Race Report

2012 Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix
GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Monaco, Length 3,340 km, 25^th/26^th May 2012, Rounds 3 & 4
www.www.acm.mc

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2012:
Robert Visoiu (ROM), Patric Niederhauser (CH), Jakub Klasterka (CZ)

GP3 Series as a first in Monaco

Free Practice

Thursday, 24/05/12, 18.15 – 18.55, Weather: Sunny, 20°C

Monaco, the most prestigious race on the Formula One calendar, spells glamour, but also inevitably very difficult working conditions for the teams. The GP3 Series paddock was set up in the underground garage next to the Louis II Stadium which meant that the powerful race cars had to drive the long way round to the pitlane in a slow procession, followed by all the team‘s tyre and tool trolleys in front of grandstands full of spectators who had just watched the GP2 Series qualifying session. Our drivers, who were competing on this narrow, demanding, but spectacular track for the first time, had to get used to the extreme conditions and were told not to take too many risks. Here the smallest driving error can lead to an encounter with the barriers, and then the damaged cars have to be abandoned and valuable session time is lost.

Everyone else seemed to share the same goal to get as much track time as possible, and the session was completed without any major interruptions. Lap times improved steadily and it was only in the closing minutes that the session was red flagged after Buller became stranded in the middle of the track.

Race One Qualifying

Friday, 25/05/12, 07.40 – 07.54 (Group A), Weather: Sunny, 20°C
Friday, 25/05/12, 08.01 – 08.15 (Group B)

For qualifying the field was split into two groups on safety grounds. The faster group would line up on the pole position side of the grid, with the slower group on the other side.

Our boys didn’t look bad in free practice on Thursday, but on Friday morning they seemed unable to improve any further.

GP3 Series

Race One (30 Minutes)

Friday, 25/05/12, 12.30, Weather: Sunny, 25°C

The first ever GP3 Series race at Monaco started in the heat of the day. All of the drivers knew overtaking would not be easy, and that a good start was crucial. Patric held his position and Robert was able to move up to 15^th just behind Patric, but Jakub fell back to 25^th place, his lack of time in the car and his inexperience making this difficult for him. The race was hard fought with lap times that were very close, and nobody was about to take any big risks. Round about middle distance Patric went slightly too far up on the kerbs heading towards Rascasse, and lost control for a split second which was enough to put him in the barriers, bringing his race to a premature end. Robert took over his 14^th place and brought the car home safely, as did Jakub was back up to 22^nd by the time he saw the chequered flag.

The grid for the second race of the weekend was set by reversing the order of the first eight finishers in the first race, with the rest of the places set according to finishing order in the first race.

GP3 Series

Race Two (30 Minutes)

Saturday, 26/05/12, 17.55, Weather: Sunny, 23°C

Race Two of the weekend started on time and the front few cars got away well. Further back in the pack team-mates Buller and Brundle clashed and the Safety Car had to be deployed while the damage was quickly cleared away. Robert, who had made a very good start, was in 10^th at the restart, while Patric, who was 18^th after the start, made up another place to go 17^th. Jakub also gained a place from 22^nd to 21^st. The pack settled into a steady rhythm, and despite Robert applying pressure to Pal Kiss he couldn’t find a way past. Patric, who was right on Spavone’s gearbox, also couldn’t see a way to move up without risking everything. Jakub, however, took his chance and managed to overtake Jorda on lap five to put himself 20^th. It was all going well, until Daly started looking for a way past Suranovich. Suranovich refused to give in. Daly tried every way to get past and the result was a terrible accident that Daly was incredibly lucky to walk away from unharmed. His car was severely damaged, and the Safety Car had to take the field over. Additionally, the debris fencing and the barriers were damaged so the race director had no choice but to stop the race and declare a result. We were happy that all our cars crossed the finishing line with no damage. Suranovich was later excluded from the result for his part in the accident, moving Patric and Jakub up a place each to 15^th and 19^th.

Championship standings after 4 out of 16 races:

1^st Aaro Vainio (FIN), 54 Punkte; 2^nd Mitch Evans (NZ), 43 Punkte; 3^rd Marlon Stockinger (PHI), 39 Punkte; 4^th Antonio Felix da Costa (P), 24 Punkte; 5^th Conor Daly (USA), 23 Punkte; 6^th Kevin Ceccon (I), 23 Punkte; 10^th Patric Niederhauser (CH), 20 Punkte; 12^th Robert Visoiu (ROM), 16 Punkte

2011 GP3 Series

For more information:

• www.gp3series.com
• www.italiaracing.net