Simon Trummer to remain with Rapax in GP2 for 2014
Swiss driver Simon Trummer has been confirmed with Rapax for next season, as the GP2 Series gears up for it’s final race weekend at Abu Dhabi. The 24-year-old will compete in his third season with the Italian outfit in 2014, after previously competing with Arden International and also Jenzer Motorsport in the GP3 Series.
After graduating from the GP3 Series in 2012 to Arden International, Simon Trummer soon switched to Rapax to partner Stefano Coletti. Although the Monegasque ace has stormed to an impressive string of results this season, Simon Trummer has unquestionably impressed with two personal best results of 6th at both the Malaysian and Hungarian Grands Prix. The Frutigen-born driver began his open-wheel career in the Formula Lista Junior category in 2006, before then moving up to the Formula Renault 2.0 Suisse Championship in 2007. From there he has gradually risen through the junior categories to the GP2 Series, where he is understandably excited with the prospect of remaining with Rapax in 2014.
“Continuing my motor racing career in the GP2 Series is such a great thing, and doing it with Rapax, a team that feels like home to me, makes it even greater!” Enthused the Swiss driver, “We had a good start this season, and after that we had to work and fight a lot. I know that together with the them [Rapax], thanks to hard work and commitment during the winter, we can put together a really good season next year.”
So far Simon Trummer has yet to finish on the podium in the GP2 Series, unlike experienced team-mate Stefano Coletti who has taken numerous race victories so far this season which has enabled him to remain a Championship contender throughout the year. However, with his future in the feeder category confirmed for 2014, Simon Trummer will undoubtedly be aiming for a competitive season next year in what will be his third year in Formula 1’s main support category.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Marcus Ericsson Takes Masterful Feature Race Victory In Germany
Marcus Ericsson stormed to his first GP2 victory of the season and his first for DAMS after a masterful drive around the Nurburgring, eventually finishing ahead of British ace James Calado and Championship leader Stefano Coletti in 3rd after a frenetic battle for the final podium position.
At the start total carnage ensued at the back, as Kevin Ceccon collided with Daniel Abt and was tipped into a perilous barrel-roll along the start finish straight. The Italian’s car eventually came to rest the correct way up, after tapping the rear of Adrian Quaife-Hobbs who had stalled in his MP Motorsport machine. The safety car was immediately deployed, as at the front equal mayhem ensued as Mitch Evans momentarily took the lead but ran too deep at Turn 1 and therefore lost the lead to Marcus Ericsson with initial pole man Stephane Richelmi 2nd.
The safety car assumed control of the race for the opening four laps, leading the field through the pit-lane as the stricken cars were cleared from the start/finish straight. At the restart Marcus Ericsson stormed into a commanding lead ahead of team-mate Stephane Richelmi, as Julian Leal ran extensively wide at Turn 9 and spun before rejoining further down the order. After only six laps, Felipe Nasr and Rene Binder elected to make the first scheduled pit-stops. In comparison to the Brazilian’s quick stop, the Venezuelan GP Lazarus mechanics provided Rene Binder with a frustratingly slow stop.
As the feature race progressed, many other drivers elected to pit as well, including Robin Frijns, James Calado and Alexander Rossi. The ART Grand Prix driver managed to leap-frog Robin Frijns in the pits, as race leader Marcus Ericsson made his mandatory pit-stop and therefore handed the lead down to team-mate Stephane Richelmi. Jake Rosenzweig was struck with a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pits on Lap 10, as Fabio Leimer and Jolyon Palmer both pitted. Stephane Richelmi pitted on Lap 13, gifting the lead to Frenchman Tom Dillmann as the DAMS driver suffered a slow stop.
Tom Dillmann’s lead lasted for only three laps, before the Russian Time driver was forced to pit. This allowed Championship leader Stefano Coletti to assume the lead for Rapax, before both he and Sam Bird pitted several laps later and allowed reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans to assume the lead for Arden International ahead of team-mate Johnny Cecotto. Further down the order a frenetic battle for 10th ensued between Robin Frijns and Felipe Nasr, with the Dutchman eventually overtaking the Brazilian several laps later for 7th with Stephane Richelmi also striving to complete a maneuver on the Carlin driver.
After remaining in the lead of the race for several laps, Mitch Evans eventually pitted on Lap 23, handing the lead down to team-mate Johnny Cecotto. The Kiwi also suffered a frustratingly slow stop, as a fault with the front-jack occurred. Julian Leal was struck with a drive-thru penalty for exceeding track limits as the race progressed, just after the Colombian driver managed to produce the fastest lap of the race. Johnny Cecotto pitted on Lap 24, handing the lead down to Simon Trummer who remained the only driver yet to complete his mandatory pit-stop.
