Interview with Tridents Stefano Coletti

Paul Racard TEST

Preparations for 2011 have already started at Trident Racing's. The team hit the track at Paul Ricard with the series' new-generation Dallara, set to be lined-up in the next three seasons, and with the newcoming Pirelli tires. The team also got the chance to meet 21-year-old Stefano Coletti. The Monaco-based driver will enter a full 2011 season with Maurizio Salvadori and his team. The day turned out to be really valuable for the whole team, as no mechanical issues stopped the scheduled work program. Trident Racing is now looking forward to the final run of the season, scheduled at Abu Dhabi. The 4-day test session will be the last  using the current 2008-2010 package and the Bridgestone tires.

Q&A with Stefano Coletti

That might sound like a pretty obvious question... what are your feelings after having tested the new GP2 Series racecar?

“Some extremely positive feelings, the car's performance really surprised me, especially for the grip level”.

You did not log a lot of laps with the old GP2 car, but could you make a sense of the differences with the new ones?

“I didn't drive the old GP2 Series car for many kilometers indeed, but with the new one I was really impressed by the front end's handling. It's much more responsive, and there's a lot of traction while going in and out of the corner. In terms of pure speed, I think that the new aero package has less drag and, as a result, the car seems faster on straights”.

Were you able to get some feedback from the new Pirelli tires?

“I can't say much about that, since we only had the chance to use one set with an hard compound. I can confirm that the tire is really consistent, as the overall performance level stayed the same from start to finish”.

How was your first impression of the Trident Racing team?

“I'm really satisfied. The car has been perfect and we ran completely flawless during the whole day. I've got the impression of an hard-working and high-quality team”.

Your next run will be next week at Abu Dhabi. That will be the last testing chance of 2010, what do you expect from it?

“The test will definitely be a pretty good occasion to learn a racetrack which I hadn't known before, and to start building a profitable relation with all the team's staff and technicians I'll rejoin next season. It'll be a good opportunity to get to know each other better and start comparing some ideas for 2011”.

You had a pretty intense 2010 season, as you raced in both the Formula Renault 3.5 and the GP3 Series. Why did you decide to move to GP2?

“I already wanted to enter the 2010 GP2 Main Series, but I just haven't found the right budget to lay down a good program. We all know the GP2 Series is the final showcase for a driver to try make the jump to Formula 1, so you have to be here”.

Did you already set some goals for 2011 or you're still waiting for the test?

“I'm really looking forward to the next season, and I trust the team a lot. My goal is to end up among the championship's top-5”.


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