Arden racers face a test of patience
Teams have moved from Monte Carlo’s glamorous backdrop to the more industrial setting of Valencia, where a long, challenging track winds its way through the Spanish city’s docks.
Photo by: GP2 Media Service
After a four-week break, the GP2 Series returned to action today with the second consecutive race at a Mediterranean-fringed street circuit. Teams have moved from Monte Carlo’s glamorous backdrop to the more industrial setting of Valencia, where a long, challenging track winds its way through the Spanish city’s docks.
In operation for five seasons, the venue has a reputation as being one of the most difficult at which to pass – and that’s bad news for Arden team-mates Luiz Razia and Simon Trummer. The title-chasing Brazilian lines up only 11th, while his Swiss team-mate starts 17th. It is set to be a race in which patience will most certainly be a virtue.
Luiz Razia comments:
“I didn’t do too much running during free practice, because our strategy for the weekend has been to save tyres. We made some chassis changes before qualifying, but a few small things didn’t go our way and that cost me a better grid position. I felt confident I could qualify in the top five, but it wasn’t to be, We now need to focus hard on getting as much as we can from the car in a race that’s sure to be tough. This has been an average result, given the high standards we’ve set this season, but the fightback starts here...”
Simon Trummer comments:
“We knew the high track temperatures would take their toll on tyres, so I did only a few laps in free practice. It’s not easy to get into a rhythm or find reference points in such a short amount of time, so I was quite pleased to lap within 1.5 seconds of the quickest time. “I tried both types of tyre in qualifying – soft and super-soft – but ended up setting my best time on the former, because I had to pass a couple of yellow flags on my second run. I’m not happy with the final outcome, but at the same time I’m not too disheartened because I know the car had the potential to do better. It’s also my best qualifying result of the season, so I’m looking to build on that and move forwards tomorrow.”
Source: Arden International
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments