Palmer heads a Carlin 1-2 after thrilling GP2 feature race at Singapore
Jolyon Palmer has continued his dominance around the streets of Singapore, after storming to a sensational victory during the GP2 feature race ahead of team-mate Felipe Nasr, despite enduring a torrid start off of the line. The Carlin duo were followed by the ART Grand Prix of James Calado, who just managed to remain ahead of Stephane Richelmi.
At the start poleman Jolyon Palmer endured a slow getaway off of the line, as team-mate Felipe Nasr and Championship leader Fabio Leimer stormed around the Briton on the run down to Turns 1 and 2. Despite the tight and twisty confines of the Marina Bay Street Circuit the 26-car field negotiated the opening lap without major incident, as various drivers jostled for position. After his poor start Palmer found himself down in 4th, however the Carlin driver soon managed to begin his resurgence with a passing maneuver around James Calado for 3rd.
Whilst Fabio Leimer set his sights on race leader Felipe Nasr, fellow Championship rival Sam Bird found himself way down in 13th position after starting only 10th. After the opening lap of the race, Felipe Nasr managed to open up a strong lead ahead of Fabio Leimer and team-mate Jolyon Palmer which consisted of a continuous string of fastest laps at the front. Despite the Brazilian ace’s strong pace at the front, Jolyon Palmer was soon up to 2nd position after overtaking Fabio Leimer, with his sights firmly set on catching his Carlin team-mate.
As the 22-year-old Briton began producing fastest laps of the race, fellow countryman and Championship contender Sam Bird gradually started his rise through the order after an overtaking maneuver on the Caterham of Sergio Canamasas and then Stefano Coletti soon afterwards at Turn 7. As soon as the pit-stop window opened on Lap 6, many drivers immediately stormed into the pits to switch from the super-soft to the soft tyre compound, including Stefano Coletti, Sergio Canamasas, Julian Leal, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Rio Haryanto and Nathaniel Berthon.
A lap later further drivers elected to pit, including Fabio Leimer and Stephane Richelmi. Marcus Ericsson, Dani Clos and Sam Bird pitted on Lap 8, with the latter struggling with a slow rear-right tyre change which only added to his miserable feature race. Julian Leal and Nathaniel Berthon became the first retirements of the race on Lap 8, as the duo collided on the run down to Turn 13. Berthon failed to offer the Columbian sufficient room on the inside of the hairpin, which resulted in their race-ending collision.
Whilst the Singapore marshals immediately began clearing away the stricken Racing Engineering and Trident Racing machines, race leader Felipe Nasr pitted for Carlin along with James Calado and Alexander Rossi. This allowed Jolyon Palmer to assume the lead of the race, as Nasr endured a frustratingly slow stop due to a delay on the rear-left tyre. As Jolyon Palmer opened up a considerable lead at the front, Vittorio Ghirelli became the next retirement after returning to the pits. On Lap 11 Jolyon Palmer finally pitted from the lead of the race, changing only his rear tyres in a slick pit-stop from the Carlin mechanics as Tom Dillmann took the lead of the race for Russian Time. The Frenchman had yet to pit for fresh tyres, and was therefore an easy target for Felipe Nasr who quickly retook the lead at Turn 7.
As Felipe Nasr strove to open up yet another gap at the front, Tom Dillmann eventually made his mandatory pit-stop on Lap 15 and therefore released the now hard-charging Jolyon Palmer into 2nd position. Further down the order Johnny Cecotto was once again at the centre of attention, with the Venezuelan driver proving a to be a tricky target to overtake. Eventually James Calado managed to do so, however his German team-mate Daniel Abt struggled and lost part of his front-wing during the nail-biting process. Eventually both Daniel Abt and Fabio Leimer managed to muscle their way around Johnny Cecotto, although the Championship leader in particular had already lost valuable time to James Calado in 3rd.
After enduring a tough start to the race, Jolyon Palmer’s true pace became apparent as the Briton began reeling in team-mate and race leader Felipe Nasr at a phenomenal rate, over a second faster than the Brazilian. Under the pressure of his charging team-mate, Felipe Nasr began making several errors under braking around the circuit, only allowing Jolyon Palmer the luxury of closing the gap even more. Whilst the Carlin duo became locked in a grueling battle for the lead of the race, Alexander Rossi’s feature race drew to a miserable conclusion as the American star ran straight on at Turn 18. Although the Caterham driver was able to continue circulating he soon returned to the pits, and eventually into retirement.
On Lap 24 Jolyon Palmer finally mastered an overtaking maneuver on Felipe Nasr for the lead of the feature race at Turn 7, as the 21-year-old Brazilian suffered a massive lock-up in his desperate attempt at keeping his team-mate at bay. As the last laps ticked away, Felipe Nasr’s front-right tyre continued to prove troublesome, as Jolyon Palmer simply scampered into the distance. Further down the order Sam Bird managed to produce an important overtaking maneuver on Dani Clos for 8th and the reverse grid pole for Sunday’s sprint race, as James Calado, Fabio Leimer and Stephane Richelmi all battled for the final podium position.
Eventually it was ART Grand Prix’s James Calado who joined the Carlin duo on the podium as the checkered flag was unfurled, with Jolyon Palmer victorious 13 seconds ahead of Felipe Nasr. Despite only finishing 4th, Fabio Leimer has managed to extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with only three races remaining in what has become a highly unpredictable GP2 season.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Jolyon Palmer wins nail-biting Hungarian Grand Prix feature race
Jolyon Palmer has stormed to a sensational victory after a nail-biting GP2 feature race around Budapest’s Hungaroring, with the Briton being followed home by the DAMS of Marcus Ericsson and Carlin team-mate of Felipe Nasr. The race was relatively incident-free, with frenetic track action from the moment the five red lights went out.
