gp2-andreas-zuber-hockenheim-podium-uae-license-piquet-sports-hungary

Andreas Zuber, who races under a UAE license for Piquet Sports knows the Hockenheim circuit very well having driven on the 4.574 kilometer long German track two years ago. Andreas had the following comments about his sessions and races:

"This race is very much the start of the second half of the season. Every point counts. From now on it's not enough to accomplish positive results like for instance a fastest lap. At the end of the day, it is necessary to win races and score serious points for the championship.

In the first free session on Friday it was really cool at around 17-18 degrees Centigrade. I was among the top three for part of the Friday free practice morning session (1.23.354) with Romain Grosjean fastest and Giorgio Pantano in second place. After seven laps I came back to the pits and the team made some adjustments in view of qualifying. I finished in fifth place ready for a strong qualifying session in the top three. It was still wet on parts of the track, but the car seemed well tuned for qualifying.

The qualifying session started under blue skies, so I tried to get out on the track immediately. Ten minutes before the end of our session, heavy clouds were closing in over the circuit and the temperature dropped immediately. So despite my efforts there was no chance of improving over Pantano and Grosjean. In any case, I couldn't quite get my car handling the way I wanted, but I tried to perform strongly in this ultra competitive qualifying session. I ended up third and am feeling confident for the race.

It is very competitive here this weekend with the top ten drivers separated by less than a second. We still need to fine tune the car, but the race will be a good fight.

The first 40-lap race was a crazy one and a huge disappointment. I needed a great start but it did not work out because my clutch was burnt and I could not shift gears properly. I lost a few places and was in fourteenth by lap 2. I went into the pits early on lap 6 and rejoined in 22nd.

By lap ten I had climbed back up to 20th and was pushing hard. By lap 18 I was up to eleventh. The track was dry which was an asset, and there were still 20 laps to go. I passed Andy Soucek to take tenth. The car was fantastic. With five laps to go, the weather was threatening and some of the cars started to spin out as the rain started to fall. I was up to fifth position with three laps to go.

The heavens then opened up and parts of the track were wet and others dry, some cars were on slicks like me and others on rain tyres. The final few laps proved to be chaotic as drivers struggled to stay on the circuit with the rain that was really strong between the first and the second turn and the conditions were very difficult I had to be careful until the very end of the race but it was just so wet that the brakes did not react and the track was so slippery that I lost the car in the very last lap in the "Sachskurve". Luckily, I did not hurt myself, but it is disappointing after such hard work to control the race.

In the second 27 lap-long race, I was eleventh on the grid and I had a mega good start that I wanted and was in fifth on the second lap. Nothing could stop me. I was third the following lap. The car was very strong and I managed to pass di Grassi as well. Di Grassi passed me again in the next corner, but I finally kept the distance over him and was able to build up a gap. I was second, 1.5s from Karun Chandhok lapping fast. Ten laps before the end I was closing up from Chandhok and only 0.4s was separating us.

Despite my tyres fading, I managed to contain Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean behind me although they were not far from me. As a result we ended three nations on the podium: India, Austria and Brazil. What a relief to be on the podium. Now, I am ranking eighth again in the drivers championship with two points away from Karun in fifth.

For the next venue I like Hungary very much and it is kind of a home track, one hour away from home. So I hope that my good results will continue."

www.andreas-zuber.com

- Agnes Carlier - photo GP2

Fast debut in China for Durango's Valsecchi 09.10.08

First test day of the new GP2 Asia Series championship in Shanghai with just one Durango car driven by Davide Valsecchi. The Monza winner has immediately been fast clocking the second time during the morning session and the seventh, with a...

Iaconelli to team with Valsecchi at Shanghai 08.10.08

The good brazilian driver Carlos Iaconelli will be once more at the wheel of a Durango car for the opening of the GP2 Asia Series in Shanghai. Ivone Pinton declared: "Considering the good feedback Carlos gave us at Paul Ricard, it has been...

Trident Racing GP2 Series: Paul Ricard, Testing session. 29.09.08

Le Castellet - Circuit Paul Ricard, 3D configuration Collective GP2 Main Series Testing Session Cumulative testing results: 6th Chris Van der Drift: 1:13.468; 20th Narain Karthikeyan: 1:13.862; The GP2 Main Series was back on track just...

Campos test Paul Ricard 28.09.08

D’AMBROSIO, HO- PIN TUNG, SERGIO PEREZ Y PETROV RUEDAN CON EL EQUIPO CAMPEON DE GP2 2008 Durante los días de hoy y de ayer se han celebrado dos jornadas de test en el circuito de Paul Ricard en el que han participado 27 pilotos en jornadas de...

Durango - A very good effect 27.09.08

The rain actually closed the second and last GP2 test day with one hour advance. Despite this problem, which not allowed the last fifteen minutes of "fireworks" trying to set the fastest lap, Durango ended the Paul Ricard tests with complete...

DAMS : Tests HTTT 25 et 26 Septembre 2008 : Carton Plein ! 27.09.08

L’équipe DAMS a effectué deux jours d’essais sur le circuit Paul Ricard, les 25 et 26 septembre. Kamui Kobayashi, au volant d’une des deux monoplaces, n’a pas fait dans le détail puisqu’il a terminé avec le meilleur temps des quatre...