With the race now entering it’s closing stages, Stefano Coletti began scything his way through the order after overtaking both Stephane Richelmi and then Felipe Nasr around the outside of Turn 2. On Lap 28, Simon Trummer eventually completed his mandatory pit-stop, allowing Marcus Ericsson to resume his lead at the front ahead of James Calado and Robin Frijns. However, Stefano Coletti soon caught the Dutchman and began swarming all over the rear of his machine, bringing along with him both Stephane Richelmi and Fabio Leimer. Try as the Monegasque ace might, he was frustratingly unable to overtake Robin Frijns until the final corner of the final lap, as total mayhem ensued between the four drivers.
Eventually Stefano Coletti managed to barge his way around the Dutchman, with Fabio Leimer finishing side-by-side with Stephane Richelmi in 4th and 5th with Robin Frijns eventually finishing a lowly 6th. Throughout this incredible melee, Marcus Ericsson stormed across the line to secure his first victory of the season ahead of James Calado. Tom Dillmann secured the reverse grid pole by finishing 8th, and will start the race alongside Jon Lancaster in tomorrow’s sprint race.
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Stefano Coletti Storms To Historic Home Victory At Monaco
Stefano Coletti has stormed to a historic home victory after the GP2 sprint race around the streets of Monte-Carlo, becoming the first Monegasque driver to take victory around the Principality since Louis Chiron back in 1931. The 24-year-old was followed home by Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Mitch Evans.
After causing the multi-car pile-up at the start of yesterday’s feature race, Arden International’s Johnny Cecotto jr. was excluded from the remainder of the weekend. This meant only 25 drivers took to the grid for the sprint race, with British driver Adrian Quaife-Hobbs on the reverse grid pole alongside Austrian driver Rene Binder. At the start the Briton stormed into the lead ahead of local hero Stefano Coletti, as Rene Binder suffered a frustratingly slow getaway off of the line.
Reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans enjoyed a tremendous start from 6th on the grid, working his way up to 3rd by Turn 5 after mastering an overtaking maneuver up the inside of James Calado. Despite starting from pole and initially taking the lead, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs was eventually overtaken by Stefano Coletti for the lead of the race on Lap 2, as the local hero stormed up the inside of the Briton at Turn 10.
As Stefano Coletti began to open up a considerable lead at the front, Daniel Abt and Simon Trummer were struck with drive-thru penalties for jumping the start. As the duo served their penalties, Tom Dillmann entered the pits with a suspected issue on his Russian Time machine. After several further pit-stops, the Frenchman found himself several laps off of the leaders way down in 25th position.
Despite Stefano Coletti’s commanding lead at the front of the order, many battles raged on throughout the order. After a superlative result in the feature race, Kevin Ceccon continued to impress after perfecting an overtaking maneuver on Sam Bird at Turn 10. To avoid a collision the Briton was forced to take avoiding action by cutting the chicane, eventually ceding 7th to the Italian driver. After taking a convincing victory in the feature race, Sam Bird failed to mount a resurgence in the latter stages of the race, as he began to plummet through the order.
As the race entered its closing stages, the battle within the midfield began to intensify as Jon Lancaster and Rio Haryanto collided at Turn 8. This caused a concertina-effect on the field, as Lancaster half spun his Hilmer Motorsport machine but managed to continue. Eventually Stefano Coletti stormed across the line to record a historic victory for Rapax, leading home Adrian Quaife-Hobbs in 2nd and Mitch Evans in 3rd. The Monegasque’s victory has enabled him to strengthen his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, as the Series enters a lengthy gap before reconvening around Silverstone for the British Grand Prix next month.
Results - 30 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Stefano Coletti Rapax 42m50.707s 2. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 1.869s 3. Mitch Evans Arden + 2.216s 4. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 2.536s 5. James Calado ART + 3.747s 6. Rene Binder Lazarus + 19.293s 7. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 20.015s 8. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 20.576s 9. Daniel de Jong MP + 21.197s 10. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 31.720s 11. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 34.105s 12. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 35.775s 13. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 36.488s 14. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 36.913s 15. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 42.125s 16. Rio Haryanto Addax + 43.235s 17. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 1m03.893s 18. Marcus Ericsson DAMS + 1m04.258s 19. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 1m04.735s 20. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus + 1m05.044s 21. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 1m05.468s 22. Daniel Abt ART + 1m06.174s 23. Simon Trummer Rapax + 1m07.413s 24. Sam Bird Russian Time + 1 lap 25. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 3 laps
Picture Copyright © Charles Coates/GP2 Series Media Service
Stefano Coletti Dominates GP2 Sprint Race At Spain
Stefano Coletti has increased his lead in the Championship standings after utterly dominating the GP2 sprint race around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, finishing ahead of feature race winner Robin Frijns with the Carlin of Felipe Nasr a distant 3rd. During the closing stages of the race, Johnny Cecotto jr. once again displayed questionable driving.