Initially the start of the race was aborted, after Ricardo Teixeira stalled on the formation lap. This saw the field complete yet another formation lap, as the MP Motorsport duo of Daniel de Jong and Dani Clos both stalled and were forced to start from the pit-lane along with Ricardo Teixeira. Eventually the race got underway, with pole-man Tom Dillmann suffering from an abysmal getaway. This enabled Felipe Nasr to storm into the lead, with Fabio Leimer 2nd in the Racing Engineering machine.
By the end of the opening lap Tom Dillmann found himself way down in 6th position and battling with team-mate Sam Bird, whereas further down the order Rene Binder also stalled on the grid but eventually managed to get restarted. In traditional GP2 fashion utter mayhem ensued throughout the order during the opening lap, with Jon Lancaster and Daniel Abt coming together as Julian Leal lost his front-wing the ensuring carnage. Stefano Coletti was one of the many drivers who returned to the pits after the opening lap to fix damage sustained during the frenetic opening lap.
At Turn 1, Marcus Ericsson stormed up the inside of Jolyon Palmer for 3rd position, with the Swede’s team-mate Stephane Richelmi also eager to make a move. Already Felipe Nasr had opened up a two second lead, as Tom Dillmann became one of the first drivers to make a scheduled pit-stop along with James Calado, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Sergio Canamasas. Marcus Ericsson pitted a lap later along with Alexander Rossi, Sam Bird and Nathaniel Berthon. After making their mandatory pit-stops, James Calado managed to barge his way around Alexander Rossi for 18th after a superb overtaking maneuver.
On Lap 9, Felipe Nasr and Fabio Leimer pitted from the lead of the race, handing the lead down to Jolyon Palmer. As Nasr and Leimer exited the pit-lane, Marcus Ericsson wasted no time in overtaking the duo to rise up to 2nd position, with an excellent maneuver at Turn 2 on Felipe Nasr. Further down the order Jon Lancaster and Sergio Canamasas collide at Turn 12, with both suffering damage which ultimately saw the Caterham driver forced into retirement.
By Lap 17, Jolyon Palmer carried out his mandatory pit-stop. The Carlin mechanics mastered a sensationally quick stop, however Marcus Ericsson still managed to overtake the Briton upon exiting the pit-lane as Johnny Cecotto assumed the lead of the race for Arden International. The Venezuelan driver’s lead was short-lived, as team-mate Mitch Evans soon overtook him at Turn 1. On Lap 19 Jolyon Palmer momentarily overtook Marcus Ericsson around the outside of Turn 2, however the Carlin driver ran extensively wide at Turn 3 and therefore lost his position.
Johnny Cecotto eventually pitted on Lap 20, leaving only Vittorio Ghirelli, Simon Trummer and Mitch Evans out in front without making their mandatory pit-stops. Once again Jolyon Palmer lunged up the inside of Marcus Ericsson, failing to make the move stick after out-braking himself and running wide. The Briton continued to struggle to make the move stick at Turn 1 for several laps, as Ghirelli pitted from 3rd. Simon Trummer assumed the lead of the race a lap later when Mitch Evans pitted, before Jolyon Palmer finally perfected an overtaking maneuver on Marcus Ericsson for 2nd.
Further down the order utter mayhem continued, as Johnny Cecotto slammed into the rear of Tom Dillmann as the Frenchman slowed whilst battling for position. This saw Dillmann plummet through the order, as Cecotto continued to circulate despite a ruined front-wing. This eventually saw the Venezuelan driver struck with a black and orange flag, forcing him to pit for a new nose before being issued with a drive-thru penalty for causing the collision. Meanwhile Simon Trummer finally became the last driver to complete his mandatory pit-stop, allowing Jolyon Palmer to assume a well deserved lead in his Carlin.
After a lengthy battle for position with Jolyon Palmer, Marcus Ericsson now became locked in a grueling battle for 2nd with the other Carlin of Felipe Nasr. The duo banged wheels into Turn 13, before Johnny Cecotto threw the spanner in the works by un-lapping himself on Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson and completely diluting a sensational battle for position. Amid all of the confusion up and down the order, Jake Rosenzweig and Daniel Abt had retired during the closing stages of the race, as Jolyon Palmer secured his second victory in the GP2 Series ahead of Marcus Ericsson and Felipe Nasr. Championship leader Stefano Coletti could only manage 16th, after a tough feature race.
Frenchman Nathaniel Berthon managed to secure the reverse grid pole for Trident Racing, and will start alongside reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans in what will surely be a terrific sprint race tomorrow morning.
