Barwa International Campos Team - GP2 Champions 2008

With the 2008 season in the GP2 now finished after this morning´s last race at Monza, the Spanish team Barwa International Campos Team has achieved a series of marvelous results and as a result has been proclaimed Winner of the Constructor´s Championship. Lucas Di Grassi has finished third overall in the driver´s championship and Vitaly Petrov seventh.

The race took place on a wet track, which started to dry out with the drivers creating a dry line. There was still excitement and important points to be won to decide the constructor´s title, as well as second and third overall in the driver´s championship. A more than controversial decision by the race stewards complicated life for the Valencian team when Lucas Di Grassi was penalized with a "drive through", ruining what had been until then a magnificent race by the Brazilian, who had worked his way back to be among the leaders. Once more Vitaly Petrov suffered a bad stroke of luck, having to abandon the race due to the action of another driver.

Nevertheless, Vitaly Petrov has finished in a creditable seventh place overall which has consolidated his progress as a driver in the 2008 season. Vitaly who made made his debut in this class in 2006 finishing 29th, moved up to 13th overall in the 2007 season. He was third in this year´s Asian Series followed by this 7th place overall in the present GP2 Series which would indicate he is now competing with the best. At the age of 24 the Russian driver has a lot to offer for next year´s championship.

Lucas Di Grassi finished the championship in an extraordinary 3rd place overall and has demonstrated that he has been the best and most consistent driver in the field, having started the season later than any other driver. He ended up just one point behind the runner up in the championship and was only thirteen points from the championship, after having competed in six races less than all his rivals in a championship that consists of 20 races. It would be true to say that without having competed in almost a third of the races, not only has he finished on the podium overall ahead of various illustrious rivals but has shown he morally deserved to be champion.

Barwa International Campos Team has achieved a historic result in becoming overall champion in the team competition, as they are the first Spanish team to win a title as important as this in the world of motor racing. Without doubt this consolidates a project that started out 12 years ago and was founded by Adrián Campos. Since then his teams have won all the championships in which they have competed.

When the team first participated in the GP2 Series in 2005 and 2006, the results were quite modest but in 2007 this all changed with the team finishing third overall in last season´s campaign. This year the team has finished third in the Asian Series and they have now reached new heights winning this season´s GP2 Series. In other words the team of Alejandro Agag and Adrián Campos is the best racing team outside F1. This is testimony to all the hard work and development carried out in such a short space of time and at the same time is a proud day for Spanish motor racing.

Vitaly Petrov: "I´m happy although it could have been a better finish, as in these last two races I was taken out of the race when I could have scored a fair number of points. Our objective was to ensure the team championship and we´ve done that. I would like to thank the whole team because I think we have worked very well together throughout the season. Only a few strokes of bad luck have prevented me from being higher in the final placings"

Lucas Di Grassi: "I have had a good feeling in the Barwa International Campos Team. The people here have treated me really well and I have liked their way of working. They have ensured me a good car which I was able to adapt to quickly. Three victories demonstrates the fantastic work that we have all done in such a short space of time and has also meant we were able to win the the 2008 constructor´s championship"

Adrián Campos: "I can only feel proud for what we have all achieved together and would like to show my gratitude to the whole set up, the drivers, the sponsors and all the people who have believed in the team and in me."

Alejandro Agag: "We are all happy about having achieved the objective of GP2 Series team champions before we had expected. This historic feat of winning for Spanish motor racing the most competitive championship outside F-1 is only possible with a good project and with the hard work and coordination from all departments within the team. A big thank you to everyone, starting with Adrián and including all those who have collaborated."

-Antonio Moralejo - photo GP2

Photos on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - GP2 Series