Race 1
After the tough luck suffere in the qualifying session, when Stephane Richelmi ended up in 22nd and Julian Leal took 23rd on the grid, Trident Racing was off to a prompt rebound in the first GP2 Series race at Monza.
In a eventful and spectacular race, Leal managed to clinch the points zone by rounding out the top-10. richelmi was not too far away too, confirming the good speed potential from both cars.
Both the team's drivers did not commit a single mistake despite the chaotic action at times, and they were also well assisted by the Italian squad with an efficient strategy and first tyre changes.
Following to the results scored in Race 1, Leal will be taking off from row 5 in tomorrow's race, while Richelmi wil sit on the 7th. The closing run of the weekend will benefit from live coverage on top Italian network RAI2 at 10.30.
Julian Leal, 10th
"When you start from the penultimate row on the grid you really don't know what to exspect. Today it went good as I scored valuable points and also had fun. I was pretty concern with the first-lap incidents that are typical of Monza, and when I made it unscattered I started pushing really hard. I passed almost a car per lap as I had good pace and a fast racecar. The strategy played out great like the tyre change itself and I believe that a top-10 finish is what the team and I deserved"
Stephane Richelmi, 13th
"With the exception of a small error on lap 3, I think I gave the best I could from start to finish. It wasn't easy to keep a fast pace all the time epecially because when you start from back you're basically always fighting and that doesn't help nothing to complain about except for yesterday's qualifications"
Race 2
Trident Racing was off to a positive day at Monza in the closing race of the weekend, the Italian one being the 11th round of the 2012 GP2 Series. Julian Leal managed to end up in 8th, scoring points for the fourth time this season. Thanks to an aggressive and error-free ride, he confirmed to be on a largely positive trend in the second part of the season.
Richelmi also drove a really positive race, logging some fast laps and being even faster than the top-3 at times. Despite the fact that he didn't score points, the Monaco-based racer got a great feel with the car and confirmed his top-10 potential on-track.
The GP2 Series is about to take-off for its grand finale at the Singapore street course. For teams and drivers, the closing round of 2012 will be an absolute first time on such a fascinating venue.
Julian Leal, 8th
The start has been good despite I was blocked by Cecotto and we risked a tangle that would have compromised the race. At the first corner I was in 8th, and then after having climbed up to 7th I started to manage my tires. We took-off with a softer compound and I wanted to avoid problems in the closing laps. I also had a tense moment when I was attacked with two to go on the inside of Roggia. I had no choice but cutting the chicane and I literally took-off over the kerb. Luckily the car was not damaged and I made it to the finish. I'm happy with the overall balance of the weekend. I ended up with two points positions and I confirmed the steady progress of the last few rounds.
Stphane Richelmi, 9th
I'm really happy with my race pace today and I think we were among the fastest on-track. I paid a big price for a certain lack of aggression in the first couple of laps that cost me positions. With a more aggressive attitude in the first couple of laps I would have ended up into the points zone easily, but that's been also a good experience for the future. Even though, with such tough qualifying I couldn't end up on top, the speed potential is clear and positive.