At the start Tom Dillmann stalled on the grid, however everyone luckily managed to avoid his stricken Russian Time machine on their run down to the opening two corners. Despite securing the reverse grid pole, Kevin Ceccon dropped through the order as Stefano Coletti scythed through from 4th on the grid into the lead by Turn 1. Further back feature race winner Robin Frijns enjoyed an equally competitive start, rising from 8th to 2nd by the end of the opening lap for Hilmer Motorsport.
After a strong display of driving during the feature race, Felipe Nasr also enjoyed a competitive start for Carlin. After starting from 7th position, the Brazilian ace rose steadily up to 3rd by the end of the opening lap. Despite stalling at the start, Tom Dillmann managed to restart his car and continue racing at the back of the pack, albeit on extremely worn tyres. By Lap 8, Stefano Coletti had opened up a four second lead to Robin Frijns, in what was quickly becoming another of his scintillating drives at the front.
On Lap 13, Tom Dillmann opted to pit for a fresh set of soft tyres after initially starting the race on a set of worn hard tyres. This gamble failed to pay off for the Frenchman, when he stalled on the grid. However, his sudden switch from the hard to the soft tyre enabled him to set the fastest lap of the race with a 01:33.337 a lap later. Jake Rosenzweig collided with the Venezuelan GP Lazarus of Rene Binder at Turn 14 on Lap 17, which tipped Binder into a spin and saw Rosenzweig issued with a drive-thru penalty.
After many laps struggling to find a way to overtake Johnny Cecotto jr., Jolyon Palmer finally managed to make a move stick on Lap 20. In his urgency to retain his position, the Arden International driver lightly damaged his front wing and began to fall into the clutches of the likes of Alexander Rossi, Sergio Canamasas and Rio Haryanto. As Alexander Rossi tried to make an overtaking maneuver on Johnny Cecotto jr., the duo both out-broke themselves and ran wide at Turn 1, enabling both Sergio Canamasas, Rio Haryanto and Daniel Abt to close the gap through Turns 2 and 3.
Alexander Rossi suffered a tough end to his race, as he dropped from 6th to 8th in the ensuing battle for position. On the final lap, Johnny Cecotto jr. caused absolute carnage into Turns 13 and 14 as the Venezuelan driver barged across into the side of Sergio Canamasas to defend his position through Turn 13. This then saw the field bunch up through Turns 14 and 15, with many cutting the corner to avoid collision. Unfortunately Sergio Canamasas and Rio Haryanto weren’t so lucky, as the Indonesian driver slammed into the rear of the Spaniard and destroyed his rear-wing.
Whilst the midfield endured a scrappy end to the sprint race, with Julian Leal spinning at Turn 10 and Fabio Leimer banging wheels with Jon Lancaster, Stefano Coletti cruised to his second win of the season for Rapax. The Monegasque ace was followed home by feature race winner Robin Frijns, with Felipe Nasr 3rd for Carlin. Stefano Coletti now heads to his home race around the streets of Monte-Carlo leading the Championship, and naturally striving for victory around the Principality.
Results - 26 laps: Pos Driver Team Time/Gap 1. Stefano Coletti Rapax 41m49.895s 2. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 0.691s 3. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 7.212s 4. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.129s 5. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 35.593s 6. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 36.991s 7. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 38.483s 8. Daniel Abt ART + 39.645s 9. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 40.664s 10. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 41.353s 11. James Calado ART + 41.464s 12. Sam Bird Russian Time + 41.876s 13. Mitch Evans Arden + 42.520s 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 44.190s 15. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 44.277s 16. Simon Trummer Rapax + 44.487s 17. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus + 44.628s 18. Daniel de Jong MP + 45.041s 19. Rene Binder Lazarus + 48.132s 20. Marcus Ericsson DAMS + 53.650s 21. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 53.938s 22. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 1m02.518s 23. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 1m06.632s 24. Rio Haryanto Addax + 1m25.590s 25. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 1 lap 26. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 1 lap
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Robin Frijns Secures Maiden Victory In Thrilling GP2 Feature Race
Robin Frijns has secured his maiden victory in the GP2 Series after an utterly thrilling feature race around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, finishing ahead of the charging Carlin of Felipe Nasr with Jolyon Palmer 3rd. The race featured many spills and thrills, in yet another excellent display of entertainment from the GP2 Series.
