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
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