Ellinas fends off Stoneman to take final race victory in GP3 at Abu Dhabi
Tio Ellinas has managed to hold off the advances of Dean Stoneman to take the final race victory of the 2013 GP3 season, after yet another thrilling race around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit. The leading duo were closely followed by a throng of drivers, with Conor Daly only just ahead of team-mate Jack Harvey and Champion Daniil Kvyat.
At the start Tio Ellinas stormed into the lead of the race, whilst initial poleman Patrick Kujala endured a torrid getaway off of the line and plummeted down the order with Dean Stoneman and Conor Daly swamping the Finn during the opening few corners. Despite some drivers running wide on the exit of Turn 1 and a slight wheel-banging contest between Facu Regalia and Emanuele Zonzini, the field managed to negotiate the tricky first sector without too much trouble.
By the end of the opening lap Dean Stoneman was beginning to pile serious amounts of pressure on race leader Tio Ellinas, with Conor Daly also proving to be a threat in 3rd position. Further down the order battles raged on, with Dino Zamparelli and Robert Visoiu in particular lightly colliding at the end of the long back-straight. Luckily both drivers managed to continue racing, with no serious damage sustained to either of their cars. At the front of the pack Tio Ellinas asserted his authority by producing the fastest lap of the race, in a bid to break away from the hard-charging Dean Stoneman.
As the race wore on newly-crowned Champion Daniil Kvyat soon began scything his way through the order, after initially starting the race from way down in 8th due to the reversal of the top eight after the opening race of the weekend. Eventually the impressive Russian managed to nip ahead of the Carlin of Nick Yelloly for 6th at Turn 7, before then being forced to defend heavily as the Briton strove to retake the position down the back-straight. After securing the reverse grid pole, Finnish driver Patrick Kujala began to seriously struggle as the race progressed.
Soon the 17-year-old Finn was under severe pressure from the MW Arden of Daniil Kvyat, who managed to simply glide around the outside of him for 5th position. Despite Kvyat’s impressive maneuver on Kujala, others found it difficult to find a way around the Koiranen GP driver. As the race progressed, a long line of drivers began to form behind Patrick Kujala, headed by the Carlin duo of Nick Yelloly and Alexander Sims. After many laps striving to repeat Daniil Kvyat’s move around the outside, Yelloly and Sims finally muscled their way around the Finn at Turn 14 in superlative style.
This maneuver by the duo finally opened the proverbial floodgates for the rest of the field, as Patrick Kujala unfortunately continued to plummet through the order as the final laps of the race ticked away. After being released from behind the Koiranen GP driver, Nick Yelloly managed to produce the fastest lap of the race as the battle at the front began to intensify within the closing laps.
With only several laps remaining, Dean Stoneman began reeling in race leader Tio Ellinas once again. Meanwhile Conor Daly was beginning to be pressurized by team-mate Jack Harvey, with Champion Daniil Kvyat waiting in the wings should anyone make a mistake. Despite the two ART Grand Prix drivers of Conor Daly and Jack Harvey running side-by-side down the back-straight, the positions at the front remained unchanged as Tio Ellinas once again crossed the line to secure the final race victory of the season for Marussia Manor Racing.
During the final lap the Cypriot’s team-mate of Ryan Cullen was involved in a minor incident with the Jenzer Motorsport of Samin Gomez, however both drivers managed to make it to the finish albeit towards the rear of the order. Alice Powell endured a frustrating return to the GP3 Series for Bamboo Engineering, however her pace on the final lap showed she certainly has the pace in the GP3/13 machine.
With the 2013 GP3 Series season now officially at a conclusion, many drivers will be aiming to ‘graduate’ to other categories in their quest to eventually make it in the frenetic world of Formula 1. Daniil Kvyat has already secured such ambitions, and will return next season behind the wheel of the Toro Rosso. With such a fearsome display of pace throughout the season, the Russian ace will undoubtedly be an exciting new prospect for the Red Bull family.
Picture Copyright © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service
Daniil Kvyat ends the GP3 season in style with Championship success
Daniil Kvyat has ended his GP3 campaign in style after storming to Championship glory with a lights to flag victory around Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, eventually finishing ahead of the Carlin duo of Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly. Next season the Russian sensation will make the big step up to Formula 1 with Toro Rosso.
At the start Daniil Kvyat glided into a commanding lead ahead of the Carlins’, as further behind fellow Championship rival Kevin Korjus stalled on the grid. Miraculously the entire field safely managed to avoid the stricken Estonian driver, as the usual freneticism ensued throughout the first few corners. As Daniil Kvyat stormed into the lead of the race, Nick Yelloly and Alexander Sims settled into 2nd and 3rd behind the Russian ace. Further behind mayhem ensued at the chicane, as Carmen Jorda brought her race to a premature conclusion after bumping over the high kerbs.