At the start pole-man Marcus Ericsson stormed into a commanding lead, ahead of Championship leader Stefano Coletti who rose through the order as Fabio Leimer, Sam Bird and James Calado all touched. This resulted in a premature retirement for Calado after the first lap, with Fabio Leimer also forced to pit for a new front-wing. Further back a melee ensued through Turns 1 and 2, as James Calado and Fabio Leimer ran wide with many drivers skipping through the gravel.
As James Calado and Fabio Leimer pitted, many battles for position ensued throughout the order, with Jake Rosenzweig in particular forcing Sergio Canamasas off of the road down the start/finish straight as he strove to defend his position. Further up the order, Felipe Nasr wasted no time in storming up the inside of Stephane Richelmi, barging around the Monegasque driver.
On Lap 4 Nathaniel Berthon violently crashed out of the race at Turn 10, after slamming into the rear of Sergio Canamasas and Tom Dillmann. The Frenchman flew over the rear of Canamasas, destroying his car and forcing both into retirement. Luckily Tom Dillmann managed to continue circulating unscathed, as Robin Frijns, Jolyon Palmer and Alexander Rossi became the first drivers to carry out a scheduled pit stop.
Race leader Marcus Ericsson pitted from the lead on Lap 7, gifting the lead to Championship leader Stefano Coletti. Whilst the leaders pitted, Tom Dillmann was forced off of the track by Johnny Cecotto jr., in what was turning out to be a frenetic feature race. Eventually Stefano Coletti also elected to pit, handing the lead down to Kevin Ceccon. However, the Italian’s tyres soon began to wear off, which enabled Johnny Cecotto jr. to take the lead ahead of Tom Dillmann.
After securing his maiden pole position in the GP2 Series, Marcus Ericsson’s race was brought to a frustrating and premature conclusion on Lap 10 after a collision between himself, Kevin Giovesi and Sam Bird. This also forced Kevin Giovesi into retirement, as Sam Bird managed to continue racing. As the race wore on, Johnny Cecotto jr., Tom Dillmann and Mitch Evans remained at the front despite electing not to pit. Eventually on Lap 19, Tom Dillmann pitted from 2nd for Russian Time. The Frenchman rejoined way down the order, before Johnny Cecotto jr. did likewise and handed the lead down to Mitch Evans.
Whilst the leaders made their mandatory pit stop, Tom Dillmann’s surge back through the order was hampered after a collision with the DAMS of Stephane Richelmi. The duo were miraculously able to continue circulating, however the Monegasque driver was eventually issued with a penalty for causing the incident. When Mitch Evans finally pitted on Lap 28, Robin Frijns assumed the lead for Hilmer Motorsport ahead of Jolyon Palmer and Sam Bird.
As the race entered its closing stages, Felipe Nasr began to scythe through the order for Carlin, overtaking Stefano Coletti for 4th and then Sam Bird for 3rd. The Brazilian sensation didn’t stop there, as he caught team-mate Jolyon Palmer for 3rd. Through Turn 2, Nasr tapped the rear of Palmer and barged his way around his team-mate. The loss of momentum for Jolyon Palmer saw him come under immediate threat from Sam Bird, as Palmer forced his fellow countryman off of the track and into retirement on the exit of Turn 4.
This crazy turn of events saw Jon Lancaster rise up through the order to 4th, before Tom Dillmann pulled off several expert maneuvers around Turn 3 to continue his rise through the order. However, the Frenchman came unstuck on Lap 36, as he ran frustratingly wide at Turn 3 and dropped back to 5th. Whilst the mayhem ensued throughout the order, Robin Frijns simply glided to his maiden GP2 Series victory ahead of Felipe Nasr with Jolyon Palmer a close 3rd despite an impending stewards review for his incident with Sam Bird.
After finishing in 8th, Kevin Ceccon will start tomorrow’s sprint race from the reverse grid pole, alongside the Caterham of Alexander Rossi. Expect further fireworks throughout the 26-lap race, which will have to go some way to match the excitement witnessed during the feature race.
