Jules Bianchi (ART Grand Prix) had a dream weekend on the Zandvoort circuit in the 7th and 8th rounds of the 2009 F3 Euro Series Championship.
The Frenchman arrived in Holland leading the drivers’ championship and bagged pole position as well as scoring 2 victories and setting the fastest lap in both races on the Dutch circuit.
Jules scored the maximum number of points despite the reverse grid system, a performance that no other driver has achieved in the championship since Sebastian Vettel on the Nürburgring in 2006. His successes helped Mercedes-Benz, the team’s partner, to score its 100th win in the championship. Today, Jules leaves Zandvoort with 17 points in hand over his nearest rival.
The next event will take place on the Oschersleben circuit in Germany in two weeks’ time. Before that, he will race in the British F3 Championship round on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit on 25th – 26th July.
“A PERFECT SCENARIO”
Jules, how did the weekend go?
JB: “Like a dream! I arrived at Zandvoort in a very confident frame of mind, and my aim was to put the difficult Masters weekend on the same circuit a little earlier behind me. In free practice, we knew that we could do well and we seized the opportunity with both hands. After setting pole the aim was victory in the first race. Despite a slightly fluffed start and a couple of neutralisations with the safety car, I managed to hold on to the lead and I won by two seconds.”
Despite the reversed grid, you achieved the same feat on Sunday…
JB: “I was eighth at the start and I didn’t reckon I could win. But I was fourth in the first corner, and then I pushed really hard to gain a place. I was up to third when the driver in front of me was handed a penalty by Race Control, and that was when I realised a win was on the cards. I really went for it and caught the leader, and I was all over him on the straight. He decided to close the door, but by leaving his braking very late he locked up his wheels and I was able to slip past. I took the chequered flag with a lead of six seconds. It was the perfect scenario.”
These wins are also the fruit of your excellent relationship with ART Grand Prix, aren’t they?
JB: It’s obvious! Today, ART is like a second family for me. It’s thanks to all the members of the team that I was able to achieve such great results this weekend. I’d like to offer them all my warmest thanks. We had a couple of perfect races. My car was really great this weekend, quicker than ever before. I’m happy to have pulled out a comfortable lead in the overall classification, but nothing’s decided yet and we still have to keep our nose to the grindstone! In two weeks, we’ll be at the Oschersleben a circuit I don’t know, and our aim will be to achieve the same level of performance.”
