Track configuration 2A: 4.087 Km
Driver: Dani Clos Lucas Di Grassi
Morning time: 1’09”047 - 2nd position 1’09”169 - 6th position
Afternoon time: 1’08”961 - 2nd position 1’08”841 - 1st position
Productive second test day for Fat Burner Racing Engineering during the Paul Ricard GP2 test, where both the team’s drivers - Lucas Di Grassi and Dani Clos - finished the day at the top of the timesheets.
During the second day of testing, running on the 2A track configuration, Fat Burner Racing Engineering had a trouble-free session and continued working on its planned program, focusing on the drivers’ familiarization with the team and the 2009 car, which has a more powerful engine than last season, as well as evaluating all the developments done during the winter period.
Rookie Dani Clos finished second behind Grosjean (1’09”015) in today’s morning session after having completed a total of 43 laps and registering his best time at 1’09”047. His team-mate Lucas Di Grassi was sixth, setting his best time at 1’09”180.
Although lap times are not part of this week’s plans, both Dani and Lucas continued showing an amazing pace during the afternoon session while carrying on to focus on their respective test programs. At the end of the day, Lucas topped the timesheets, setting a new GP2 track record for the A2 configuration, with a lap time of 1’08”841, while Dani repeated his morning place with a time of 1’08”961, finishing the session in an excellent second position.
Lucas Di Grassi: “So far, the tests in Paul Ricard are going very well. Yesterday I finished second and today I am first. Our aim is to validate the car’s development done during the winter, so we are not really concerned about the lap times. We need to concentrate on making the car better and faster for the races. Overall, I am happy with the test results”.
Dani Clos: “This was a very positive day. We basically worked on developing the car as much as possible. For me it is very important to get track time and get used to the car more and more. These two days have actually been the first time I have driven this car in the dry. The balance of the day is very positive and the engineers, the entire team, have made a good job. We tried several things during the day and we finished with a very efficient and fast car”.
Andrew Ferguson, chief engineer Racing Engineering: “These first two days of testing are quite positive as results go. But more importantly, the work over the Winter period has proven very positive as far as car development for the upcoming season, which will include, among other things, challenging new tyre compounds. Overall the team is gelling very well and we will continue to push and develop during the rest of the pre-season testing”.
