Alice Powell to complete GP3 return with Bamboo Engineering

Alice Powell will complete a return to the GP3 Series with Bamboo Engineering for this weekend’s season finale around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. The 20-year-old competed in the category last season for Status Grand Prix, and has competed in the F3 Cup this season.

This weekend will see the inaugural GP3 Series event around the Yas Marina Circuit, which will play host to the season finale as the likes of Facu Regalia and Daniil Kvyat battle at the sharp-end of the Championship standings. Whilst that battle rages on, Alice Powell has been confirmed at Bamboo Engineering, as a replacement for Britain’s Melville McKee who won at Germany earlier in the season. The Briton will join fellow female driver Carmen Jorda in the the outfit this weekend, with the third seat within the team still unconfirmed. Alice Powell is understandably eager to make her return to the Series, and make her first appearance in the new GP3/13 machine.

“I’m really looking forward to racing in Abu Dhabi and to step into a GP3 car again.” Explained Alice Powell, “Obviously the car is very different from what I drove last year and to anything I’ve raced before, so it will take time to get used to the car and tyres. But I can’t wait to get on track and I will give it my best shot.”

Despite making their debut in the GP3 Series this season after purchasing the Atech CRS outfit soon after last year’s season had drawn to a conclusion, the Silverstone-based outfit will this weekend be competing in their final GP3 race weekend after being bought by current GP2 debutants Russian Time. For Alice Powell and her team-mates’, this weekend will all be about striving to impress with an ambition of securing a full-time drive for the 2014 GP3 season.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service

Conor Daly To Complete Aero Test For Force India

GP3 driver Conor Daly will get his first taste of F1 machinery later today, as the American driver conducts a straight-line aero test at Gloucestershire’s Cotswold Airport for the Force India team. This test will allow the Silverstone-based team to compare their data acquired from the wind tunnel with actual track data.

Fresh from his sprint race victory during the opening round of the GP3 Series in Barcelona last weekend, the 20-year-old American visited the Force India factory on Tuesday. During his visit, Daly completed a seat-fitting in preparation for his run in the car and also met the engineers which he’ll work with throughout the day. This was also a perfect time for Daly to familiarize himself with the various systems on an F1 car, including the vast amount of dials and switches on the steering wheel.

Conor Daly, son of former-F1 driver Derek Daly, is currently lying 2nd in the GP3 Drivers’ Championship after a highly competitive opening weekend in the series. He’ll be hoping his outing for the Force India team set him up in good stead for the remainder of the 2012 season, as he strives to win further races in GP3.

Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team

On the 2nd June, Caterham’s reserve driver Giedo van der Garde will complete a demo run at the Bavaria City Racing event on the streets of Dublin.

In this video, the Dutchman explains about his seat-fit, his previous outings in the Caterham CT-01 and his future plans.

Video Copyright © Caterham F1 Team

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

Jaime Alguersuari To Complete Jerez Test For Pirelli

Only six months after being replaced at Toro Rosso alongside his then team-mate Sebastien Buemi by Jean-Eric Vergne and Daniel Ricciardo, Spanish driver Jaime Alguersuari will return to the cockpit of a Formula 1 car this coming week as he tests for Pirelli in the 2010 Renault R30.

The 22-year-old Spaniard had raced in F1 since the middle of the 2009 season, when he made his debut at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix. Throughout 2010 and 2011, Alguersuari remained at the Italian outfit, trying to replicate the previous success of Sebastian Vettel at the team. However, now Jaime Alguersuari is the test driver for F1’s tyre supplier Pirelli, along with fellow former F1 driver Lucas di Grassi. 

Next week at the Circuito de Jerez in Spain, Jaime Alguersuari will complete in several days of testing for Pirelli as they aim to test new compounds for F1. The Pirelli tyres have undoubtedly revolutionized Formula 1 in recent years, making tyre management the most important aspect of some races.

“No one can imagine my enthusiasm in this very moment.” Explained a jubilant Jaime Alguersuari, “I’m just counting down the minutes to be behind the Wheel of the most sophisticated machinery of the World. I could never imagine that I was going to miss so much the taste of Formula One. I want to state my gratitude to Pirelli for their confidence, having had other options, and I’ll try to do the best job for them! Alongside this role I will keep my post with BBC Radio 5 Live. I am really grateful to them for giving me the opportunity of joining such a professional team. I’m a happy man.”

After the Jerez test, three other tests are scheduled across the year at Spa-Francorchamps, Monza and Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

Picture Copyright © Getty Images

Red Bull & Toro Rosso To Complete Young Drivers’ Test In Abu Dhabi

With the 2012 Formula 1 Young Drivers’ test set to take place at either the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi or at Silverstone in the U.K., it has come to light that only Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso wish to complete the test at Abu Dhabi. 

The yearly test session at Abu Dhabi, which is aimed at giving up-and-coming drivers’ the opportunity to drive Formula 1 cars’, could well be moved to Silverstone and take place the week after this years British Grand Prix. However, this proposal could well cause further complications for teams’, as many drivers’ who would take part in the test could well be tied up in their own Series’ such as World Series by Renault or Formula 2.

With Red Bull and Toro Rosso seemingly prepared to “go it alone” and test at Abu Dhabi towards the end of the year, Pirelli are now making the relevant preparations. This means they will offer Red Bull and Toro Rosso with the same tyre specification that will be issued to the other 10 teams at Silverstone, so that no team can gain any advantage over the other.