Results - 36 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 57m14.477s
2. Marcus Ericsson DAMS +15.407s
3. Felipe Nasr Carlin +15.794s
4. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering +19.433s
5. Stephane Richelmi DAMS +19.740s
6. Simon Trummer Rapax +21.499s
7. Mitch Evans Arden +22.584s
8. Nathanel Berthon Trident +36.439s
9. James Calado ART +38.203s
10. Sam Bird Russian Time +44.671s
11. Rio Haryanto Addax +51.951s
12. Daniel de Jong MP +52.520s
13. Alexander Rossi Caterham +54.815s
14. Dani Clos MP +55.990s
15. Julian Leal Racing Engineering +56.302s
16. Stefano Coletti Rapax +57.202s
17. Vittorio Ghirelli Lazarus +58.621s
18. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs Hilmer +1m05.995s
19. Ricardo Teixeira Trident +1m16.133s
20. Tom Dillmann Russian Time +1m33.788s
21. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden +1 lap
22. Rene Binder Lazarus +1 lap
23. Jon Lancaster Hilmer +1 lap
Retirements:
Daniel Abt ART 34 laps
Jake Rosenzweig Addax 32 laps
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 17 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Sam Bird Flies To Sensational Victory In Thrilling GP2 Feature Race
Sam Bird has flown to a sensational victory in what was a thrilling GP2 feature race around the legendary Silverstone circuit, which featured a frenetic battle for 3rd in the closing laps. The British star was joined on the podium by Stephane Richelmi and team-mate Tom Dillmann, after an unbelievably competitive 29 laps.
After securing his second pole position of the season, Marcus Ericsson stormed into the lead when the five red lights went out. Through the opening few corners, utter mayhem ensued as the Swede collided with the Carlin of Felipe Nasr. This allowed Sam Bird to slip through and into the lead by Turn 4, with Championship leader Stefano Coletti 2nd. Further down the order saw Sergio Canamasas stall on the grid in his Caterham, as Simon Trummer and Daniel de Jong pitted early on after receiving minor damage.
During the opening few laps, many battles ensued up and down the order. Marcus Ericsson set his sights upon catching Stefano Coletti for 2nd, despite being under investigation for his collision with Felipe Nasr at the start. Alexander Rossi collided with Kevin Ceccon at Turn 16 and tipped the Italian into a race-ending spin. After his earlier pit-stop, Dutchman Daniel de Jong was struck with a stop/go penalty for speeding in the pits. By Lap 6, both Stefano Coletti, Felipe Nasr and James Calado pitted from the front, a lap before race leader Sam Bird and Marcus Ericsson followed.
This allowed the DAMS of Stephane Richelmi to assume the lead at the front, as his team-mate Marcus Ericsson was struck with a drive-thru penalty for causing the incident with Felipe Nasr at the start. After the pit-stops, Sam Bird found himself further down the order and only several seconds ahead of Stefano Coletti. After opening up a considerable lead at the front, Stephane Richelmi eventually pitted on Lap 13, therefore allowing reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans to assume the lead for Arden International.
The Kiwi also pitted several laps later, returning to the circuit in 3rd position and right into the midst of a frenetic battle for 3rd between team-mate Johnny Cecotto jr., Stefano Coletti and Stephane Richelmi. At Turn 4, there was utter mayhem as Stefano Coletti muscled his way around the Arden International duo, therefore progressing to 3rd. However, Mitch Evans soon retook 3rd after a masterful overtaking maneuver around the Monegasque driver. Unfortunately the Arden International driver was found guilty of speeding in the pits, and was therefore struck with a stop/go penalty which naturally ruined his race.
As the race progressed, Jon Lancaster collided with fellow countryman James Calado at Turn 6, however both drivers managed to continue circulating. Despite qualifying a strong 3rd, Felipe Nasr endured a frustrating race which eventually culminated in retirement on Lap 18. After assuming the lead of the race when Mitch Evans pitted, Frenchman Tom Dillmann eventually pitted himself on Lap 18, therefore gifting the lead of the race back to team-mate Sam Bird. Stephane Richelmi then managed to overtake Stefano Coletti for 3rd, as Tom Dillmann began to scythe his way back through the order after making his compulsory pit-stop.
The 24-year-old Frenchman battled extremely hard for 3rd position with Stefano Coletti for several laps, before he finally perfected a maneuver on the Rapax driver on Lap 28 after Stefano Coletti ran wide at Turns 16 and 17. The Monegasque’s race was brought to a premature and frustrating conclusion several corners later, when the Racing Engineering of Fabio Leimer became overzealous and stormed up the inside at Turn 4. The two collided, with Coletti sustaining race-ending damage.
Further up the track saw Sam Bird storm to his third race victory of the season, only +2.4 seconds ahead of the charging DAMS of Stephane Richelmi. Tom Dillmann secured the final podium position in hard-fought fashion, after an absolutely mesmerizing 29-lap race around the legendary Silverstone circuit. Julian Leal will start tomorrow’s sprint race from the reverse grid pole after finishing in 8th, and will start alongside the Indonesian sensation of Rio Haryanto.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Bird Is The Word In Monaco After Incident-Filled GP2 Feature Race
Sam Bird has taken a memorable victory around the streets of Monte-Carlo after a frenetic incident-filled feature race, which included a lengthy delay after a monumental multi-car pile-up at Turn 1. The British sensation was followed home by Kevin Ceccon, with reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans 3rd after another wonderful drive.
The start of the feature was initially delayed by roughly 15 minutes, after a barrier was fixed following an incident during a previous qualifying session. Eventually the five red lights went out to unleash utter carnage at Turn 1, whereas Sergio Canamasas stalled on the grid. Heading into Turn 1, Mitch Evans stormed into the lead from 2nd on the grid, whereas his team-mate Johnny Cecotto jr. ran straight into the retaining tyre barrier with Fabio Leimer alongside.
This resulted in a monumental multi-car incident further behind, as the entire GP2 field simply had no space to avoid the ensuing melee. Marcus Ericsson was one of the many drivers involved in the incident, as Jolyon Palmer spun in his urge to avoid a collision, blocking the track and creating a rather expensive car park. In total Johnny Cecotto jr., Fabio Leimer, Jolyon Palmer, Robin Frijns, Marcus Ericsson, Alex Rossi, Nathaniel Berthon, Kevin Giovesi and Julian Leal were all eliminated from proceedings, as the race was unsurprisingly red flagged.
