2015 International & Single Seater News

News of WRDA members who are competing in the International & Single Seater arena.

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Preview

Jann scores, Matt one place away from the points, but Seb has a 'Mare! Edited by Rob Allender

Photo: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service)

There were mixed fortunes for Welsh drivers in Barcelona on the weekend, but Jann Mardenborough saved the day for the Welsh trio in action in Spain as he powered from a lowly 15^th place grid position to a 4^th & 3^rd place in the first races of the 2015 GP3 Championship! Matt Parry, who started in 16^th place, narrowly missed out on scoring a point on his debut after coming 9^th in race 2. Meanwhile Seb Morris had a nightmare weekend and quailfying in 20^th place was the highlight! He scored a DNF in race 1 but was giving a 3 place grid penalty for race 2 after a clash with another car, and eventually finished 24th in race 2! - http://www.gp3series.com/Standings/Driver/

Jann reflected on an eventful race taking 3^rd place on the last lap: “My initial start was pretty good. I jumped a few people. Into turn one I got a mugged badly. One of the Arden cars around me was sliding so I had to wait for him to regain grip. I lost a few positions due to that. I was stuck behind Ceccon for a while and I could see he as struggling a bit. I waited a bit and then lunged into turn one which was pretty fun. I could see Bernstorff was then catching Fuoco, but I didn’t want to get too involved in case he started defending. I wanted a podium, at least a podium, luckily for me that happened on the last lap as they were busy fighting at turn three. I just picked my line and I got into P3 and drove away. With another lap it would have been Eriksson next for me to take. If I had got through turn one in fourth I think winning the race could have been an opportunity. I think the track suited us as well as my driving style. Obviously we tested here before the race. At Carlin we did the most race simulations of any teams at the tests and that pays off in the race as we understand what’s going on. I have worked hard over the winter on my driving style and now everything I learned last year has helped me this year having more experience. If I hadn’t have got completely shafted in qualifying on my second set of tyres I think I would have qualified at least in the top six which would have made my life a lot easier. It could have been a bit boring for me if that had happened but I think I salvaged the best possible result for me. But the next round is the Red Bull Ring on 19 to 21st June, and we’ll see what we can do.” In the meantime on 13–14 June Jann will then contest Le Mans with the new Nissan in LMP1 with an eye to overall victory!

Preview MATT NARROWLY MISSES POINTS ON GP3 DEBUT

Photo: Sam Bloxham/GP3 Media Service

Matt Parry came within a whisker of claiming a point on his first weekend of GP3 Series competition, finishing ninth in race two at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The Koiranen GP newcomer made a rapid start to the Sunday morning event, climbing from 13th on the grid to latch onto the tail of the main points group, chasing hard after Saturday poles-itter Luca Ghiotto from lap two. Clearly quicker than the more experienced Italian through the opening sectors of the lap, however, Parry couldn’t quite get close enough through the final chicane to make a move down the main straight, although he remained in Ghiotto’s mirrors until a couple of laps from home.” Matt left the Circuit de Catalunya eleventh in the standings, the highest-placed driver without a point thanks to his narrow miss in race two, but now has a lengthy wait until round two of the season, which takes place at the Red Bull Ring in Austria after the F1 world championship – which GP3 supports throughout Europe – has completed its race weekends in Monaco and Canada.

Full report on http://www.mattparryracing.co.uk/

Preview Seb Morris confirmed ‘Not a good weekend by any means. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong and a lot I have to work on. However I'll never lose faith and on to the next one now’

(Photo Alex Fontana (SUI, Status Grand Prix) leads Adderly Fong (HKG, Koiranen GP), Sandy Stuvik (THA, Status Grand Prix) and Seb Morris (GBR, Status Grand Prix). Photo: Zak Mauger/GP3 Series Media Service)