Although the Spanish driver managed to avoid collision with fellow female driver Alice Powell, Carmen Jorda was still forced into an unfortunate retirement after sustaining damage to her steering column. With her car stranded at the apex of Turn 6, the safety car was deployed to allow the marshals to safely clear the stricken machine. After only several laps behind the safety car, the race was resumed with Daniil Kvyat once again storming into the lead of the race ahead of the Carlin duo.
Further down the order, Daniil Kvyat’s fellow Championship competitors of Tio Ellinas and Facu Regalia battled hard for 9th position. At Turn 12 the Cypriot ran extensively wide in a bid to avoid a collision with his rival, and was subsequently forced to hand the position back after illegally gaining an advantage in the process. After enduring an uncompetitive season at Jenzer Motorsport throughout the year, Patric Niederhauser steadily began to drop through the order as the race ensued with Conor Daly quick to pounce upon the ailing Swiss driver.
The 22-year-old Münsingen-born driver continued to struggle as the laps slowly began to tick away, with Carlos Sainz now swarming all over the rear of his Jenzer Motorsport machine. As the duo jostled for position down the back straight, they collided at high speed. Amazingly Carlos Sainz managed to keep his MW Arden car out of the barriers, as he spun a full 360 degrees and luckily sustained minimal damage. The same, unfortunately, could not be said for Patric Niederhauser who was forced into retirement with damage sustained to his front-right suspension.
Whilst Carlos Sainz continued to circulate despite his incident with Patric Niederhauser, Alexander Sims soon managed to overtake his Carlin team-mate further up the track to assume 2nd position. Despite the impressive overtaking maneuver, the Carlin driver was unable to make any inroads to Daniil Kvyat’s dominant lead. Further down the order the battle between Facu Regalia and Tio Ellinas raged on, with the Cypriot running extensively wide once again in his bid to catch his rival, this time at Turn 17.
Despite both Alexander Sims and Nick Yelloly’s impressive performances in 2nd and 3rd position, no-one was able to put a stop to the fearsome pace of Daniil Kvyat. The 19-year-old Russian eventually crossed the line just under five seconds ahead of the Carlin duo, to take his third victory of the season and the Drivers’ Title. Although one more race remains to be run tomorrow morning, both Championships have been settled. However, Series rookie Patrick Kujala will start the second race from the reverse grid pole alongside former Championship contender Tio Ellinas.
Results - 14 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden 29m40.145s 2. Nick Yelloly Carlin +4.677s 3. Alexander Sims Carlin +7.053s 4. Conor Daly ART +7.411s 5. Jack Harvey ART +8.333s 6. Dean Stoneman Koiranen +14.900s 7. Tio Ellinas Manor +18.235s 8. Patrick Kujala Koiranen +26.882s 9. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden +32.830s 10. Dino Zamparelli Manor +33.215s 11. Robert Visoiu MW Arden +34.100s 12. Giovanni Venturini Trident +34.781s 13. Kevin Korjus Koiranen +35.528s 14. Alex Fontana Jenzer +36.041s 15. Emanuele Zonzini Trident +36.045s 16. Facu Regalia ART +36.957s 17. Robert Cregan Trident +38.133s 18. Adderly Fong Status +39.707s 19. Luis Sa Silva Carlin +40.829s 20. Alice Powell Bamboo +41.277s 21. Ryan Cullen Manor +44.591s 22. Josh Webster Status +49.911s 23. Samin Gomez Jenzer +1m30.470s 24. Jimmy Eriksson Status +1 lap Retirements: Carmen Jorda Bamboo 4 laps Patric Niederhauser Jenzer 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Sam Bloxham/GP3 Series Media Service
Aaro Vainio storms to GP3 victory after lights-to-flag drive at Budapest
Aaro Vainio has stormed to his third GP3 victory around the Hungaroring, after a masterful lights-to-flag drive from the Finn who managed to fend off the charging Conor Daly during the closing laps. The leading duo were followed by Russian ace Daniil Kvyat in the MW Arden, with Jack Harvey 4th.
At the start Aaro Vainio stormed into a commanding lead over Conor Daly, as the 27-car field negotiated the tricky first few corners without incident. During the opening few laps Championship leader Tio Ellinas plummeted through the order, after first Patric Niederhauser and then Alex Fontana and Dino Zamparelli all overtook the struggling Cypriot. Whilst the field began to evenly spread themselves out around the tight and twisty confines of the Hungaroring, Aaro Vainio managed to open up a comfortable two second lead over the American ace of Conor Daly.