Many others were also caught up in the incident, however the likes of Rene Binder, Jake Rosenzweig and Daniel Abt were luckily able to restart their engines and return to the back of the grid for the restart. Eventually it was decided that the race was to be restarted behind the safety car in the order the field were in at Sector One, with the drivers who were involved in the incident at the back of the grid in the order of their qualifying result.
As the race was restarted from behind the safety car, Mitch Evans took the lead ahead of Sam Bird in the Russian Time machine. After only one lap behind the safety car, the race returned to green flag conditions with the Kiwi out in front. However, it quickly became apparent that Sam Bird was much quicker than Mitch Evans, however the frustratingly narrow characteristics of the Monte-Carlo street circuit prevented the Briton from perfecting an maneuver for the lead.
By Lap 7 the order began completing their first compulsory pit-stops, with local hero and Championship leader Stefano Coletti and Frenchman Tom Dillmann becoming the first to do so. Sergio Canamasas was one of the many drivers who pitted early, however the reason for his stop was due largely to his minor incident with Jake Rosenzweig at Turn 10 which damaged his front-wing. On Lap 11 Kevin Ceccon elected to carry out his pit-stop, with the Trident Racing mechanics perfecting a stellar stop to allow the Italian to eventually leapfrog Mitch Evans who stopped a lap later.
The Kiwi’s stop allowed Sam Bird to assume the lead of the race, a lead he would retain until the checkered flag. During the many pit-stops, Dutchman Daniel de Jong managed to rise to 2nd for MP Motorsport. However, his 2nd position was ceded to Rene Binder on Lap 15 when he also carried out his pit-stop. The Dutchman suffered a slow stop, and dipped a tyre over the yellow line at the pit exit which saw him struck with a drive-thru penalty.
Whilst Daniel de Jong suffered a frustrating pit-stop, race leader Sam Bird’s Russian Time mechanics managed to perfect a mesmerizing pit-stop to enable the Briton to retain his lead over Rene Binder, Kevin Ceccon and Mitch Evans. The race at the front managed to continue relatively incident-free, despite the earlier carnage. However, further down the order saw Daniel Abt sneak up the inside of Rio Haryanto at Turn 19 and barge the Indonesian ace into the retaining wall. This saw Abt also struck with a drive-thru penalty, as Haryanto was forced into retirement.
Eventually Rene Binder carried out his compulsory pit-stop on Lap 29, enabling Kevin Ceccon and Mitch Evans to rise through the order to 2nd and 3rd respectively. Despite a close battle for 2nd between Ceccon and Evans, the top three remained unchanged as Sam Bird glided across the line to secure his second victory of the season. British driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs managed to secure the reverse grid pole for tomorrow’s sprint race, despite initially qualifying last on the grid. The MP Motorsport driver will start alongside Rene Binder on the reverse grid.
Results - 42 laps:
Pos Driver Team
1. Sam Bird Russian Time
2. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 22.0s
3. Mitch Evans Arden + 23.2s
4. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 23.4s
5. James Calado ART + 29.5s
6. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 1m00.5s
7. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1m02.4s
8. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 1m08.4s
9. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 1m12.1s
10. Daniel de Jong MP + 1m22.4s
11. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 1m29.3s
12. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 1 lap
13. Simon Trummer Rapax + 1 lap
14. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 1 lap
15. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 1 lap
Retirements:
Daniel Abt ART 40 laps
Rio Haryanto Addax 26 laps
Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden 0 laps*
Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 0 laps*
Jolyon Palmer Carlin 0 laps*
Julian Leal Racing Engineering 0 laps*
Robin Frijns Hilmer 0 laps*
Marcus Ericsson DAMS 0 laps*
Alexander Rossi Caterham 0 laps*
Nathanael Berthon Trident 0 laps*
Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 0 laps*
* Did not take restart
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Rene Binder Q&A
The 2013 GP2 Series season may only be several races old, however Austrian driver Rene Binder has already surpassed the first milestone of his career in the category by picking up his first point during the sprint race in Malaysia. The 21-year-old made his debut in the Series last year at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Prior to making his debut in the GP2 Series with Venezuela GP Lazarus towards the end of last season, Rene Binder competed in the German Formula Three Series with Van Amersfoort Racing. The 21-year-old Austrian made his debut in single seater racing back in 2009 in the ADAC Formel Masters category with Team Abt Sportsline. The 21-year-old Austrian also competed in Formula 2 for his home event in 2011 at the Red Bull Ring, finishing 16th and 13th respectively in the two races.
Motorsport runs in his blood, with his father [Franz Binder] and uncle [Hans Binder] having both competed in motor racing, with the latter starting several races in Formula 1 throughout the 1970s. So far this season, Rene Binder has finished each of the four races for Venezuela GP Lazarus, a team competing in their second season in the GP2 Series. With several weeks before the next race weekend around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, I caught up with Rene Binder to discuss his career so far in the GP2 Series.
Q: First of all Rene, many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. You made you debut in the GP2 Series towards the end of last year at the Belgian Grand Prix replacing Giancarlo Serenelli. Did you feel any added pressure entering a new series with a new team at such a late stage in the season?
Rene Binder: It was a difficult decision as I had no idea what was going to happen in Spa. We are talking about the official feeder series of Formula 1 and I arrived from a national German F3 series, but right from the beginning I had a good feeling with the powerful car and with the Pirelli tyres.
