04/03/2010
NEWS STORY
On a historic day when the GP3 Series kicked into life, Status Grand Prix came through with a solid performance as its three drivers got to grips with the all-new Renault-powered Dallara cars at the Paul Ricard HTTT circuit in southern France.
The Silverstone-based team, which arrives in GP3 off the back of winning the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport title, encountered a few new-car problems, but worked through the issues to complete over 400kms of valuable running.
Russian driver Ivan Lukashevich enjoyed a trouble-free day of consistent progress as he returned to the cockpit after a year on the sidelines. The 18-year-old, selected as a part of the driver development programme of Russian supercar builder Marussia Motors, completed nearly 50 laps and cut his lap times on each run.
Lebanon's Daniel Morad had his track time limited by engine-related problems, while the crew running Robert Wickens' car overcame some electrical gremlins to allow him to post the fifth fastest time of the day on a used set of tyres, while many other runners were out on fresh rubber.
"For a first day with a new car, we're pretty satisfied," said team manager Simon Cayzer. "We've got some miles and set-up work under our belt, and gathered some good information about the Pirelli tyres. I pay particular tribute to our 10-man crew which put in a major stint to ensure the cars were ready at the green light this morning. It's a good start."
Daniel Morad: "It's been a frustrating day to have my track time cut short, but it's to be expected with a new car. Having felt its potential though, I really can't wait to start exploring the limit. The guys were up all night and were brilliant. I'll come out fighting tomorrow."
Ivan Lukashevich: "It was a day of learning step by step. This is a much more powerful car with a lot more downforce than anything I've driven before, and I'm getting used to working with the team. My time's not in the position I want, but this is testing and overall I'm pretty happy."
Robert Wickens: "It's been pretty good. The morning session didn't go according to plan - I only did four laps. But the team did a great job and we had a productive afternoon. We're clearly in the front pack with a lot more to come tomorrow."