By Lap 9 Tio Ellinas managed to recover after his highly uncompetitive start to the race, with the Marussia Manor Racing driver managing to overtake Dino Zamparelli down the start/finish straight. As the race progressed numerous battles raged on up and down the order, with the likes of Patric Niederhauser, Giovanni Venturini and Tio Ellinas all battling hard for position. The latter began pushing beyond the limits in the closing stages of the race, as he dipped a wheel onto the grass and run extensively wide on the exit of Turn 4 but managed to rejoin.
The flow of the race was disrupted on Lap 12, after a big shunt between Luis Sa Silva and Emanuele Zonzini, with Samin Gomez also involved but miraculously able to continue. As Sa Silva, Zonzini and Gomez negotiated Turn 1, utter disaster struck when Gomez collided with Sa Silva and the unsuspecting Trident of Zonzini barrel-rolled over the Angolan driver. This incident naturally brought out the safety car, as the efficient marshals cleared the two stricken cars and debris.
After only several laps behind the safety car the race was resumed, with Conor Daly pressurizing race leader Aaro Vainio. The ART Grand Prix driver was frustratingly denied the luxury of overtaking the race leader, as the duo negotiated Turn 2 practically side-by-side. Further back the traditional GP3 mayhem ensued, as Lewis Williamson suffered a spectacular spin in a cloud of tyre smoke. Melville McKee endured a frustrating end to the race, as he dropped through the order whilst running wide with Jimmy Eriksson between Turns 4 and 5.
Despite the crazy end to the race, Aaro Vainio managed to keep his composure and secure a masterful victory after a mature drive from the Koiranen GP driver. The leading duo were separated by just +0.6 seconds across the line, with Daniil Kvyat just under five seconds behind for MW Arden. Robert Visoiu managed to finish 8th, therefore securing him the reverse grid pole for tomorrow’s second race. The Romanian driver will start alongside Kevin Korjus.
Results - 17 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Aaro Vainio Koiranen 29m17.213s 2. Conor Daly ART +0.691s 3. Daniil Kvyat MW Arden +4.853s 4. Jack Harvey ART +7.061s 5. Carlos Sainz Jr MW Arden +7.262s 6. Facu Regalia ART +7.507s 7. Kevin Korjus Koiranen +8.588s 8. Robert Visoiu MW Arden +9.307s 9. Patric Niederhauser Jenzer +10.295s 10. Giovanni Venturini Trident +11.550s 11. Alex Fontana Jenzer +12.736s 12. Tio Ellinas Manor +13.175s 13. Dino Zamparelli Manor +14.139s 14. Jimmy Eriksson Status +16.751s 15. Patrick Kujala Koiranen +18.645s 16. Nick Yelloly Carlin +18.793s 17. David Fumanelli Trident +19.245s 18. Melville McKee Bamboo +21.309s 19. Eric Lichtenstein Carlin +21.428s 20. Samin Gomez Jenzer +21.725s 21. Adderly Fong Status +22.012s 22. Josh Webster Status +22.372s 23. Carmen Jorda Bamboo +22.793s 24. Lewis Williamson Bamboo +23.417s Retirements: Driver Team Laps Luis Sa Silva Carlin 12 Emanuele Zonzini Trident 12 Josh Webster Status 6
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP3 Series Media Service
Conor Daly To Drive For Force India In Aero Test
Conor Daly will once again get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car with Force India on Wednesday, when the American ace partakes in an aero test at Duxford Airfield. The 21-year-old competed in the GP2 season opener at Malaysia for Hilmer Motorsport, and has been confirmed with ART Grand Prix in the GP3 Series for the remainder of the season.
Along with his commitments in Europe, Conor Daly will also contest in this year’s Indianapolis 500 with A.J. Foyt Racing. This will mark his debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series, with a team which has already secured one race victory with Takuma Sato this season. Daly’s test with Force India on Wednesday will be the 21-year-old’s third outing in a Formula 1 car, after he partook in two similar tests last year with the Silverstone-based outfit.
“These sessions are vital data gathering times for Formula 1 teams and I’m glad to be able to assist,” explained Conor Daly. “Formula 1 cars are very complex machines and the day provides me with a great opportunity to learn many of the systems.”
With in-season testing now non-existent in Formula 1, the various teams electing to carry out aero tests will naturally be striving to compile as much valuable data as possible before the next race weekend around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Force India in particular will be hoping to continue with their competitive start to the season, which has seen both Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta lead a combined 14 laps in the opening four races.
