With only days until his start in the GP2 Asia season, 2007 Champion Jérôme D’Ambrosio continued the development programme of the 2008 Formula Master single-seater in Racalmuto, Sicily.
D’Ambrosio completed 125 laps over the two-day test, which took place Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 January, whilst the test team activity focused on putting the new Honda K20A engine through its paces using the Autodromo Valle dei Templi’s need for low speed accelerations.
“It keeps the engine hot!” said D’Ambrosio. “There’s no part of the circuit that allows the engine to rest so the temperatures are higher and the stress on the engine is more significant than other tracks. It’s a good way to test it and it passed.”
The Champion now flies to Dubai for the first of two tests in GP2 Asia with DAMS ahead of the season starting next week. He will be joined by Formula Master graduate Marcello Puglisi, also racing in GP2 Asia with Minardi Piquet Sports, along with 2008 Formula Master driver Harald Schlegelmilch (Trident Racing).
Formula 3 Euroseries’ Schlegelmilch is one of three drivers to race with the new Formula Master team Trident Racing when the season starts in May, as will be fellow Euroseries racer Sergey Afanasiev who joins JD Motorsport.
“It’s good to see so many of our drivers in GP2 after only one Formula Master season,” said Series Director Mauro Sipsz. “The link between the two series is getting stronger with every step we take, whether it is from a technical point of view with the Formula Master race car, or the cross-over in teams and drivers that has developed.
“Best of luck to D’Ambrosio and Puglisi, both have proven their talent time and time again during their season with us and we wish them all the best in GP2 Asia.”
Teams involved for 2008 to date (Alphabetical order)
TEAM - COUNTRY - # OF CARS - DRIVERSADM Motorsport Italy 3 Michele Caliendo (ITA)
Frankie Provenzano (ITA)Alan Racing Italy 3 TBAAR Motorsport The Netherlands 2 TBABicar Racing Italy 1 TBACram Competition Italy 3 Pablo Sanchez Lopez (MEX)
Arturo Llobell (ESP)Euronova Racing United Kingdom 4 TBAIris Project Switzerland 2 TBAISR Czech Republic 2 TBAJD Motorsport Italy 3 Sergey Afanasiev (RUS)Jenzer Motorsport Switzerland 2 TBAPerformance Racing Sweden 2 TBAPro Motorsport Italy 3 TBAScuderia Famà Italy 2 Luca Persiani (ITA)
Gwendolyn Hertzberger (NED)Team JVA United Kingdom 2 TBATrident Racing Italy 3 Harald Schlegelmilch (LAT)
