The Japanese driver registered a best of 1:22.312 during a qualifying simulation on soft tyres just prior to the break for lunch.
Several short stints in the morning helped solve several issues, allowing the team to close in on an optimum set-up for qualifying. With 144 laps in the bag, it was certainly a busy day for Kobayashi, who moved on to longer runs and race preparation in the afternoon.
After a positive Thursday, Williams continued with race simulations and set-up work on Friday, allowing Pastor Maldonado to log 134 laps in the FW34. The team have covered an impressive amount of mileage over the tests – approximately 3500kms – leaving Williams with plenty of data to analyse prior to the final test in Barcelona in March.
Force India’s Paul di Resta endured a small trip through the gravel in the morning; however little time was lost in the aftermath. The Scot still managed to break the century barrier, registering 101 laps by the end of day, with di Resta providing the team with positive thoughts regarding the balance and consistency of the VJM05 around Barcelona’s high-speed / high aero layout.
McLaren used the final day to complete several fundamental tests on the MP4-27, as well as numerous tyre runs. With Jenson Button at the wheel, the team set 115 laps on the final day.
Felipe Massa completed set-up evaluations on the Ferrari F2012, while the team also conducted several back-to-back tests of the various Pirelli tyre compounds.
Red Bull spent Friday completing a series of development programmes with the RB8, resulting in a number of short stints for driver Mark Webber, both on the track and in the garage.
Like sister-team Red Bull, Toro Rosso spent the final day completing several development programmes with Jean-Eric Vergne behind the wheel of the STR7. While the team delighted in the mile garnered, Formula 1 rookie Vergne also took great confidence from the test, as he continues to bed himself into the team.
Mercedes spent part of the morning completing pit stop practice at Barcelona – a vital component of any race weekend – before moving on to race simulations. This included race stints on the harder compounds (morning) and Pirelli’s soft tyres (afternoon), allowing Nico Rosberg to log 139 laps in the F1 W03 machine. The final stage of the day was dedicated to set-up comparisons. Due to their later launch, there may be much work still to be done at Mercedes.
A small electrical issue hampered Caterham’s efforts in the morning, leading to an engine change, limiting Heikki Kovalainen to “only” 70 laps. The team spent the afternoon running high-fiel stints, during which Kovalainen set his best lap time. Caterham have a day’s worth of aero testing next week before the final sessions in Barcelona.
A damaged suspension component meant Marussia’s MVR-02 machine only completed two installations laps, before calling it a day. With no apparent information as to how the problem developed, the team decided not to send Charles Pic out on track, concentrating instead on solving the issue at hand. Marussia will introduce their 2012 machine at the final test at Barcelona.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Kobayashi Sauber 1m22.312s 144 2. Maldonado Williams 1m22.561s +0.249 134 3. Di Resta Force India 1m23.119s +0.807 101 4. Button McLaren 1m23.200s +0.888 115 5. Massa Ferrari 1m23.563s +1.251 103 6. Webber Red Bull 1m23.774s +1.462 85 7. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m23.792s +1.480 92 8. Rosberg Mercedes 1m23.843s +1.531 139 9. Kovalainen Caterham 1m26.968s +4.656 70
Formula Ford GB race winner, Nick McBride has announced his graduation to the British Formula 3 Series with T-Sport.
The Australian will get his shot at the International Class after T-Sport formed a new partnership with Japanese company ThreeBond, with McBride’s entry rebranded as ‘ThreeBond with T-Sport.’
McBride’s Dallara F312 will be powered by the proven ThreeBond-Nissan SR20VE powerplant, bringing the number of engine manufacturers in the International Class to three.
Developed by ThreeBond and Tomei Engines, the SR20VE originally serviced the Japanese F3 Championship with some success*.
Last year, McBride lost out on the Formula Ford GB runner-up spot when he was pipped by Jeroen Slaghekke in the final race, dropping the 21-year-old to 3rd in the standings.
McBride joins fellow Australian Spike Goddard in the squad. Goddard will be participating in the Rookie Class with Mugen-Honda engines.
* {note 1}
Although ThreeBond racer Hironobu Yasuda was beaten to last year’s Japanese F3 championship by a single point to Yuhi Sekiguchi, the team did claim the Teams’ Championship. It finally ended a ten-year long run of success for the Toyota-powered TOM’S squad.
Eager eyes will be noting the performance of the unit throughout the season, as the Japanese company test their wares in European waters for the first time.
© Creative Commons / Will Pittenger
Pastor Maldonado grabbed both the top spot and the headlines on day three of the second pre-season Formula 1 test at the Circuit de Catalunya.
The Venezuelan’s best of 1:22.391 was nearly one second clear of next fastest Michael Schumacher (Mercedes); however that time was almost certain set during a qualifying run.
More impressive was the reliability of the Williams with Maldonado registering 106 laps in the FW34 with no issues. The day began with several brief set-up runs cooling evaluations, before the former-GP2 champion launched into a race weekend programme.
Michael Schumacher ran the Mercedes F1 W03’s first race simulation during the afternoon, following a morning of tyre tests. The veteran garnered 127 laps in the process – an incredible total for a car launched only three days ago.
Sauber logged 99 tours of the Barcelona circuit with Kamui Kobayashi at the wheel. The team compiled aero and set-up notes throughout the day, as they aim to improve front tyre warm-up, necessitating numerous short runs. Sauber also ran back-to-back comparisons on two different rear wings for the C31, while also gathering data on various suspension configurations.
At McLaren, Jenson Button notched up 114 laps after completing several short and long runs, while exploring set-up variables. The team also set about a programme to understand the latest tyres better.
Jean-Eric Vergne enjoyed 78 laps in the Toro Rosso STR7.It was a trouble free day, that saw the Italian squad conduct pitstop practices during a race simulation.
Mark Webber also attempted a race simulation; however this was halted after 30 laps when a gearbox issue halted the Red Bull RB8. Webber continued the programme after lunch.
Felipe Massa continued to work with Ferrari F2012 to solve balance issues on the hard tyre, while Force India set Paul di Resta to work with long and short runs on the medium and hard tyres. Unfortunately for di Resta, the Scot lost some time in the morning due to bodywork issues.
Marussia’s Timo Glock ran 108 laps in the 2011 Virgin MVR-02 in a series of tyre evaluation programmes.
It was a difficult day for Vitaly Petrov and the Caterham team who struggled with a front suspension problem in the morning, losing the time a deal of time. When running, the team ran solidly to unravel numerous mechanical set-ups with various tyre compounds.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Maldonado Williams 1m22.391s 106 2. Schumacher Mercedes 1m23.384s +0.993 127 3. Kobayashi Sauber 1m23.582s +1.191 99 4. Button McLaren 1m23.918s +1.527 114 5. Vergne Toro Rosso 1m24.433s +2.042 78 6. Webber Red Bull 1m24.771s +2.380 97 7. Massa Ferrari 1m24.771s +2.380 84 8. Di Resta Force India 1m25.646s +3.255 83 9. Glock Marussia 1m26.173s +3.782 108 10. Petrov Caterham 1m26.448s +4.057 70
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