05/09/2008
NEWS STORY
iSport International - Karun Chandhok (Pole) Bruno Senna (2nd)
iSport team-mates Karun Chandhok and Bruno Senna took a clean sweep of the first two positions during qualifying for tomorrow's GP2 Series race at Spa, but only provisionally. Chandhok was faster by just 0.061s, but he knew beforehand that he faced a 10-position grid penalty for his part in an accident during the previous race in Valencia. To compound his pain, he was then put back another five places for failing to slow sufficiently at the scene of yellow warning flags.
There were no such problems for Senna, who took pole position for the third time this season and gained two bonus points as he seeks to catch championship leader Giorgio Pantano.
Bruno Senna: "I'm really pleased with my performance today. It was a session in which patience paid off. The track was getting drier throughout the session, despite frequent showers, but it was important not to push so hard that you wrecked your tyres on some of the dry patches that were appearing - consistency was imperative.
"The car was very good and I felt very confident in the rain. I don't mind if conditions remain that way tomorrow, but equally I know we'll be competitive in the dry. I don't mind what happens because I absolutely adore this circuit and love racing here whatever the weather."
Karun Chandhok: "Spa has always been good to me. I qualified on pole here for a wet F3 race and it was also the scene of my first GP2 victory. That was a good lap today and I really don't think I could have done more. I don't know why I was called up for speeding past yellow flags - the track was getting drier and most drivers were going faster than before through certain sectors, but I have to take it on the chin. At least Bruno inherits my 'pole', which helps him in the title chase."
Super Nova Racing - Alvaro Parente (3rd) Andy Soucek (9th)
As the season finale draws closer, the on track action has returned to the popular Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium for the penultimate round of the 2008 GP2 Season.
Keen to move on from the challenges of Valencia, and finish the season on a high note, Super Nova qualified well and in competitive spirit this afternoon, in changeable conditions. A rain shower just before the session, prompted a few last minute alterations, which helped Alvaro Parente gain his front row grid position for tomorrows Feature race. Yellow flags interrupted the flow, and having been fourth quickest out there, Andy Soucek was then unable to better his lap time. A number of penalties have rearranged the line up, and so the Spaniard will begin the 26 lap race from 7th determined and keen to seize as many points before the last round in Monza next weekend.
Team Principal David Sears "It began to rain before the start of the qualifying, but both drivers were competitive throughout. Towards the end of the session there were a few yellow flags, so Alvaro and Andy backed off, while others have been penalised for not adhering to these rules. Alvaro will start on the front row and Andy 7th, although we believe he should be in 4th. The team are looking forward to a great race tomorrow."
Alvaro Parente Q2 "It was good today. The rain started just before we went out so the last minute changes made things interesting. But they worked well. The car felt good, and I was able to attack well and get a good lap in the between all the yellow flags. We were quick all the way through, everyone did a great job today."
Andy Soucek Q7 "I'll start from 7th tomorrow afternoon, as I backed off on the yellow flags and couldn't improve my time. A couple of the drivers, Chandhok and Buemi have been penalised, but still I believe we should have been 4th if not front row. The car felt good, right up there, so let's see what happens."
Racing Engineering - Giorgio Pantano (5th) Javier Villa (22nd)
Giorgio Pantano continued his fight for the 2008 GP2 Championship with a very competitive 5th fastest lap in today’s Qualifying session held on a very wet and slippery Spa Francorchamps circuit.
Once again Giorgio and the Spanish Racing Engineering team were competitive from the first moment the cars took to the track in this morning’s Free Practice with Giorgio finishing the 30 minute session second fastest with a time of 1m 57.103s just 0.048s slower than the quickest time.
However by the time the afternoon qualifying session was due to start the track was very wet with heavy rain falling and all the teams were adjusting their car set-ups to suit the very difficult conditions. Giorgio waited for 6 minutes after the start of Qualifying before leaving the pits and already there had been several incidents with cars running wide and yellow flags being displayed. Visibility was poor and many drivers were finding it difficult to set a good time but not Giorgio who was immediately on the pace with the 5th fastest time.
