GP2 Series – German races – Hockenheim
The Italian stays at the top of the overall classification in spite of retiring today. Villa, tenth yesterday, got his best result of the season.
RACE 1
In a race whose result was influenced by the rain that fell on the last few laps, Giorgio Pantano increased his lead at the top of the GP2 Series classification. The Repsol driver got a very hard-earned second place in yesterday`s race, Saturday, at Hockenheim. A podium finish that became his fourth victory of the year a few minutes later when Romain Grosjean, who had crossed the line in first position, was given a 25 second penalty.
The start was clean for all the drivers and Pantano knew how to make the most of his pole position, leading the pack when they reached the first curve, followed very closely by Grosjean. On the following laps, the Racing Engineering driver and his rival set fastest laps and they got away from the driver classified third, Buemi.
Little by little, the Repsol driver increased his lead over Grosjean, reaching almost one second on the sixth lap, but it was up to three on lap 14. Three laps later, Pantano made his obligatory pit-stop returning to the track in the lead again. With five laps left the race changed completely when heavy rain began to fall. The drivers immediately found the problems associated with steering with slicks on wet asphalt, several cars went off the track and there were spins. Some drivers opted to make a pit-stop and to change to wet tyres.
With four laps left, Pantano miscalculated a turn but he was able to stay in the lead. However, another mistake cost him first place. With his mind on the championship and with one eye on the delicate state of the track, the Repsol driver preferred not to take any risks and decided not to try and win back the first position. Pantano crossed the finishing line in second position, but Grosjean was penalised and this meant that he climbed to to the top of the podium.
For Javier Villa the race didn’t end so well. Starting from eighth position on the grid the young Repsol driver moved into sixth place before the first lap ended. Villa made an early pit-stop and when he returned to the track he was behind Chandhok who had entered a couple of laps earlier. Then a long fight with the Indian began, it lasted nearly 20 laps. In the end Villa overtook him and he started to hunt Di Grassi, fifth, and got past him on lap 34.
When it began to rain, Villa moved up another two positions thanks to spins by Senna and Buemi. The Repsol driver began the last lap in a magnificent third position, his best classification in long career. Unfortunately, that was not the final result, because when there were just a few hundred metres left Villa went off the track and finished tenth.
Giorgio Pantano
“This was a great victory. I want to thank the team for giving me another great car this weekend. We made a perfect start, the same as the race and the pit-stop. On the last few laps it began to rain and I tried to control the situation, but Grosjean was quicker. Tomorrow I will try win maximum points again.”
Javier Villa
“This was a complicated race. I made a good start, moving up to sixth. I was behind Senna and we both made our pit-stop at the same time. I lost a little time and Chandhok passed me on the lap when I returned to the race. I finally got past him and drive at a fast pace. Then I overtook Di Grassi and I am sure that without the rain I would have passed Senna. However five laps from the end there was a lot of confusion when it began to rain. I was third two curves from the chequered flag when it began to rain on that part of the track and I lost adherence and ended up off the track.”
RACE 2
Javier Villa got his best result so far this season in the sprint race held this morning, finishing fifth and getting two more points. Giorgio Pantano was obliged to retire at the start of the race when he was fighting for third position.
After the rain that complicated the final part of yesterday’s race, this morning’s race took place on a completely dry track. The start was full of incidents, those in the middle of the pack hit each other and others tried to take advantage of the action by carrying out risky manoeuvres on the grid which caused many changes in the driver order. The two Repsol drivers knew how to take advantage of the confusion and they finished the first lap near the leaders: Pantano was sixth and Villa, ninth.
Halfway through the first lap Pantano continued to make progress and he overtook another two drivers, finishing the first lap in fourth position and rapidly catching the driver classified third, Andy Soucek. The Racing Engineering driver reached the Super Nova car and tried to overtake on the tight angle of the Spitzkehre. The two cars hit each other and they had to abandon the race. Soucek at that very moment, while Pantano tried to continue, but the steering on his Dallara was damaged and the Repsol driver had to retire.
After that incident, Javi Villa was seventh, although on the following lap he had lost a place to Grosjean who was coming up fast from behind, Villa maintained an excellent race speed and this allowed him to always keep up with the quickest. The Repsol driver was at the back of a bunched group that was fighting for third place, and on the eighth lap he benefited from a collision between Maldonado and Di Grassi to move up to sixth position. Villa was not content with that and he continued to drive as fast as possible until on lap eleven he passed Parente with a spectacular braking at the fork, he stayed in this position till the end of the race.
Giorgio Pantano
“I made a very good start and after two laps I was already fourth. But then I hit Soucek`s car, and the steering column was damaged, making me retire. It is a pity because I was in a situation to have a good race. Now it is necessary to start thinking of the next one, in Hungary”
Javier Villa
“I made a very good start reaching the first curve alongside Giorgio [Pantano]. Later, several cars in front of me hit each other and I had to take my foot off the accelerator a little to avoid an accident. We had a good rhythm although on the first few laps I lost a little time overtaking. Thanks to the whole team for the work they have done during the night and which did not let them sleep very much. If it had not been for them I would not have had the chance to get these important points today.”
