2005 INTERNATIONAL GP2 SERIES - ROUND 12, QUALIFYING & RACE 1 - SAKIHIR, BAHRAIN
With a different schedule to previous race weekends, the GP2 teams qualified yesterday morning in two half an hour sessions with a combined fastest time to create the line up for the 34 lap race in the afternoon. Unfortunately Adam’s qualifying did not go as well as hoped. He struggled with under steer, and then in the second qualifying got his two fastest laps taken away as they were achieved under a waving yellow flag, meaning Adam started the race in 19th position. Giorgio drove well in qualifying and finished in fourth, but unfortunately lost two places at the start of the race. He managed to recover a place when the team did a brilliant pit stop to go on a finish the race in 5th.
Adam came through from the back of the grid, pitting early for two rear tyres, demonstrating some great overtaking manoeuvres to finally finish race one in 9th position.
The podium trio were both of the ART drivers, Rosberg claiming first place 11.5 seconds ahead of his team mate Premat. Followed by Kovalainen for Arden, securing both their positions in the championship.
Giorgio Pantano Qualified 4th (P5)“I feel like the qualifying lap went well, we have a good chance to gain a couple of tenths but still not enough to be up there with the leading drivers. I am looking forward to racing later! I think we made a good start, and although I made a few mistakes & lost a place, in the end we did our best and came fourth. We are looking forward to tomorrow, and going out to try and win!”
Adam Carroll Qualified 19th (P9)“Unfortunately we had to start from the back of the grid in 19th. A yellow flag came out just as I was doing my fastest lap, and the stewards took away my two quickest times. It’s a shame we couldn’t finish 8th today I tried as hard as I could but just couldn’t quite get close enough to Ernesto. But we can still have a good race from 9th on the grid. ”
Team Principal – David Sears“Giorgio Pantano got over his jet lag from his racing last weekend in USA with IRL where he finished a fine fourth, to end up in fourth place on the grid for this afternoon. Giorgio is as quick as anyone else and probably quicker on used tyres, which bodes well for the race this afternoon.
Adam Carroll struggled quite a lot with the balance of the car, complaining of lack of grip all round. Adam ended up in 11th place, half a second slower than his teammate. Adam knows that his results this weekend will be really important for his overall finishing place in the championship
Giorgio Pantano started fourth today but unfortunately dropped two places on the first lap, but gained one back in a quick pit stop, to finish 5th at the flag, moving up one place to seventh in the driver championship. With a few points tomorrow Giorgio can finish in the top 6 in this championship.Adam Carroll drove a strong race from 19th on the grid after his fastest times were taken away as they were achieved under waving yellow flags. Adam drove an excellent race to finish 9th just behind Ernesto Viso, his Formula 3 teammate from last year.
The final race of the year will for the GP2 Series will take place at 3pm today.”