The session was bought to a halt after 10 minutes when Maldonado crashed and the red flags were shown and all the cars returned to the pits. After a delay of six minutes Qualifying resumed and within a few laps Giorgio had moved his Repsol and Telefónica backed Dallara to the top of the timing list but almost immediately Senna went faster. Over the remaining minutes of the session Giorgio continued to press hard but, as is usual in wet conditions, setting a quick time is often as much a matter of luck as it is of skill and at the end of the session he had to settle for 5th fastest with a 2m 16.291s lap, but he will start from 4th on the grid as Chandhok, who set the quickest time, has a 10-place grid penalty for a collision in the previous race at Valencia.
For Javier Villa neither the Free Practice nor the Qualifying session went well for the young Spaniard, the morning session saw him only able to set the 23rd fastest time with a 1m 59.146s lap. Things did not improve in Qualifying and Javi, who set a fastest lap of 2m 21.482s, will start tomorrow’s Feature Race from 22nd on the grid.
For Giorgio tomorrow’s Feature Race will be a chance to further increase his lead in the Drivers Championship and with the great reliability that the Racing Engineering cars have shown all season a victory is a real possibility. For the Spanish Team a good result for Giorgio will help them in their battle to win the Team Championship in which they lie third, just 12 points behind the leader.
Alfonso de Orleans Borbón (team principal): "Fantastic work from Pantano, considering the difficult conditions, it was a lottery. Both cars went really well, so thanks to the team for their good work. A pity about Javi's position, hopefully he will recover in tomorrow's race."
Javier Villa: "It was a difficult qualifying. It started to rain heavily five minutes before the session started. I did the maximum number of laps to become confident with the car. However, I would have needed some more laps, but the run was over. The car went well, but the difficult conditions didn't allow more. If tomorrow it's dry, we can do a very, very good race."
Giorgio Pantano: "During the last 10 or so minutes of qualifying we had yellow flags, so I couldn't improve my lap time without risking a penalty. Otherwise I am convinced I could have fought for pole. The car is fine and I have a very good feeling. The positive thing is that we are strong in the wet as well as in the dry, which was shown with P2 in free practice. Therefore I am confident about tomorrow's race."
Trident Racing - Mike Conway (8th) Ho Pin Tung (19th)
Mike Conway and Ho Pin Tung will take off respectively from the 6th and 19th position tomorrow, in the first race of the GP2 Main Sereis weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. The qualifying session that decided Race 1's grid started under an heavy rainfall. Mike made a good choice of time, clocking his best time with drying conditions just under the checkered flag. Ho Pin Tung was less lucky, but hopes to profit from the extreme nature of the racetrack to complete a prompt recovery during Race 1, thanks to the many passing opportunities.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Managing Director: "Trident Racing was able to count on a really competitive racecar at Spa-Francorchamps too, allowing Mike Conway to cruise to 3rd row in Qualifying. The Brit clinched a spot on row 2 for tomorrow's Race 1 despite running 2 tenths of a second slower than team-mate Ho Pin Tung in the second split sector. The Chinese was unable to profit from his car's performance and will be forced to start on the 10th row. I hope that today's positive results won't be marred by negative episodes or unfortunate circumstances tomorrow".
Durango - Alberto Valerio (12th) Davide Valsecchi (13th)
The Spa event started very well for Durango with Davide Valsecchi fifth at the end of the first, and dry, practice session. But just few minutes before the start of qualifying the rain started to pour down, Davide drove well even under the rain claiming P4 for a long time. But in the end, when the rain stopped to fall, the fourth place became the thirteenth. This situation being better exploited by Alberto Valerio who has been able to finish on P12.
Ivone Pinton, Durango team principal, said: "Today we deserved at least the second row of the grid but just in the end, while the track was drying, Davide respected a bit too much literally the yellow flags. Alberto on the contrary exploited the situation recovering eight positions. Anyway tomorrow we have good chances to deliver a good job during the feature race."