Q: You are now in your first full season in the category and Venezuela GP Lazarus are in their second season. Although you only contested in six races together last year, have you noticed any improvements within the outfit as they become accustomed to life in the support category to Formula 1?
RB: You should not forget that Tancredi Pagiaro and his engineers have won races in GP2 before, therefore I have never questioned the competitiveness of Venezuela GP Lazarus. It is a young but very professional team and we are growing together, which is good.
Q: This season you have so far scored your first point in the GP2 Series with 8th during the Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race. Do you feel more confident this season, or are you still learning as the year progresses?
Rene Binder on his way to his first point in the GP2 Series.
RB: Of course, I am much better prepared but you never stop learning in GP2. It is a very tough challenge to prepare for a qualifying in only two/three flying laps of free practice and it is even harder if you don’t know the tracks like Sepang, Bahrain or Monte-Carlo. Anyway, I feel in good shape and I am confident that we can achieve some good results already this season.
Q: At Bahrain you were struck with a drive-thru penalty for allegedly forcing Mitch Evans off of the track. Do you think this penalty was justified, or do you think your battle with Evans was just close and exciting racing?
RB: The penalty was definitely not justified and a few hours later there was exactly the same situation between Jenson Button and Sergio Perez without any consequences.
Q: Although it has been several years since an Austrian driver competed in a Formula 1 race, the nation has remained at the top of the sport with the success of Red Bull. Has the team’s dominance of recent years sparked more interest in the sport back home in Austria?
RB: Austria is a country with a strong historical background in F1, going back to Jochen Rindt and Niki Lauda, and it’s definitely positive for the fans that we now have a team that is sporting our flags in the top class of motorsport. But, needless to say, that the fans are also hoping for an Austrian driver in Formula 1 again.
Q: Finally, how do you see the remainder of the 2013 season panning out for both yourself and Venezuela GP Lazarus? Do you think you can fight for podium finishes as the season progresses?
RB: My goals haven’t changed yet. I want to be in a position to be fighting for points as often as possible. I don’t know if I can fight for podiums later this season, we will see. It doesn’t make sense to think about results now, I prefer to focus on my set-up work together with my engineer, on my physical training and on my mental preparation. The most important thing for me was that we showed a good race pace in Bahrain with the 3rd fastest lap time in race two and the 4th fastest lap in race one. We are moving to the right direction.
Many thanks to Rene Binder and Venezuela GP Lazarus for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.
Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Fabio Leimer Storms To GP2 Feature Race Victory At Malaysia
Fabio Leimer has started the new GP2 season in sensational fashion, after the Swiss driver stormed to victory in a frenetic feature race around the Sepang International Circuit. The Racing Engineering driver finished ahead of James Calado, with poleman Stefano Coletti a distant 3rd.
At the start Fabio Leimer enjoyed a tremendous getaway off of the line, scything his way through the pack from 4th to 2nd as Stefano Coletti remained in the lead. Reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans rose to 3rd, as James Calado and Felipe Nasr almost collected each other through Turn 4. Further down the order the usual mayhem ensued as the field jostled for position, however Championship favorite Marcus Ericsson prematurely ended his race whilst negotiating Turn 9 as he collided with the rear of Jolyon Palmer and was launched into retirement.
Indonesian ace Rio Haryanto was forced to pit after the opening lap of the race after sustaining damage and a puncture, as Mitch Evans began to fall back through the order from 3rd to 5th. The Caterham of Sergio Canamasas collided with the rear of Sam Bird through Turn 15, which saw the Spaniard half-spin onto the grass yet continue racing. Newcomers MP Motorsport suffered an embarrassing end to their debut race, as Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Daniel de Jong collided whilst negotiating Turn 15 and were forced into retirement.
By Lap 7 the tyres had already begun to seriously degrade, forcing race leader Stefano Coletti into the pits for his one and only stop. This handed the lead down to Fabio Leimer, as Kevin Ceccon frustratingly stalled in the pits during his stop. Series rookie Daniel Abt spun into retirement on Lap 10 at Turns 12 and 13, leaving only James Calado as the sole remaining ART Grand Prix driver in the race. Whilst the marshals retrieved the stricken ART Grand Prix machine, race leader Fabio Leimer pitted along with James Calado in 2nd position.
This saw Sam Bird take the lead of the race for newcomers Russian Time, as Fabio Leimer exited the pit-lane behind Stefano Coletti. Sam Bird’s return to the Series was struck an almighty blow on Lap 12, as the Briton was issued with a drive-thru penalty for overtaking under yellow flag conditions along with several other drivers including team-mate Tom Dillmann. This handed the lead over to Jolyon Palmer, who was ahead of Nathaniel Berthon with Stefano Coletti and Fabio Leimer a distant 3rd and 4th despite being theoretically regarded as the leading duo.
After eventually pitting from 2nd position, Nathaniel Berton was forced into a frustrating retirement after his car was struck with a mechanical issue. When Jolyon Palmer also pitted from the lead, Stefano Coletti resumed the lead ahead of Fabio Leimer and James Calado. Further back utter mayhem was ensuing for the reverse grid pole, as Mitch Evans and Stephane Richelmi fought relentlessly around Turn 1 whereas Sam Bird simply stormed around the battling duo.