Results - 37 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1hr00m38.896s
2. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 3.316s
3. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 12.290s
4. Jon Lancaster Hilmer + 12.609s
5. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 13.329s
6. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 14.325s
7. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 17.160s
8. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 17.504s
9. Johnny Cecotto Jr Arden + 24.013s
10. Rio Haryanto Addax + 32.024s
11. Daniel Abt ART + 32.823s
12. Mitch Evans Arden + 35.748s
13. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 39.922s
14. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 40.999s
15. Stefano Richelmi DAMS + 42.690s
16. Daniel de Jong MP Motorsport + 43.102s
17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP Motorsport + 54.532s
18. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 56.946s
19. Simon Trummer Rapax + 57.935s
20. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1 lap
21. Sam Bird Russian Time + 4 laps
Retirements:
Driver Team Laps
Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 11
Marcus Ericsson DAMS 10
Sergio Canamasas Caterham 5
Nathanael Berthon Trident 4
James Calado ART 1
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Sam Bird Succeeds The Pecking Order In Exciting Bahrain Sprint Race
Sam Bird has exceeded the pecking order in what was one of the closest finishes in the history of the category, as the Briton crossed the line side-by-side with the Carlin of Felipe Nasr. Stefano Coletti finished a distant 3rd, in what was a frenetic conclusion to the 23-lap race.
After yesterday’s feature race, French driver Tom Dillmann started the race from the reverse grid pole alongside the MP Motorsport of Adrian Quaife-Hobbs. At the start Dillmann defended the lead against the Briton, as further back carnage ensued as Alexander Rossi collided with Jolyon Palmer and Rio Haryanto collided with Marcus Ericsson. Towards the end of the opening lap, Sam Bird managed to storm into the lead after starting from 3rd on the grid. However, the Russian Time duo continued to battle for the lead through Turns 1 and 2, as they banged wheels before Bird stormed into a confident lead as Dillmann dropped down the order behind Stefano Coletti.
Despite starting from pole position, Tom Dillmann continued to plummet through the order as Felipe Nasr rose up to 3rd for Carlin. After requiring a new rear-wing after his opening lap collision with Rio Haryanto, Marcus Ericsson was eventually forced into retirement on Lap 7. This ended another frustrating race weekend for the Swedish driver, who is racing for reigning Constructors’ Champions DAMS.
As the race wore on, Sam Bird opened up a considerable gap to Stefano Coletti at the front. Further down the order, a magnificent battle broke out between Simon Trummer, Sergio Canamasas and Jake Rosenzweig for 13th. Behind this trio, Robin Frijns fell through the order, as Stephane Richelmi, Mitch Evans and Julian Leal stormed around the Dutchman. Robin Frijns eventually finished 23rd after a tough debut in the Series for Hilmer Motorsport.
After taking a dominant victory in the feature race, Swiss ace Fabio Leimer struggled to repeat such successes during the sprint race. The Racing Engineering driver started the race from 8th, rose up to 6th during the opening laps before dropping back down the order to 9th towards the end of the race. Whilst Leimer struggled with his tyres, another close battle broke out for 5th between Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Jolyon Palmer, James Calado and Daniel Abt.
However, as the final laps ticked away Sam Bird’s lead at the front began to wane as both Stefano Coletti and Felipe Nasr closed down upon the Briton. At the final corner, Coletti ran extensively wide and allowed Felipe Nasr to rise up to 2nd position. This created one of the most enthralling final laps in the history of GP2, as Felipe Nasr closed the gap between himself and Sam Bird. Amazingly, the 26-year-old held on for an impressive race victory, only a mere +0.080 seconds ahead of the charging Felipe Nasr.
With Stefano Coletti recording another competitive result during this weekend’s Bahrain feature and sprint races, the Monegasque driver has now opened up a ten point lead in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of Fabio Leimer. The GP2 Series will reconvene in three weeks time around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, for the third round of what has already been a thrilling 2013 season.