Picture Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service
Indianapolis 500 Rookie Orientation Program Postponed
The Rookie Orientation Program for the forthcoming Indianapolis 500 has been postponed due to inclement weather conditions which are forecast to strike the legendary circuit on the scheduled day. The program will include all four rookies who are scheduled to compete during the event, including Conor Daly and A.J. Allmendinger.
IndyCar officials will announce a revised date for the program, where the competing drivers are expected to run two or three phases of car control at varying average speeds. The day was initially scheduled for April 11th, one month before the opening day of the official event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Pole day is on May 18th, with the coveted 200-lap race on May 26th.
“We have been monitoring the weather reports in Indianapolis to make sure the conditions would be suitable for ample on-track activity,” explained Brian Barnhart, President of Operations and Strategy for IndyCar. “With the strong chance for rain and lower ambient temperatures, we felt it was best to postpone our Rookie Orientation Program until a later date.”
Rookies Tristan Vautier, A.J. Allmendinger, Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz are scheduled to attend the program, as they will be regarded as rookies for the 200-lap race. For Conor Daly and Carlos Munoz, this will be their debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
Picture Copyright © IndyCar
Conor Daly Q&A
Although the 2013 motorsport season is only several months old, American 21-year-old Conor Daly has already enjoyed a tremendously busy year both in Europe and America. The son of the former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Derek Daly has tested in the GP3 Series, competed in the GP2 Series and has been confirmed for the Indianapolis 500.
Conor Daly began his open-wheel single-seater career back in 2008 in the Formula 2000 Series, and has since competed in the Star Mazda Championship, Firestone Indy Lights Series, GP3 Series, MRF Challenge and the GP2 Series. The American star has also partaken in a test for the IZOD IndyCar Series, where he managed to impress team owner A.J. Foyt and land himself a drive at the legendary Indianapolis 500 with A.J. Foyt Racing.
Despite competing in the opening round of the GP2 Series season at Malaysia several weeks ago, Conor Daly has dismissed plans to run in the category full-time this season. As the 2013 season of motorsport steps up a gear in the coming weeks, I caught up Conor Daly as we discussed his forthcoming debut in the IZOD IndyCar Series and his debut in the GP2 Series for Hilmer Motorsport.
Q: First of all Conor, many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. It’s been a busy start to the season for you, with competing in the GP2 Series in Malaysia, testing for the GP3 Series and the confirmation that you’ll compete at the Indianapolis 500 in May with A.J. Foyt Racing. What does it mean to you to be preparing to compete in such a legendary event?
Conor Daly: It has definitely been a busy start to the year! I can’t really believe how much has gone on and it’s only April. The Indy 500 deal being announced was definitely an amazing feeling. I’ve been to that race every year of my life except for last year when I was racing in Monaco. The event means so much to me because it’s really my home town race. I grew up and still live only 30 minutes from the track and was always there as often as I could be. People don’t really understand how massive of an event it is until they experience it themselves. It is without a doubt the greatest race in the world. I am really excited to get to work and do the best job I can.
Q: Although you have competed in both the Star Mazda Championship and the Firestone Indy Lights Series in America, you have only competed on a handful of ovals in your single-seater career. Do you feel nervous with the prospect of competing in the 200-lap race, or are you confident ahead of your Indianapolis 500 debut?
CD: It will be a big challenge for sure because Indianapolis is a very unique oval. I’ve known the Indy deal could happen for the last couple of months and I have been reaching out to many people I know to get some advice or different bits of information on the track or car that might be helpful. I’m confident I’ll be able to get up to speed because the Foyt team does a great job in car preparation and A.J. [Foyt] knows how perfect everything has to be to win at Indy.
Q: As you will be regarded as a rookie at the Indianapolis 500, you will participate in the Rookie Orientation Program on April 11th at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway alongside fellow rookies A.J. Allmendinger, Tristan Vautier and Carlos Munoz. For those who do not fully understand this program, could you please explain what it entails.
CD: You basically go out and do 10 laps at 200-205mph average speed and progress to faster speeds until you get to do 10 laps at 210 or 215mph+. It is a big track to get to grips with and extremely high speeds so they give the rookies a day to learn before the month of May begins.
Q: Meanwhile, you have also been competing in the GP2 and GP3 Series. Last month in Malaysia you made your debut in the GP2 Series with Hilmer Motorsport, finishing 13th and 7th respectively. How do you feel you performed during your debut in the category?
CD: I think I did pretty well considering how much time I had in the car before that weekend. I only had an afternoon in the dry at the Barcelona test to get to grips with the car. It was also a new track for me so to have the second fastest lap of the race in race two and to score points I was extremely happy. The team did a great job and they’ve got some really good engineers which was a massive help.