Whilst the battle continued for the reverse grid pole, Fabio Leimer finally managed to storm into the lead, after mastering a superlative overtaking maneuver around the outside of Stefano Coletti at Turn 5. The Monegasque driver continued to fall back, as James Calado rose up to 2nd position after an equally stunning maneuver into Turn 1. As Stefano Coletti continued to struggle for grip with his fading tyres, Fabio Leimer crossed the line to secure the first win of the new season, and the third of his GP2 career.
Further back the DAMS of Stephane Richelmi secured the reverse grid pole for Sunday’s sprint race, whereas Arden International rookie Mitch Evans managed to secure a point on his debut with 10th position. The opening GP2 race of the season was another enthralling event, and shows that the 2013 season is set to be yet another close and intriguing season of racing.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Chilton Wins Singapore Feature Race As Valsecchi Becomes GP2 Champion
Max Chilton has taken victory at the inaugural GP2 feature race around the streets of Singapore, whereas Davide Valsecchi has been crowned the 2012 GP2 Series Champion after finishing 4th ahead of Championship rival Luiz Razia. The race ended under safety car conditions, after heavy incident for Luca Filippi.
Poleman Luca Filippi suffered a torrid start for Coloni, dropping way down the order as Max Chilton stormed into the lead for Carlin with Esteban Gutierrez a close 2nd. Total carnage ensued further back in the opening lap, as Riccardo Teixeira and Rodolfo Gonzalez collided, Rene Binder spun and Victor Guerin ran straight on at turn 5 and slammed into the barriers. These chain of events brought out the safety car, as Gonzalez and Teixeira pitted due to their sustained damage.
The safety car period lasted for only several laps before green flag racing was resumed, with Max Chilton leading from the Lotus of Gutierrez. As the incident between Gonzalez and Teixeira came under investigation from the stewards, Simon Trummer slammed into the barriers at turn 18 and out of the race, however the highly efficient marshals were able to clear the stricken Arden International car without the need for another safety car period.
As the race continued, many drivers began peeling off into the pits to make their mandatory pit stop. Some drivers, the Championship contenders of Valsecchi and Razia included, started the race on the softer tyre compound and therefore were amongst the first to pit on laps 7 and 8. The leading duo of Chilton and Gutierrez eventually pitted a lap later, thus handing the lead down to the iSport International of Marcus Ericsson.
Johnny Cecotto jr. became the next retirement of the race, as the Venezuelan driver became the latest victim of the vicious “Singapore Sling” corner at turn 10. Cecotto jr. bounced precariously over the kerbing, eventually coming to rest off-track and out of the race. Marcus Ericsson pitted from the lead on lap 11, as Nigel Melker assumed the lead. Once Melker pitted, Fabio Onidi took the lead for Coloni and Sergio Canamasas came under investigation from the stewards for exceeding track limits at turn 10. The Spaniard was eventually issued a drive-thru penalty for his misdemeanors, as Jolyon Palmer became the latest retirement.
The ill James Calado eventually retired from the race on lap 24, after starting the race from a lowly 15th for Lotus. Fabio Onidi collided with Jake Rosenzweig as the race neared its conclusion, before the second Coloni of Luca Filippi slammed heavily into the barriers on the exit of the final corner. This once again brought out the safety car, as the race eventually came to an end under safety car conditions. A replay showed Luca Filippi tapping the barrier at turn 18, which supposedly damaged his front wing and was the catalyst for his heavy incident.
After securing the reserve driver role at the Marussia F1 Team, Max Chilton took a superlative and dominating victory as the checkered flag fell. The Briton was followed home by Esteban Gutierrez in 2nd and Fabio Leimer in 3rd. Davide Valsecchi finished 4th, clinching the Drivers’ Championship over the Arden International of Luiz Razia.
Tomorrow’s final sprint race will see the Caterham of Giedo van der Garde take the reverse grid pole, as the Constructors’ Championship between DAMS and Lotus comes to a thrilling conclusion around the Marina Bay street circuit.
Picture Copyright © Glenn Dunbar/GP2 Series Media Service
Davide Valsecchi Q&A
As the GP2 Series prepares for the final race weekend of the season, only two drivers can clinch the Drivers’ Championship once the action begins around the daunting Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore. This will be the first time the GP2 Series visits the circuit, and will see Davide Valsecchi race head-to-head with Luiz Razia.
Davide Valsecchi has remained a Championship contender since the opening race of the season, and utterly dominated the two race weekends in Bahrain at the beginning of the season by winning three consecutive races. The Italian driver is entering the season finale at Singapore 25 points clear of Luiz Razia, after an exceedingly important victory around his home circuit at Monza last time out.
With Davide Valsecchi the Championship favorite heading into the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, I caught up with the Italian driver to discuss his season so far, and to take a look ahead at the final race weekend of this entertaining GP2 season.
Q: First of all Davide, many thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. You started this season with unparalleled dominance, especially in Bahrain. What was the secret to your success at this early stage?
Davide Valsecchi dominated the first race weekend in Bahrain, with victory in the feature and sprint races.
Davide Valsecchi: I think that we were extremely competitive, because our car was really competitive. So I think we that we approached the season in a really good way, and I think this is what we needed to do to show that we were one of the contenders for the Championship. We are all very happy about it.
Q: Since then however, a certain Luiz Razia has challenged your authority over the Series. You only have a 25 lead over the Brazilian heading into the final round of the season, are you confident you can clinch the Championship?