Results - 23 laps:
Pos Driver Team Time/Gap
1. Sam Bird Russian Time 41m08.133s
2. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 0.080s
3. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 4.206s
4. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 10.328s
5. James Calado ART + 19.713s
6. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 21.773s
7. Daniel Abt ART + 24.108s
8. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 27.722s
9. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering + 27.894s
10. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 27.997s
11. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 28.601s
12. Johnny Cecotto Arden + 35.477s
13. Stephane Richelmi DAMS + 35.858s
14. Simon Trummer Rapax + 36.346s
15. Mitch Evans Arden + 36.950s
16. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 37.671s
17. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus + 41.248s
18. Daniel de Jong MP + 44.757s
19. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 47.006s
20. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 52.044s
21. Paul Varhaug Hilmer + 54.740s
22. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 55.332s
23. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 1m02.964s
24. Ryo Haryanto Addax + 1m17.388s
25. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1 lap
Retirements:
Marcus Ericsson DAMS 5 laps
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Fabio Leimer Wins Bahrain Feature Race In Dominant Style
Fabio Leimer has secured a dominant GP2 Bahrain feature race victory for Racing Engineering, continuing the Swiss driver’s superlative race weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit. The 24-year-old was followed home at the front by Stefano Coletti, with GP2 debutant Alexander Rossi a tremendous 3rd for Caterham Racing.
As the field left the grid to begin the formation lap, Swedish driver Marcus Ericsson stalled for DAMS. This saw him eventually start the race from the pit-lane, instead of 2nd alongside Fabio Leimer. At the start Fabio Leimer defended heavily against Stefano Coletti, as Sam Bird scythed his way through the order from 8th on the grid to 3rd, in doing so banging wheels with the Carlin of Felipe Nasr.
Despite the frenetic start to the race, Fabio Leimer managed to retain the lead at the front from Stefano Coletti as drivers further down the order jostled for position. Towards the end of the opening lap, Daniël de Jong was seen cruising into the pits and into retirement for MP Motorsport. Whilst further battles ensued throughout the order, Sergio Canamasas once again endured the wraith of the race stewards after forcing James Calado off of the circuit. The Spaniard was issued with a drive-thru penalty, ultimately ruining his race.
As the race raged on, Norwegian driver Påu Varhaug was forced into retirement for Hilmer Motorsport, ending another tough weekend for the 22-year-old. Whilst Varhaug returned to the pits to retire, his team-mate of Robin Frijns battled further up the order on his GP2 debut. By Lap 7, many drivers elected to pit, with at least one pit-stop mandatory throughout the feature race. Several laps later Sam Bird and Felipe Nasr pitted from 3rd and 4th, only to endure frustratingly slow stops from their respective mechanics.
On Lap 10, Fabio Leimer and Stefano Coletti pitted from the lead, allowing Adrian Quaife-Hobbs to assume the lead for MP Motorsport. Fabio Leimer rejoined the track still ahead of Stefano Coletti, yet further down the order with many drivers still yet to pit including the likes of Tom Dillmann, Julian Leal and Mitch Evans. Nathaniel Berthon was struck with a drive-thru penalty for speeding in the pit lane, as Julian Leal and Tom Dillmann battled extremely hard for 2nd between Turns 4, 5 and 6.
The Colombian driver eventually pitted on Lap 19, only to stall whilst leaving his pit box. The Racing Engineering crew wheeled him back to restart his engine, allowing Julian Leal to return to the track albeit way down the order. By Lap 20 both Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Rene Binder and Mitch Evans pitted from the front, allowing Fabio Leimer to resume his lead at the front ahead of Stefano Coletti and Alexander Rossi. Further down the order saw Stephane Richelmi and Robin Frijns clash whilst negotiating Turn 1. The resulting damage forced Richelmi into retirement, and saw Frijns return to the pits for repairs.
This collision was naturally investigated by the stewards, and Robin Frijns was deemed to be in the wrong and issued with a drive-thru penalty. Rene Binder was also handed a drive-thru penalty for allegedly forcing Mitch Evans off of the track. However, further replays only showed Binder’s team-mate, Kevin Giovesi, forcing Evans off of the track. Mitch Evans was forced into retirement on Lap 25, with the reigning GP3 Champion once again suffering from a mechanical issue.
Towards the latter stages of the feature race, a fantastic battle broke out between Adrian Quaife-Hobbs, Simon Trummer and Tom Dillmann for the reverse grid pole. Amazingly the trio managed to avoid each other whilst jostling for position, as Quaife-Hobbs managed to overtake the duo, however Dillmann later secured the reverse grid pole in what remained a closely fought battle. Kevin Giovesi retired on Lap 29, as Felipe Nasr caught and overtook Jolyon Palmer for 4th.
Despite a tremendously exciting race, Fabio Leimer remained in constant control of proceedings at the front and eventually crossed the line to secure his fourth career victory in GP2, and his second feature race win in succession. The Swiss driver was followed home by Stefano Coletti in 2nd, with Alexander Rossi proving his worth to Caterham Racing on his debut with 3rd. Tom Dillmann will start tomorrow morning’s sprint race on pole for Russian Time, alongside the MP Motorsport of Adrian Quaife-Hobbs in what will be a front row consisting of two new outfits in the category.
