Race 1
The picture-perfect atmosphere of the Abu Dhabi circuit in the United Arab Emirates welcomed the GP2 Series teams and drivers for the last round of the 2013 GP2 Series this weekend. The race activity entered its hotly-contested stage today at the Yas Marina track with the running of Race 1.
Trident did not collect the results the team hoped for because some unlucky breaks suffered during the race. Both Berthon and Raimondo did not take-off from their respective qualifying positions and started from the pit-lane. Berthon also saw his chances disappear due to an engine failure during the last lap, while Raimondo ended up in 17th place, topping the still-classified Berthon.
The final race of the season will be starting tomorrow at 13:15 with live coverage throughout the globe including the countries covered by the Sky Sport network.
Gianmarco Raimondo - P17
“In the pre-race procedure I made a mistake and ended up overheating the clutch, and unfortunately that caused me to stall at the start. Luckily we also had a positive break as a safety-car situation came as soon as we started so I was able to regain the ground lost. I don’t think I delivered a bad performance, I’m trying to grow some experience and trying to recover the ground lost compared to the other drivers that are in the car since last winter. I held my pace, trying to battle with the closest rivals, and also set a good pace with the Super Soft tires. My goal is to line-up in the 2014 GP2 Series and I’m using these races to train myself. This weekend I’m collecting a better feedback in terms of laptimes compared to Singapore, and that means I’m on the right path. I also responded better from a physical point of view and this is great news to me”.
Nathanael Berthon - P18
“The starting procedure was chaotic. At the back of the grid they waved the green flag although there was one car with issues, and as we moved away, I found myself behind that car. In an attempt to avoid it, I veered to the right and stalled the engine. We had a good strategy even though we lost some seconds during the pit-stop, but the choice of the moment prove perfect. For all the race I experienced some engine issues as I struggled in overtaking. Then, the problems just got bigger until the failure during the last lap”.
Race 2
Trident ended the last race of the weekend at Abu Dhabi with Nathanael Berthon ending up in 13th and Gianmarco Raimondo finishing in 15th place. As teams and drivers crossed the line in Race 2 at Yas Marina, the 2013 GP2 Series season came to its completion.
For the teams, and and several of the drivers, the engines won’t stop with the running of a collective test session at Abu Dhabi. The 3-day test will feature many of the series’ stars plus some fresh new rookie racers aiming to make their GP2 breakthrough.
Nathanael Berthon – P13
“I had a bad start off the line and I struggled more a lot with the lack of traction from the rear tire. I started with the tires I used during the race yesterday and I had a tough time off the corners when driving on the following straights. However, I fought with the other drivers but I saw some reckless behaviour that should have been punished. Chicane cuts, continuous blocking on the straight and other infraction. It didn’t feel right to jeopardize the team’s work and mine by making risky moves that would have broken the rules”.
Gianmarco Raimondo – P15
“I’m satisfied with the feedback from today’s race. I had the right pace to be in-line with my direct opponents, and managed to fight with them on equal terms. At the start I improved my position, but the first-lap melee made me lose the spots gained. I’m happy because everything went well, we improved throughout the race and I got more experience which will be key in the future. The car isn’t easy to set-up, but the team definitely helped me with that”.