DV: Yes, I am really confident because we ended the last weekend [in Italy] with a victory, whereas Luiz Razia ended the race in 16th place. So for sure we are more confident than them [Arden International] and we are more confident because we are leading the team Championship and all the team is with me at the moment. We’ve done our best to deserve where we are at the moment in the Championship, and at the moment we are approaching the last weekend of the season in a good way. The team is working a lot to be perfect for the weekend, and we are doing a lot of simulator work in preparation to be one of the best when the weekend begins.
Q: At the opening race weekend in Malaysia, you were involved in a big incident with the iSport International of Marcus Ericsson in which you barrel-rolled through the gravel. What were your initial thoughts once the car had come to a standstill, was it relief that you were uninjured or was it disappointment at scoring no valuable points.
Davide Valsecchi made contact with Marcus Ericsson, and barrel-rolled dangerously through the gravel at Malaysia.
DV: We had the flip in the air during the second race in Malaysia, but we had the pole and the 2nd place in the feature race so it was a very good weekend for us. After the race, Marcus Ericsson did get a penalty for the incident so it wasn’t our fault, and our aim was to get many points during the race. Luckily my car wasn’t heavily damaged, and the team showed in Bahrain that they brought the car back with good performance. We just lost some points, it wasn’t our fault and we were a bit disappointed for that but we scored really well in the next weekend.
Q: The season finale this year is scheduled to take place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore. How much are you looking forward to racing there?
DV: It’s really good that we are going to Singapore, it will be my first time and GP2’s first time at the circuit. I think it will be a great show. It will be the first time we have gone so far for a race, so we will try to do our best. What we know is that it is a street circuit and a very long circuit, so it looks really complicated to be fast in performance there. In Monte-Carlo we were competitive, I hope to be able to fight in the top five along with Calado, Gutierrez, van der Garde, Razia all the top drivers and we will try to do our best, myself and Felipe Nasr. I hope to maintain my lead in the Championship.
Q: You won the Italian Grand Prix sprint race last time out, whereas Championship rival Luiz Razia failed to score any points. What was it like to take such an important victory on home soil?
DV: It was really wonderful, it was important for us and it was a really important weekend because beforehand we were equal on points, myself and Luiz Razia. Me and DAMS had a great chance to beat them, and the result after this really important weekend was that we gained on them 25 points. We finished the weekend with a really great victory, as well as fastest lap two laps to the end. So it shows that at the moment we really deserve the lead in the Championship. But, it’s not finished yet and it was really important for us to gain further confidence and to show that we are the team and driver to beat, but we still have one fight to do. We will try to do our best, because it would be a shame if we lost the Championship after starting the final race weekend 25 points in the lead. And all the others are out of contention, the Lotus team [Calado and Gutierrez] are already out of the Championship fight. We only have to beat one man [Luiz Razia], and we have an advantage to him. But first of all we want to score points and have a good result there because every time you race you want to finish in the top five and on the podium. Our aim will be this result.
Many thanks to DAMS and Davide Valsecchi for the communication and time taken to complete this interview.
Picture(s) Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Daniel Abt Wins Frenetic GP3 Race At Monza
Daniel Abt has taken an highly important victory at Monza in the penultimate race of the final GP3 weekend, in which Championship leader Mitch Evans retired on the opening lap after a series a errors. Antonio Felix da Costa momentarily led the race, before suffering a gearbox issue. Ellinas came home 2nd, with Laine in 3rd.
In similar fashion to the GP2 race beforehand, the pack safely negotiated the opening chicane without any major incident. Both Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix da Costa ran wide at turn 1, taking drastic avoiding action as the likes of Fumanelli, Ellinas and Laine jostled for position. Mitch Evans, who had an opportunity to take the Drivers’ Championship, ran exceedingly wide at turn 7. This ultimately led to the Kiwi returning to the pits after the opening lap, and eventually retiring and throwing the Championship wide open.
With Mitch Evans out of the race, Antonio Felix da Costa wasted no time in reaping the rewards and storming into the lead, the Drivers’ Championship now a very realistic target for the Portuguese driver. Fabiano Machado became the first retirement after the opening lap, as Daniel Abt began to scythe through the field in hot pursuit of Antonio Felix da Costa.
By lap 4, and Daniel Abt had caught race leader Antonio Felix da Costa. With the German driver also a Championship contender, he immediately passed the Carlin driver as he too pursued Championship glory, especially with Mitch Evans disconsolately sat in the pits and out of the race. David Fumanelli straight lined turns 4 and 5 as the race progressed, whilst Conor Daly ran wide at turn 7 and skipped through the punishing gravel trap. Antonio Felix da Costa was passed by Aaro Vainio as the leaders negotiated turn 11, as the Portuguese driver was seen bumping the rear of Vainio’s car as they sped down the start/finish straight.
The Championship then took yet another fascinating twist, as Antonio Felix da Costa was seen cruising around stuck in gear. The Portuguese driver was able to continue racing, albeit further down the order, after he carried out a cunning tactic in turning the engine on and then off to fix his gearbox issue and continue to race. These turn of events had taken Antonio Felix da Costa out of the Championship hunt, leaving the Lotus duo of Daniel Abt and Aaro Vainio the remaining drivers battling at the sharp end of the pack for Championship supremacy.
Alex Brundle was then issued a black flag for failing to pit, with the Briton amazingly still circulating without a rear wing. The Carlin driver had previously been issued a black and orange flag, but Brundle seemingly ignored these warnings and continued racing. As the race entered the closing stages, Daniel Abt and Aaro Vainio became locked in a grueling battle for the lead, however the Cypriot of Tio Ellinas wasn’t far behind and overtook the Finn for the 2nd place.