Q: Last season in GP3 you took your first victory in the category around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, and throughout the remainder of the season finished on the podium a further four times. However, at Monaco you were involved in a huge airborne incident with Dmitry Suranovich which saw your car launched into the catch-fencing at the exit of the tunnel. What went through your mind as you struck the rear of Suranovich?
CD: That incident should never have happened. The way he was driving was absolutely unsafe and was deemed “acceptable”. I don’t really care to talk about it anymore because it really ruined my season but what’s done is done and I learned from it and had a lot of strong races throughout the rest of the season.
Q: And finally, retuning to the topic of the IZOD IndyCar Series, can we expect to see you back in the No. 41 machine after the Indianapolis 500, or will you continue to compete in the GP2 Series in Europe and Asia?
CD: I don’t know if I will do any other IndyCar races or not. If I have the opportunity and no schedule conflicts I’d love to do a road course race in the IndyCar, but of course there also has to be a budget in place to do that. At the moment a lot of my racing plans are up in the air and they most likely will not include GP2. Many people think I am racing in GP2 full-time which is not actually the case. I had a great opportunity provided for me to do the first race and I took advantage of it. If I was racing GP2 full-time, I wouldn’t be doing all of the GP3 pre-season testing… I can’t say much about what else is going on but I will be racing something full-time for sure.
Many thanks to Conor Daly for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.
Picture(s) Copyright © Malcolm Griffiths/GP3 Series Media Service, John Hendrick/IndyCar & Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Conor Daly Confirmed For 2013 Indianapolis 500
It has been confirmed that 21-year-old American driver Conor Daly will compete in this year’s Indianapolis 500 with A.J. Foyt Racing, alongside the team’s full-time driver Takuma Sato. Conor Daly, who is the son of former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver Derek Daly, is currently competing in the GP2 Series with Hilmer Motorsport.
This announcement comes after Conor Daly tested for A.J. Foyt Racing in mid-December at the Sebring International Raceway, in doing so getting his first taste of the Dallara-spec IZOD IndyCar Series machine. In 2011, Conor Daly competed in the Firestone Indy Lights Series, the support category for the IZOD IndyCar Series. During his time in the feeder category, Daly took one race victory and two further podium finishes whilst also competing in the GP3 Series in Europe for Carlin. Last year the American ace continued in the GP3 Series for Lotus GP, securing his maiden victory at Barcelona whilst also storming to Championship success in the MRF Challenge.
For 2013 Conor Daly has graduated from GP3 to GP2 with Hilmer Motorsport, a new team in the support category. The American driver made his debut in the Series several weeks ago in Malaysia, in support of the Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix. Conor Daly managed to finish 13th and 7th respectively in the feature and sprint race, and will make his second appearance in the Series in several weeks in Bahrain. The 21-year-old, from Noblesville, Indiana, is understandably thrilled to be preparing to compete in the Indianapolis 500, undoubtedly one of the most prestigious races of the year.
“I almost can’t describe what it means to have the opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500,” explained Conor Daly. “I am so thankful that A.J. and [team director] Larry [Foyt] have given me my first shot at the greatest race in the world. I know this will sound cheesy but I’ve never been happier in my life; this race means so much to me.”
Conor Daly greatly impressed A.J. Foyt during his test with the outfit at Sebring in December, a test which featured many of IndyCar’s top drivers including Scott Dixon and Will Power. Even the Penske driver was impressed with both Conor Daly and Tristan Vautier’s performance during their first laps in an IZOD IndyCar Series machine, hence A.J. Foyt’s optimism ahead of the 97th Indianapolis 500. Last season A.J. Foyt racing endured a dismal Indianapolis 500, with both Mike Conway and Wade Cunningham retiring by Lap 78.
“He ran well at Sebring when we needed someone to do some testing in the offseason,” said A.J. Foyt, who became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. “He was fast, smooth, and didn’t get in trouble. When we made a change on the car he felt it. I found him to be very savvy on the chassis setups. In fact, when we made a minor change which was really nothing, he thought about it and said it felt no different. I told him that was the right answer because we didn’t do anything he’d be able to feel, so that impressed me, too. I’ve run a lot of rookies at Indy and I think Conor will do a good job for us.”
Conor Daly will complete his first laps around the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 11th, when the American driver is joined by fellow rookies A.J. Allmendinger, Tristan Vautier and Carlos Munoz in completing the Rookie Orientation Program. The opening day of the Indianapolis 500 is a month later on May 11th, with pole day on May 18th and the all-important 200-lap race on May 26th.
Picture(s) Copyright © Glenn Dunbar & Daniel Kalisz/GP3 Series Media Service