Results - 32 laps:
Pos Driver Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 57m21.528s
2. Stefano Coletti Rapax + 1.929s
3. Alexander Rossi Caterham + 9.030s
4. Felipe Nasr Carlin + 9.498s
5. Jolyon Palmer Carlin + 15.037s
6. Sam Bird Russian Time + 28.518s
7. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP + 33.067s
8. Tom Dillmann Russian Time + 33.589s
9. Simon Trummer Rapax + 36.246s
10. Johnny Cecotto Arden + 37.459s
11. Kevin Ceccon Trident + 42.502s
12. James Calado ART + 48.084s
13. Marcus Ericsson DAMS + 48.709s
14. Daniel Abt ART + 53.482s
15. Ryo Haryanto Addax + 59.146s
16. Jake Rosenzweig Addax + 1m05.997s
17. Nathanael Berthon Trident + 1m10.696s
18. Rene Binder Lazarus + 1m11.776s
19. Julian Leal Racing Engineering + 1m19.886s
20. Sergio Canamasas Caterham + 1m20.456s
21. Robin Frijns Hilmer + 1 lap
Retirements:
Driver Team/Car Laps
Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 27
Mitch Evans Arden 25
Stephane Richelmi DAMS 20
Paul Varhaug Hilmer 4
Daniel de Jong MP 1
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Fabio Leimer Fastest After Rain-Struck Practice At Bahrain
Swiss driver Fabio Leimer has ended the GP2 practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix fastest for Spanish outfit Racing Engineering, after a rain-struck 30-minute practice session in preparation for qualifying later this afternoon. The 24-year-old was phenomenally quick, and finished ahead of Sam Bird and Stefano Coletti.
The practice session began in overcast weather conditions, with rain showers in the vicinity of the Bahrain International Circuit. Simon Trummer became the first driver to take to the track as the session began, and led out a long queue of awaiting drivers who were all eager to begin their preparations for the weekend ahead. Series rookie Alexander Rossi set the initial pace for Caterham Racing with a 01:53.815, which was instantly beaten by his Spanish team-mate of Sergio Canamasas who managed to set a 01:53.144.
As rain began to threaten proceedings around the Bahrain International Circuit, Fabio Leimer stormed to the top of the timing sheets for Racing Engineering with a superlative 01:42.369. The Swiss driver managed to continue progressing at the front, setting a 01:41.361 as the rain began to intensify overheard. This saw several drivers make mistakes as the session wore on, with GP2 debutant Robin Frijns spinning at Turn 8 for Hilmer Motorsport. The Dutchman, who is replacing Conor Daly at the new outfit, luckily managed to continue circulating after his minor spin.
Whilst one Racing Engineering driver asserted strong authority at the front in the form of Fabio Leimer, his team-mate of Julian Leal stalled at the exit of the pit-lane. His pit crew sprinted down to his stricken machine to restart his car, only for Leal to come under investigation by the stewards for having his car worked upon outside of the pit lane. The Colombian driver eventually finished the session 15th overall. Johnny Cecotto jr. was one of many drivers to push too hard during the one and only practice session, with the Venezuelan driver running extensively wide at Turn 13.
