ONE HAND ON THE TROPHY…
Two rounds to go! The 2013 season is flying by as the GP3 Series heads to the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the penultimate round of the season. Potentially both the drivers’ and teams’ championships can be decided during Round 7 in Italy, therefore it again promises to be another exhilarating ride to glory.
The legendary Spa-Francorchamps was the scene for the previous GP3 round. MW Arden’s Carlos Sainz bagged his first pole position but it was his teammate Daniil Kvyat who made the better get-away from the front row to claim his maiden victory. The Russian held off Conor Daly to the flag in a race which featured several safety cars.
Previous Series leader Tio Ellinas secured reverse pole for Race 2 but his championship hopes were dashed after Melville McKee made contact with him heading into La Source, putting the Cypriot into retirement.
Alexander Sims grabbed his opportunity to move into P1 and brought home Carlin’s first victory of the 2013 campaign. Daly again finished second but the big winner was ART Grand Prix’s Facu Regalia, recording two third places to take the Series lead by 14 points.
The Argentine driver on 115 points has his teammate Daly as his closest rival whilst Ellinas lies in third on 95 points. Kevin Korjus and Kvyat are on 93 and 88 respectively and are also still in the hunt for the winning trophy. Depending on results, championship could be decided this weekend, but with so many drivers chasing the silverware, it has all the markings of a title decider at the season finale in Abu Dhabi.
ART Grand Prix continue to hold an impressive advantage in the Team Standings on 291 points with MW Arden (195) and Koiranen GP (168). The French squad could clinch a fourth consecutive team championship this weekend if they finish 104 points clear of their next rivals.
Monza is a circuit steeped in history and alive with a very passionate atmosphere thanks to the devoted Tifosi. It’s also a venue which saw a remarkable climax to the 2012 GP3 title fight and a circuit where anything can happen. The 5.793km track has fast, long straights perfect for over-taking and all these factors combined promise to deliver an unforgettable weekend in the battle for supremacy.
This weekend Pirelli have nominated the Pirelli tyre.
Pirelli’s Racing Manager Mario Isola commented: “This is the race we’ve all been waiting for. Not only is Monza the home round for Pirelli, which makes the whole atmosphere electric, but it is also one of the most challenging circuits of the year for the tyres. Tyre degradation is generally low but there are some key areas on the circuit the drivers must watch out for such as Parabolica, which places a lot of energy on the front-left tyres in particular and can sometimes cause blistering, as well as all the long and fast straights. For GP3, the teams will use the hard compound that should give the drivers maximum grip and durability on the flat-out sections. As Monza is the penultimate round for GP3, the drivers who are still in winning contention for this year’s title will have to think of the best strategy to ensure a maximum points gain. In saying that, championships have been won and lost at Monza in the past so as always the teams will need to ensure they get their tyre management exactly right.”