DPR on form at Paul Ricard 27.09.08

David Price Racing (DPR) showed they have the capabilities to run at the front in testing at Paul Ricard today. Luca Filippi piloted one of DPR’s GP2 racers today and by the end of the two sessions produced third quickest lap, with Michael Herck...

Bertrand Baguette tested a GP2 at HTTT Paul Ricard ! 26.09.08

This coming weekend the World Series by Renault will be holding their penultimate event of 2008 at the Estoril circuit in Portugal, and for Bertrand Baguette this above all implies forgetting all about the Le Mans saga, and regaining a place in...

Durango test at Paul Ricard : A good start 26.09.08

Very positive first test day at Paul Ricard for the two Durango drivers. Davide Valsecchi claimed the third time, Carlos Iaconelli, at his debut with the Italian team, the fourteenth. This result has been achieved easily, putting wide smiles on...

Davide Valsecchi and Durango together again 23.09.08

Davide Valsecchi will be at the wheel of a Durango car during the next GP2 Asia Series and GP2 Main Series championships. The agreement has been inked today with both parties satisfaction. Davide commented this contract renewal saying: "I...

GP2 season is finished , Luca Filippi is now looking at his next engagements 17.09.08

Monza was the setting for the final round of the 2008 GP2 Series, which was won by Giorgio Pantano, while Luca Filippi finished with 6 points after a difficult season. On the Italian circuit everything was influenced by the weather conditions:...

Andreas Zuber runs his final race of the 2008 GP2 season in the wet at Monza 16.09.08

This weekend in Monza with its reputation, tifosi, history, and super-fast track was the last race of the GP2 2008 season and the biggest challenge for Dubai-resident Andreas Zuber racing under UAE licence with Piquet Sports. "I arrived at...

Durango - A Sunday to remember 16.09.08

As praiseworthy fulfilment of Davide Valsecchi GP2 victory in Monza, Sunday september 14th Durango claimed another success thanks to the eighteen years old Colombian driver Omar Julian Leal who, in Misano, graduated Euroseries 3000 italian...

Fisichella Motor Sport - Monza GP2 Summary 16.09.08

Fisichella Motor Sport International wrapped up its 2008 GP2 Series season in style with Roldan Rodriguez taking to the rostrum in Sunday's sprint race, finishing in second position in Monza. It was his second points scoring finish of the...

ART Grand Prix Monza review 15.09.08

ART GRAND PRIX MONZA, GP2 Series – 13th and 14th SEPTEMBER 2008 It was certainly not the finale ART Grand Prix would have dreamt of with the Monza weekend taken as an abstract of the entire season to some degree. Despite the disappointment of...

Trident Racing -GP2 Main Series: Monza, Race 2. 15.09.08

Race 2 #20 Mike Conway, DNF #21 Ho Pin Tung, 9th Once again, Trident Racing was forced not to count on a well-deserved result despite the high potential shown on-track by the team`s Dallara cars, and once again, it happened due to...

BCN's Iaconelli fourteenth under the chequered flag 15.09.08

Session: Race 2 Air temp.: 15 °C Track temp.: 16 °C BCN Competicion Car #27 Driver: Carlos Iaconelli Result: 14° More rain and cold temperatures made insidious the very fast track of Monza in occasion of the last race of the...

Barwa International Campos Team - GP2 Champions 2008 14.09.08

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...

Durango - an all Italian victory 14.09.08

Italian driver, italian team, italian circuit, italian anthem for a victory which absolutely could not get away from Durango today. Davide Valsecchi this morning has been able to transform all his enormous talent and class in a victory , fully...

Monza,GP2 Race 2: The final point goes to DAMS 14.09.08

Today, the second race of the 10th and final round of the 2008 GP2 Series Championship took place on the mythic Monza circuit, home to the 2008 F1 Italian Grand Prix. Jérôme d’Ambrosio and Kamui Kobayashi started from 2nd and 22nd places on the...

Senna and iSport secures second in GP2 standings, Chandhok thwarted again 14.09.08

iSport driver Bruno Senna has taken second place in the 2008 GP2 Series with a measured drive in tricky conditions during the seasonal finale at Monza. Although the Brazilian was in the wars during the early part of the race, suffering one spin...

Andreas Zuber takes tenth place at the sprint race at season’s finale in Monza 14.09.08

Risk variant with dry set-up unfortunately didn’t pay off The starting position was anything but easy. Andreas Zuber took up the last GP2-run this season from last place due to his drop out through no fault of his own on Saturday when Spaniard...

Technical gremlins close Luca Filippi's season 14.09.08

Mechanical problems brought a halt to Luca Filippi's final race of the season in Monza today in a race affected race at the Italian's home circuit, a disappointing way to end to the season after yesterday's struggles. With rain coming once again...

Super Nova - Monza GP2 Sprint Race 14.09.08

GP2 Championship 2008 Monza, Sprint Race – Sunday 14th September - Italy Another cool & misty day here in at the Monza Autodromo, the rain contributing to what would be an enthralling finale to the 2008 GP2 Main Championship. Super Nova’s...

DPR concludes GP2 season with challenging Monza 14.09.08

The 2008 GP2 season drew to a close this weekend at the Monza circuit, supporting the Italian Formula One Grand Prix. Uncharacteristically bad weather for this event shaped the fortunes of the David Price Racing (DPR) team. Diego Nunes and...

[:: previous ] [ next ::]