This weekend DAMS competed in the 2 Formula BMW Europe Championship races, curtain raisers to the F1 German Grand Prix on the Hockenheim circuit.
Kevin Breysse and Jim Pla used this round to show their potential and get to grips with their rivals. The 2 Frenchmen were in 12th and 21st positions on the grid for race 1 and finished 14th and 21st respectively after 13 hectic laps.
This morning, Kevin was 6th on the grid and he managed to gain a place to finish 5th. At present he is tenth overall with 53 points. Jim was less fortunate. He started from 19th spot and crossed the line seventeenth. He is in 24th place in the championship.
The young Swiss driver, Joël Volluz, who joined the team for the German round also showed a fine turn of speed. He started from 15th on the grid for the 1st race, in which he didn’t see the flag due to a collision. He was in 17th spot for race 2 and again fell foul of the battling tail-enders finishing 23rd.
Halfway through the 2008 Formula BMW Europe Championship DAMS is in 8th place in the teams’ classification. Next round: Budapest from 1st to 3rd August.
Eric Boullier, team manager: “DAMS has shown strong potential in the races and we’re satisfied with our drivers’ work. Starting from higher up on the grid, we should be able to have a very competitive second half of the championship.”
Kevin Breysse: “This weekend finished better than it started. I was aiming for eighth place in race 1, but track incidents decided otherwise. In the second event the car was handling well. When I got up to fifth the four leaders had already opened up a gap and there was no way I could catch them. Our aim in the next race is to qualify better and to get on the pace quicker.”
Jim Pla: “It’s been a rather disappointing weekend as I thought I was quick enough, but it didn’t bring the results I’d hoped for given my speed. I’ll do my best to remedy this in Budapest.”
Joël Volluz: “I’ve got mixed feelings as I should have done better this weekend. But when you start from far back on the grid the risks of a collision are much higher and I paid the cost. I have to qualify better as I reckon I’ve got the speed to score points.”
