Here we are at Barcelona for the first European round of the 2014 season at the Circuit de Catalunya. Today we welcome back Kimiya Sato and Antonio Felix da Costa who both return from suspension, with da Costa desperately in need of points if he's to keep his championship alive. We also welcome Giacomo Ricci who runs in his first GP2 round since 2010 as he makes his first appearance of a nine-race contract with Team Lazarus. That means that drivers Sage Karam, Tom Dillmann and Francesco Dracone all make way. Let's head down to the track where championship leader Adrian Quaife-Hobbs is about to set down the first timed lap.
Q1:So Quaife-Hobbs is on the track and doesn't look completely at ease during his lap but records a 1:25.788. That's immediately beaten by Sainz who could take the championship lead this week despite missing the first two rounds, with a 1:24.656. DAMS seem to have plenty of pace, with Sims beating Sainz's time with a 1:24.506, then Turvey going even quicker with a 1:24.209. It's a shock exit in Q1 for both the Rapaxes, plus the Ardens, Tridents and Korjus's MP. Strong result from Felipe Nasr who once again extracts more out of the car than expected.
Code: Select all
1. Oliver Turvey (DAMS) 1:24.209
2. Alexander Sims (DAMS) 1:24.506 (+0.297)
3. Carlos Sainz (Marussia) 1:24.656 (+0.447)
4. Alex Lynn (Marussia) 1:24.914 (+0.705)
5. Felipe Nasr (Scorpion) 1:25.104 (+0.895)
6. Giacomo Ricci (Lazarus) 1:25.137 (+0.928)
7. Davide Valsecchi (R. Engineering) 1:25.280 (+1.071)
8. Kimiya Sato (Hilmer) 1:25.375 (+1.166)
9. Daniel Abt (R. Engineering) 1:25.423 (+1.214)
10. Antonio Spavone (Lazarus) 1:25.509 (+1.300)
11. Robin Frijns (Scorpion) 1:25.511 (+1.302)
12. Sam Bird (ART Grand Prix) 1:25.549 (+1.340)
13. Fabio Leimer (ART Grand Prix) 1:25.681 (+1.472)
Code: Select all
14. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (Hilmer) 1:25.788 (+1.579)
15. Matias Rossi (Life) 1:25.956 (+1.748)
16. Andre Lotterer (Life) 1:25.963 (+1.754)
17. Mitch Evans (MP Motorsport) 1:25.982 (+1.773)
------
18. Stoffel Vandoorne (Arden) 1:26.065 (+1.856)
19. Rio Haryanto (Arden) 1:26.241 (+2.032)
20. Antonio Felix da Costa (Rapax) 1:26.304 (+2.096)
21. Kevin Korjus (MP Motorsport) 1:26.462 (+2.253)
22. Johnny Cecotto (Trident) 1:26.583 (+2.374)
23. Davide Rigon (Trident) 1:26.747 (+2.538)
24. Sergio Canamasas (Rapax) 1:27.266 (+3.057)
107% time: 1:30.103Q2:DAMS and Marussia dominated Q1, will that be the case in the second period of qualifying? Turvey makes a few mistakes and can only manage a 1:25.082, but still should be good enough for Q3. Sims beats his own time from Q1 with a 1:24.293. Two cars run into trouble during the session, with Quaife-Hobbs being unable to complete his lap after having a brake failure and crashing his car, and Rossi who ran wide and lost several seconds. Good job by the two Scorpions plus Ricci on his Lazarus debut who make Q3.
Code: Select all
1. Alexander Sims (DAMS) 1:24.293
2. Carlos Sainz (Marussia) 1:24.686 (+0.393)
3. Alex Lynn (Marussia) 1:24.877 (+0.584)
4. Daniel Abt (R. Engineering) 1:24.898 (+0.605)
5. Davide Valsecchi (R. Engineering) 1:25.007 (+0.713)
6. Oliver Turvey (DAMS) 1:25.082 (+0.789)
7. Felipe Nasr (Scorpion) 1:25.285 (+0.992)
8. Giacomo Ricci (Lazarus) 1:25.377 (+1.084)
9. Robin Frijns (Scorpion) 1:25.581 (+1.288)
10. Fabio Leimer (ART Grand Prix) 1:25.676 (+1.382)
------
11. Sam Bird (ART Grand Prix) 1:25.699 (+1.405)
12. Antonio Spavone (Lazarus) 1:25.780 (+1.486)
Code: Select all
13. Kimiya Sato (Hilmer) 1:25.819 (+1.525)
14. Mitch Evans (MP Motorsport) 1:25.837 (+1.544)
15. Andre Lotterer (Life) 1:25.912 (+1.619)
16. Matias Rossi (Life) 1:28.982 (+4.688)
17. Adrian Quaife-Hobbs (Hilmer) No time (Accident)
Q3:Only 10 cars left and it's time to decide the first five rows of the grid! Sims doesn't have his best lap, recording a 1:24.676. Sainz can't beat it though, putting down a 1:24.773! Lynn just beats Sims' time, with a 1:24.672! Abt and Valsecchi are in the 1:25s...Turvey is up next...and blitzes the field with an incredible 1:23.985! Will this be his second pole of the year? Nasr, Ricci, Frijns and Leimer can only manage 25s, and it's Turvey who sticks DAMS back on pole in Catalunya! Incredibly it's British drivers in the first three positions, and Sainz completes row 2 for Marussia in 4th place.
Code: Select all
1. Oliver Turvey (DAMS) 1:23.985
2. Alex Lynn (Marussia) 1:24.672 (+0.687)
3. Alexander Sims (DAMS) 1:24.676 (+0.691)
4. Carlos Sainz (Marussia) 1:24.773 (+0.788)
5. Davide Valsecchi (R. Engineering) 1:25.015 (+1.030)
6. Felipe Nasr (Scorpion) 1:25.132 (+1.147)
7. Daniel Abt (R. Engineering) 1:25.238 (+1.253)
8. Robin Frijns (Scorpion) 1:25.493 (+1.508)
9. Giacomo Ricci (Lazarus) 1:25.539 (+1.554)
10. Fabio Leimer (ART Grand Prix) 1:25.681 (+1.696)