23/02/2006
NEWS STORY
Ireland's sights on achieving a race victory in the inaugural A1 Grand Prix series will focus on the Parque Fundidora in Monterrey for this weekend's Mexican A1GP event. The track, built to host American ChampCar racing five years ago, is expected to suit A1 Team Ireland's Ralph Firman, its low-grip characteristics being best suited to the precise style of the former Jordan Formula One driver.
The 2.104 miles/3.386 kms circuit features no fewer than 13 corners, including two chicanes, but with several straights leading into tight turns there are two or three clear overtaking opportunities. A1 Team Ireland's crew arrived in Mexico on Tuesday evening and are busily preparing the race-car. Ralph Firman arrived a full day later direct from Japan, having attended Honda's launch of its 2006 Motorsports Program in Tokyo on Monday where he was announced as a Team Honda Racing driver for the Japanese SuperGT Championship. He then tested the works Honda NSX SuperGT racer at Suzuka on Tuesday before flying to Mexico in time for this weekend's event.
"I am looking forward to this weekend, as always, but there is an edge to what we want to achieve because the team is frustrated," said Firman. "We have been very disappointed with the results of the last three races in particular. It's been a story of what might have been, whether in Dubai, Durban or Jakarta. We're quick, but a combination of reliability issues and sheer bad luck at time has killed our chances. All I know is, we have the speed and we now need the consistency and reliability throughout the weekend to give A1 Team Ireland the result we deserve. I will be walking around the track on Thursday to see what it is like, and I have already had one or two tips. Low grip seems to be a feature of the circuit, so I know what to expect."
Assisting Firman throughout the weekend will be Michael Devaney, the 21 year old from Rathfarnham, Dublin, who has acted as reserve driver all season including driving for the team in the races in Brands Hatch, UK, and Eastern Creek, Australia. Devaney has been attending all A1GP events with the team and recently took on data-engineering duties, downloading data from the car and working with Firman and race engineer Andy Miller.
"I've been really impressed with Michael's technical ability," said Miller. "He has been working hard for the team every weekend, doing everything and anything from pit board to polishing bodywork, but when we gave him a lap top and asked him to help with the data engineering he really got into it. It's very useful having Michael do this job for the team because he's able to look at the data from the point of view of the driver. He's also learning more as well."
"It's been good fun and very useful doing the data job and working with Andy and Ralph," admits Devaney. "It's been a bit frustrating coming to the races but not actually driving. I have been doing lots of jobs around the team to keep myself busy, but the data side is very interesting. It teaches me a lot about what's going on from an engineering point of view, and it's also good to play a direct part in helping Andy and Ralph to make the car go as fast as possible.
A1 Team Ireland's objective this weekend is to put the disappointments of recent races behind it and concentrate on securing good results in both the Sprint and Feature races on Sunday.
"We are currently 7th in the series and that doesn't make us happy, we need to progress," said Team Principal Mark Gallagher. "Our position is below our expectation, but I also think we have set our sights pretty high for the team's first season. We've always said we are here to win and that hasn't changed. The one thing that has changed is that we have been more frustrated as the season has progressed. With three race weekends remaining we are running out of time. We know the Irish fans, media and the sponsors we have been speaking to want to see us succeed, so we just have to keep our heads down and work hard to make it happen. If it doesn't come it won't be through lack of trying."