“We have 12 partners and we have to go along with what the partners want.” Explained Pirelli’s motorsport director, Paul Hembrey, “Ten of them would appear to want to go to Silverstone, and two of them to Abu Dhabi – so it means we will not be taking any of the new products to the young driver tests. We have found in the past the young driver test is of limited use for a variety of reasons. The teams at the last young driver test were trying a lot of items for next season, and trying new drivers, so while it gave us indicative results, it was of overall very limited value.”

However, if the week after the British Grand Prix looks set to be plagued with inclement weather, the 10 teams wishing to test at Silverstone will have to ability to cancel their plans at the last minute. 

The first in-season test since 2008 is scheduled for next week at Italy’s Mugello circuit, and will feature a host of drivers’ including various reserve and test drivers alongside the main drivers’ of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Picture Copyright © Force India F1 Team 

Smiles At HRT As They Complete 56-Lap Malaysian Grand Prix

With all eyes at the front of the field during today’s Malaysian Grand Prix, it’s worth noting that HRT completed the full race distance relatively trouble free after failing to qualify at the season-opener in Melbourne. Apart from Karthikeyan being involved in several collisions with Button and Vettel, the team are proud of their achievements.

The race started off on a rocky note for the Spanish outfit, as Pedro de la Rosa stalled on the grid and had to subsequently start the race from the pit-lane. However the team opted for a correct tyre strategy as the rain fell, with both cars’ on the full wets when the race was suspended. At that moment de la Rosa was 17th and Narain Karthikeyan was a stunning 10th.

As the race continued after nearly an hours break, Pedro de la Rosa was issued with a drive-through penalty, whereas Karthikeyan began to loose places, and eventually made contact with Jenson Button who lost grip on the wet track and damaged his nose. Narain Karthikeyan wasn’t out of the wars yet, as later on in the race Sebastian Vettel also made contact with the Indian driver, which caused Vettel’s left-rear tyre to get a puncture as well as suffer from rear brake damage.

However, the atmosphere within the team is now very positive heading into the Chinese Grand Prix in three weeks time, as the Spanish team continue to improve throughout every session they partake in.

“I must say I really enjoyed myself in that race.” Said Pedro de la Rosa, “It really was the best race to make my debut with HRT. I don’t think anyone could imagine we would finish after starting from the pit lane due to an issue with the fuel pressure that we were dragging over from yesterday. My team-mate also finished so that’s doubly satisfying. I’m very happy for the team, we accomplished our objective. Now we have to go a little bit further.”

HRT’s next target is to begin battling with Marussia for the final spots on the grid during qualifying, and continue to improve during the races.

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team

Tom Dillmann And Ricardo Teixeira Complete Rapax Line-Up

Only days before the 2012 GP2 Series gets underway at Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang circuit in Malaysia, Rapax have announced their driver line-up. French GP3 graduate Tom Dillmann will be joined by Portuguese-Angolan driver Ricardo Teixeira, which leaves only one vacancy remaining on the 2012 grid at rookie team Venezuela GP Lazarus.

Frenchman Tom Dillmann had a relatively successful season in GP3 last year, racing for both Carlin and the Addax Team. He ended the season 14th overall after one podium finish in Turkey and several points finishes throughout the middle of the season.

“I’m delighted to sign in GP2.” Explained Tom Dillmann, “It hasn’t been easy but I never gave up and step by step went my way up here. We have a good connection together with the team since our first test and I’m really looking forward to start the season. It will be my first year with “big cars” but I don’t want to see it as a 2 or 3 years plan, my goal is to be competitive from the beginning, I know how tough it is to just have the chance to race in GP2.”

Ricardo Teixeira is making a return to the GP2 Series, after a full season with Trident Racing back in 2009. Throughout that particular season, Teixeira retired from 6 out of the 20 races, as well as failing to qualify at Monaco. The Portuguese-Angolan driver failed to achieve any points all season.

“I would like to say thank you to all the Team for the opportunity they gave me to test in Barcelona.” Said GP2 returnee, Ricardo Teixeira, “Honestly I liked very much the way they made me feel at home. The Team is extremely professional and I think I can learn a lot during this year with them and I’m sure together we can achieve good things. It’s [an] amazing feeling to come back to racing after a big stop specially with the opportunity to drive a nice car like this and make part of such good team and a great atmosphere. I hope I can keep making my country proud and represent Angola worldwide.”

The 2012 GP2 season gets underway at an inaugural race in Malaysia this weekend, in support of round two of the Formula 1 World Championship.

Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service

HRT Not To Complete Pre-Test Shakedown

HRT will not complete a pre-test shakedown of their new 2012 car, the Cosworth powered F112, and will instead complete their first track event with their new car at the third and final pre-season test this week at Barcelona. 

After suffering a rocky winter period, HRT’s 2012 car initially failed the mandatory FIA crash test, forcing the team to use their 2011 car at the first test at Jerez. The team skipped the second pre-season test at Barcelona to focus on their 2012 car, which seems to have paid off as their 2012 car is now ready to make its track debut. 

However, with the team not planning a pre-test shakedown, they will be hoping that all goes well when the F112 makes its first appearance at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya later in the week. It’s expected that Spaniard Pedro De La Rosa will be the first to drive the new car, before Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan makes his 2012 track debut later in the week. 

HRT will be hoping for a productive week, as they aim to fine tune their car in preparation for the season opening Australian Grand Prix. 

Picture Copyright © HRT F1 Team