On the last lap of the race, with Tio Ellinas striving to find a way around the Lotus of Daniel Abt, Dmitry Suranovich spun at turn 11 and became the fourth retirement of the race. This meant yellow flags were fluttering at the final corner, forcing the leaders to back off on the final lap. This enabled Daniel Abt to take victory ahead of Tio Ellinas, however Aaro Vainio was issued a post-race 20-second timed penalty for ignoring yellow flags throughout the final corner. This demoted the Finn down the order and out of the points, thus promoting fellow countryman Matias Laine to 3rd.
This fascinating race means that only Mitch Evans and Daniel Abt can be crowned Champion during tomorrow morning’s final race. Mitch Evans will be starting 25th and last, whereas Daniel Abt will be starting from 8th due to the reverse grid ruling. The final race of the season will unquestionably be one of the entertaining of the year, as the fight for the Championship comes down to the wire around the historic Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.
Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP3 Series Media Service
Luca Filippi Takes Stunning Comeback Victory At Monza
The most experienced driver in the history of GP2 racing, Luca Filippi, has stormed to an amazing comeback victory after snatching the lead away from pole man Max Chilton. The Italian driver then streaked into the distance, to eventually win the GP2 feature race by four seconds over the Barwa Addax on Johnny Cecotto jr.
Amazingly, there was no contact as the 26 car field negotiated turns 1 and 2 at the start, contrary to many who predicted at least some contact. Giedo van der Garde suffered a torrid start for Caterham, as the Dutchman plummeted through the field at the start and eventually became the first retirement as Max Chilton led at the front.
James Calado, who is currently locked in a grueling Championship battle with team-mate Esteban Gutierrez, lost a part of his front wing through turns 1 and 2 after the opening lap. The Briton then skipped through the run-off area along with Fabio Onidi, who also had extensive front wing damage. This forced the marshals to impose the black and orange flag on Onidi, who eventually adhered to the rules and pitted with his front wing precariously dangling off of his car.
By lap 6, the opening pit stops were being carried out as the likes of Esteban Gutierrez, Stefano Coletti and Simon Trummer pitted first. Luca Filippi pitted on lap 8 along with Championship leader Davide Valsecchi, whilst fellow Championship rival Luiz Razia was unceremoniously taken out by the Racing Engineering of Fabio Leimer. Razia beached his Arden car on the kerbing, and became the second retirement of the race. This eventuality proved shocking in the Championship fight, with Davide Valsecchi and Luiz Razia tied at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
Max Chilton and Marcus Ericsson then became the next front runners to pit, with Max Chilton rejoining the circuit only just ahead of Luca Filippi. This pit stop at the front gifted the lead down to Johnny Cecotto jr., who had yet to pit for Barwa Addax. Chilton’s lead over Filippi failed to last for long, as the local driver wasted no time in overtaking the Briton for what would become the lead once the rest of the field pitted.
Fabio Leimer once again became embroiled in another on-track collision, this time with the DAMS of Felipe Nasr. Unlike Luiz Razia, Nasr was able to continue racing, however the Brazilian driver eventually pitted and retired with damage to his car. Johnny Cecotto jr. pitted on lap 13, handing the lead down to the Ocean Racing Technology driver of Nigel Melker. The Dutchman’s team-mate, Victor Guerin, was issued with a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pits, before he too pitted on lap 21. This handed the lead to Stephane Richelmi, who had also yet to pit.
However, when the Trident Racing of Richelmi finally pitted on lap 22, Luca Filippi assumed the lead. The Italian driver had opened up a considerable lead at the front, and was literally romping away as Max Chilton was overtaken by the Barwa Addax of Johnny Cecotto jr. As the race entered it’s closing stages, it became apparent that Luca Filippi would not be challenged at the front, as the former runner-up of the Series majestically crossed the line to pick up a memorable race victory on home soil. This was amazingly Filippi’s first race in GP2 since the Italian race last year, proving that the 27-year-old Italian had not lost any of his competitive edge.
Local driver Stefano Coletti finished 8th, and will therefore start tomorrow morning’s sprint race from the reverse grid pole. Coletti moved from Coloni to Rapax prior to this weekend’s race, thus allowing Filippi the chance to make a return to the Series.
Results - 30 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Luca Filippi Coloni 48m03.604s
2. Johnny Cecotto Jr Addax + 4.028s
3. Marcus Ericsson iSport + 5.377s
4. Max Chilton Carlin + 7.631s
5. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 9.413s
6. Davide Valsecchi DAMS + 16.057s
7. Jolyon Palmer iSport + 17.600s
8. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 18.532s
9. Esteban Gutierrez Lotus + 19.293s
10. Julian Leal Trident + 20.025s
11. Nigel Melker Ocean + 20.464s
12. James Calado Lotus + 26.027s
13. Stephane Richelmi Trident + 27.890s
14. Sergio Canamasas Lazarus + 31.193s
15. Nathanael Berthon Racing Engineering + 31.910s
16. Simon Trummer Arden + 35.375s
17. Rene Binder Lazarus + 38.769s
18. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 40.226s
19. Rio Haryanto Carlin + 42.638s
20. Ricardo Teixeira Rapax + 43.152s
21. Fabio Onidi Coloni + 44.769s
22. Rodolfo Gonzalez Caterham + 56.350s
23. Victor Guerin Ocean + 1m01.984s
Retirements:
Felipe Nasr DAMS 13 laps
Luiz Razia Arden 8 laps
Giedo van der Garde Caterham 0 laps
Picture Copyright © Daniel Kalisz/GP2 Series Media Service
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