After a successful point-scoring outing at the first round of the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Strakka Racing is set for arguably the most important race of the year on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Being part of the FIA Formula One World Championship support package for the weekend means Strakka Racing’s drivers Tio Ellinas and Gustav Malja will be racing in front of the world’s best teams and drivers as well as having to tackle a slightly different weekend format.
The round at Monaco will feature just one race as opposed to the standard FR3.5 weekend’s double-header format. The new for 2015 aero rules are not in force this weekend meaning the teams will be able to choose their own setup for the single race.
Tio Ellinas will be hoping to use his previous experience from GP3 at the legendary circuit to help secure the crucial strong qualifying result needed to improve on his top-four finish in race-two in the challenging conditions at Aragon.
“I’ve driven at Monaco in GP2 last season and GP3 back in 2013,” says Ellinas. “It’s obvious but qualifying is crucial and I’m hoping my experience means I can be on the pace from the start of the weekend. I had two top-10 finishes in 2013, so there’s no reason that I can’t improve on that this weekend.”
Strakka Racing’s second driver, Gustav Malja on the other hand is new to Monaco, but has undertaken some crucial preparation. Malja competed in the Formula 3 European Championship on the streets of Pau in France last weekend to become acclimatised to competing on a street circuit.
“Before racing at Pau I had no experience racing on street tracks,” Malja explains. “It’s extremely challenging because the margin for error is so small, but by the end of the weekend in Pau I was far more confident with my ability and feel as prepared as I can be. I’ve also driven Monaco on the Strakka simulator and studied clips from previous years. I think I can be competitive, especially among the other Monte rookies.
“I really can’t wait to get out on track and see what it’s like in reality.”
The race will be held at 1110 CET on Sunday 24th May with practice on Friday and qualifying on Saturday.
