BARWA ADDAX TEAM CONGRATULATE THE NEW CHAMPIONS.
After a good weekend at Marina Bay, Singapore, Barwa Addax Team and their drivers ended their participation in this seasons GP2 Series. Johnny Cecotto finished the season with a great race, demonstrating all the qualities he has for the future, and Jake Rosenzweig who has shown that he can compete at this level. The Spanish team would like to congratulate the deserved champions in both the drivers and team category.
Johnny Cecotto, has left a very good taste at the end of the season although the result could have been better. Free practice was in wet conditions. Johnny drove well in difficult circumstances and finished the session in 5th place. In qualification, in dry conditions, he set the 7th fastest lap time, despite being hampered by traffic when he was setting his quickest time. In the first race, he was forced to retire as early as the ninth lap when in trying to avoid a car, involved in an accident up front, he went over one of the pianos which made the front literally take off making him lose control of the car and forcing him to abandon proceedings. In the second race he put on a great demonstration. He started from the back row on the grid and fought his way through the field finishing in a mid table position. He and the Barwa Addax Team took the decision to come in for change of tyres, in what was a risky call to make, because it would leave him at the back of the field. However, as soon as he got back out on track he was sanctioned with a drive through for an earlier incident. Once again he was left stranded at the back of the field. Once the safety car had left the track he started to make a spectacular fightback making some great overtakes, which took him from 24th to an incredible 9th position at the end of the race, just behind the main peloton of leading cars.
Jake Rosenzweig, also had a very creditable weekend in Singapore. On a circuit that was completely new to him he drove very conservative practice stints, especially in the frees when the circuit was very wet. In qualification, when he had picked up the confidence to attack lap times, it was a bit too late to make an important impression. In the first race he showed signs of making progress, helped by good strategy and a good pit stop. He moved up to a mid-field position with a very good race rhythm which was the main objective. It is so much harder when you are among the back markers, fighting to get past very competitive rivals. He finished 15th and in the second race he was able to position himself in the main peloton of drivers after a steady start. He fought it out with other rivals and never looked out of place which says a lot for his progress in only two events.
In the overall classification for the team title the DAMS team came out on top and were worthy champions followed by Lotus GP and 3rd Arden International. Barwa Addax Team 8th in the overall rankings, have dropped out of the top three positions in the team championship for the first time since 2007, when the present management team took over the reins. They would like to congratulate the teams above for the their magnificent season
Davide Valsecchi finished as drivers champion with Luiz Razia runner-up and Esteban Gutierrez, third overall. Once again we congratulate all drivers mentioned, on their wonderful season.Johnny Cecotto finished 9th overall, which included two important victories and two other second placed finishes. The driver has been hampered by various adversities throughout the season but the reputation of Barwa Addax Team together with his unique driving style have helped him reach his main aim, that several Formula 1 teams have shown a real interest in his immediate future. This has been the best news for Cecotto despite everything.Josef Krl finished in 17th position. He had, at least, an important victory at the legendary Spa circuit. There can be no doubt that if it hadnt been for the wretched luck which forced the driver out of almost a third of the races, he would have been in better shape to compete with the leading drivers fighting it out for the championship at the end of the seasonJake Rosenzweig only drove in the last two events of the season, taking on drivers who have had at least one season of experience at this level. Jake has shown signs of his talent, but more importantly it has been his motivation to work hard alongside the team and a willingness to learn in the training stints. Finishing the four races is not common in a driver making his debut in this class.
Johnny Cecotto, official Barwa Addax Team driver: We arrived in Singapore and things started off really well with the fifth time in free practice and I really liked the track from the beginning. In qualifying we were unlucky because with my second set of new tyres I got only one lap and without heat them to do my time and them the red flag came out which end the session early so we were only seventh instead of top 3. In race 1 I made up a position before the pit stop but I was stuck behind Valsecchi who was going slower so we decided to do an early stop but the stop wasn't very good so I lost a place there and we almost caused an accident in the pits because of a release while another car was coming down the fast lane. After that trying to overtake Palmer I made a mistake and could just stop before the wall but engine switched off so that was the end of the race. Race 2 went a lot better after not a lot of luck in the first laps where I got a puncture and them also got a drive through but although we had these problems I manage to pass from P22 to P9 in 7 laps. So it was an amazing recovery with a lot of over takings. All in all it was a positive weekend.
Jake Rosenzweig, official Barwa Addax Team driverIm very satisfied with the work carried out in the last two events of the season which has given me time to get to know the car and a very competitive team at this level. The most important, under these circumstances, werent so much the results. I have been able to concentrate and take advantage of every minute and every lap in practice and during the races and I feel progress has been made. I have learnt a lot and it has been a very positive experience. I would like to thanks Barwa Addax Team and Netjets for making it all possible.
