a1-team-brasil-taupo-new-zealand-sydney-australia-sergio-jimenez-eastern-creek

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, Round 5 - Taupo, New Zealand

A1 Team Brasil picked up five valuable championship points today when Sergio Jimenez finished the Taupo feature race in sixth place at round five of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. Earlier in the day Team Brasil finished 13th in the feature race after Sergio was forced off track to avoid a first corner collision, costing a points finishing position.

Starting tenth in the 14-lap sprint race, Sergio had no chance to gain positions as he was forced off the circuit on turn one to avoid an incident between Malaysia, Switzerland and Canada, and he dropped to 19th position. Following a safety car period he was up to 18th following Team GBR’s dash into the pits and then passed Mexico on lap seven for 17th. Sergio made passes on China and Indonesia on lap nine to move up to 15th and then gained a further position a lap later with the retirement of the Czech Republic. On lap 11 he gained one more place with a great overtake on Team Lebanon, and crossed the finish line in 13th.

Sergio began from 11th on the grid for the afternoon’s feature race, and gained one place after the start. He moved up a position again after the restart and was up to seventh by lap five as Team GBR retired and Team Switzerland took a drive through penalty. On lap seven sprint race winners and home favourites New Zealand snatched seventh from Brasil and Sergio remained in eighth position throughout his two mandatory pitstops. On lap 38 he passed South Africa for seventh and, two laps later when Switzerland made another pitstop, Sergio moved up to sixth place, the position in which he crossed the line.

A1 Team Brasil leaves New Zealand in 11th place in the championship with 27 points. However, the team is now just one point adrift of both India and China, and will be looking to move up the championship ladder in a fortnight’s time when A1GP moves to Eastern Creek, Australia, for round six of the championship.

Sergio Jimenez: "I have to be happy that we got some points in the bag this afternoon and finished in a strong position but qualifying did not go to plan yesterday, we could easily have been in the top five and we had the race pace to match that. We changed the car for the races today and it was such a shame in the sprint race because I was touched by Malaysia and went off track.

That cost us points for sure because I made a very good start and we could have finished in the top six. For the feature race we started 11th and I had a very good start and the pace was good.

The car was difficult to drive because we had too much understeer, although that was okay by the end but we need to look at that problem. The guys were fantastic in the pitstops and I am really proud of their work today.

For Australia we need to work on improving qualifying because we have the speed in the race and we need to put ourselves in a better starting position."

Sprint Race

1. New Zealand - 15pts

2. Germany - 12pts

3. France - 10pts

13. Brasil

Feature Race

1. Germany - 15pts

2. Canada - 12pts

3. France - 10pts

6. Brasil - 5pts

Championship

1. New Zealand - 82pts

2. France - 80pts

3. Switzerland - 80pts

11. Brasil - 27pts

www.a1teambra.com

- Rebecca Banks, A1 Team Brasil -
more photos on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - A1GP Series

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