Irregardless of the tricky track conditions, Fabio Leimer dominated proceedings at the top of the timing sheets and eventually finished the session a stunning one second ahead of Sam Bird for Russian Time. Championship leader Stefano Coletti rounded out the top three, as he aims to defend his early Championship lead after a tremendous display of driving last time out in Malaysia. The teams and drivers will return to the Bahrain International Circuit later in the day, when the grid will be determined for the feature race on Saturday afternoon.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap 1. Fabio Leimer Racing Engineering 1m41.361s 2. Sam Bird Russian Time 1m42.421s + 1.060s 3. Stefano Coletti Rapax 1m42.628s + 1.267s 4. Alexander Rossi Caterham 1m42.636s + 1.275s 5. Marcus Ericsson DAMS 1m42.666s + 1.305s 6. Felipe Nasr Carlin 1m42.687s + 1.326s 7. James Calado ART 1m42.718s + 1.357s 8. Tom Dillmann Russian Time 1m42.734s + 1.373s 9. Johnny Cecotto Arden 1m42.803s + 1.442s 10. Daniel Abt ART 1m42.943s + 1.582s 11. Stephane Richelmi DAMS 1m43.035s + 1.674s 12. Simon Trummer Rapax 1m43.054s + 1.693s 13. Mitch Evans Arden 1m43.063s + 1.702s 14. Sergio Canamasas Caterham 1m43.092s + 1.731s 15. Julian Leal Racing Engineering 1m43.156s + 1.795s 16. Jolyon Palmer Carlin 1m43.188s + 1.827s 17. Kevin Ceccon Trident 1m43.271s + 1.910s 18. Kevin Giovesi Lazarus 1m43.280s + 1.919s 19. Jake Rosenzweig Addax 1m43.310s + 1.949s 20. Rio Haryanto Addax 1m43.356s + 1.995s 21. Rene Binder Lazarus 1m43.620s + 2.259s 22. Nathanael Berthon Trident 1m43.670s + 2.309s 23. Robin Frijns Hilmer 1m43.875s + 2.514s 24. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs MP 1m44.002s + 2.641s 25. Daniel de Jong MP 1m44.200s + 2.839s 26. Pal Varhaug Hilmer 1m44.915s + 3.554s
Picture Copyright © Alastair Staley/GP2 Series Media Service
Stefano Coletti Holds Off Felipe Nasr To Secure Sprint Race Victory At Malaysia
Stefano Coletti held off the charging Carlin of Felipe Nasr to secure a sensational sprint race victory at Malaysia, after the Monegasque driver stormed through from 7th to dominate the thrilling 22-lap event. Reigning GP3 Champion Mitch Evans managed to finish an excellent 3rd, ahead of poleman Stephane Richelmi in 4th.
Prior to the start of the sprint race it was officially confirmed that Caterham’s Ma Qing Hua would not participate in the race after suffering from gastroenteritis throughout the weekend. This therefore only saw 25 cars take to the grid, however only 24 lined up after the formation lap after Jolyon Palmer stalled on the grid and was forced to start from the pits. At the start, Stefano Coletti enjoyed a sensational getaway and stormed into the lead around the outside of Stephane Richelmi at Turn 2. Further back down the order Kevin Ceccon stalled on the grid, however the Italian driver was able to return to the track a lap down a little later.
As the pack jostled for position on the run down to Turn 4, James Calado struck the rear of Fabio Leimer’s car, thus damaging his front wing. The Briton then ran straight across the grass and T-boned Leimer’s Racing Engineering team-mate of Julian Leal and the Russian Time of Sam Bird. Naturally all three cars were forced into retirement, with Sam Bird eventually coming to a frustrating halt towards the end of the opening lap.
For the majority of the early stages of the race, Stefano Coletti controlled proceedings at the front roughly two seconds ahead of Felipe Nasr in the Carlin with Stephane Richelmi in 3rd. As the race began to draw to a conclusion, Pirelli’s tyres began to fade on all of the cars, therefore creating the usual excitement throughout the final laps. Nathaniel Berthon was forced to pit on Lap 14 due to extreme wear on his tyres, however the Frenchman then proceeded to set the fastest lap of the race on his new set of tyres. Further up the order saw Stephane Richelmi heavily out-brake himself into Turn 15, allowing Mitch Evans storm up the inside and into 3rd position.
After storming to a sensational victory during the feature race, Fabio Leimer’s sprint race went from bad to worse on Lap 17 when Swiss driver ran extensively wide at Turn 11. This saw him return back onto the track right into a battle between Jolyon Palmer and Tom Dillmann. As the trio jostled for position throughout the remainder of the lap, Marcus Ericsson, Adrian Quaife-Hobbs and Sergio Canamasas all fought relentlessly behind them as the laps continued to tick away.
As the leading duo began Lap 19, Felipe Nasr gradually began to reel in Stefano Coletti, despite the Monegasque ace having led the entire race. Further behind the leading duo, Fabio Leimer and Tom Dillmann made minor contact through Turn 2, as they continued to jostle for 11th position. Despite his late surge for the lead, Felipe Nasr was unable to catch and overtake Stefano Coletti for the lead, as the Rapax driver crossed the line to take his third race victory in GP2. Felipe Nasr was forced to settle for 2nd position, as Mitch Evans finished an amazing 3rd in only his second outing in the Series.
This victory for Stefano Coletti has seen him take the lead in the Drivers’ Championship, after a weekend a mature driving from the 23-year-old Rapax driver. The GP2 paddock will reconvene in several weeks time for the second round of the season at Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Picture Copyright © Glenn Dunbar/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
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