Driver Database News

Chipping Norton racer, Alice Powell, finished a superb 11th place in Race Two of the Formula One supporting, GP3 series in Barcelona, charging through the field from P25. Alice is the person on thegrid with the least experience in the GP3 car, and she had never been to the Spanish circuit before, as she missed the pre season test, due to budget.

The Friday practise did not go to plan, as a problem with the turbo pipe, meant Alice only got 15-20 minutes running out of the 45 minute session, “Missing vital track time was a big hindrance for me, as I needed to get time to learn the track as well as continue to get used to the GP3 car, but the team reacted well to get the problem sorted”.

On Saturday, morning the 26 car field headed out for Qualifying, with Alice securing P18 on the grid for Race One, which was later that day. Even though Powell started on the dirty side of the grid she got a good drive off the line and had already made up two places at Turn One. However, her race was cut short at Turn Two, when she was hit from behind by another car, which put her into a spin into the gravel trap.

For Race two, due to not finishing Race one, Alice had to start at the back of the grid. Getting another fantastic start, Alice ended up P13 by the end of the first lap! After losing a tough battle with Kevin Ceccon (who has tested in Formula One), Powell made another two spots due to two drivers ahead of her receiving drive through penalties, which promoted her to P11. From there on, Alice lapped within 6ths of a second of the leaders pace and by the end was catching the pack in front, but ran out of time to challenge, so crossed the line in P11, a fantastic result for the British driver.

Commenting on the weekend, Alice said “What a weekend! I have learnt so much and still have plenty to learn about the car. It was a big shame about Race one, but the Status GP crew did an awesome job to get the car sorted for Race two. Because I did not finish Race one, Race two was the first time for me using low down force setting, which GP3 rules state that all drivers have to use in all races and what an amazing race it was! I just cannot wait for the next race, and huge thanks to my sponsors, Silverstone-hotels.com, Immun’Age, My Protein, hearingprotection.co.uk and IWI watches. Also to the team, who did a great job all weekend”

Chipping Norton racer, Alice Powell, will be moving up to the GP3 Series this season with Status Grand Prix after securing sponsorship. The 19-year-old is moving up to the Formula One support series after three seasons racing in the UK in the Formula Renault 2.0 category in conjunction with Manor Competition, which included winning the BARC F.Renault title in 2010.

Alice had her first ever test in the 280bhp Turbo charged car last week, and is now preparing for the first race, which is in Barcelona on the 12/13 May.

Commenting on the signing, Alice said “I am delighted to sign with Status for this year’s GP3 Series. Huge thanks to everyone who has helped me to get on the grid, including Immun’Age, Sidvin, Silverstone-Hotels.com, IWI Watches and hearingprotection.co.uk. I have only had one test in the car, so I will be the least experienced driver, in terms of seat time in the car, but I am going to give it everything to get some good results this year”

Status GP team principle Teddy Yip added: “Alice comes to Status GP will an excellent pedigree in karting and junior single-seaters. We’ve already seen she has good ability as well as an excellent approach and a strong grounding from her past single-seater experience. She is an excellent addition to the team.”

All GP3 races will be shown LIVE on the Sky Sports F1 Channel, as well as on over 30 channels across the world. The 2012 GP3 Series title will be fought out at eight Formula One Grand Prix across Europe, including the new addition of a round at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Photo by GP3 Media Service.

British team Carlin have completed a strong final pre-season GP3 test this week, ahead of the first race of the season in Barcelona next month. Carlin racer Antonio Felix da Costa has been consistently among the top three and finished yesterday’s running second overall. William Buller and Alex Brundle were also on the pace, setting the fifth and 14th quickest times yesterday.

The final pre-season test at the historic British circuit provided drivers with the last opportunity to prepare for the 2012 GP3 Series before the season gets underway in Barcelona in May. As the cars took to the cold track on for the first day of testing on Tuesday morning, rain looked a likely possibility. However the skies cleared and it was da Costa who quickly set the quickest time in between red flag periods. Team mates Brundle and Buller were also producing great times on the dry track – easily placing them within the top eight.

As the session came to a halt for lunch da Costa’s time was knocked off the top spot by MW Arden driver Mitch Evans meaning that the Carlin man finished the session in a very strong second position. Also having set fast times throughout the session Buller and Brundle finished comfortably in the top 6, setting the fourth and sixth quickest laps respectively.

The afternoon session saw mixed weather conditions with rain falling toward the tail end of the day, meaning the majority of the quickest times from the morning session still stood. At the end of the first day of running da Costa was third overall, Buller fifth and Brundle eighth.

The second and final day of testing was also marred with mixed conditions leading to multiple red flags. The slippery track didn’t worry da Costa however, who set the fastest time and despite others battling to steal his position, the Carlin driver finished the morning session as the quickest man on track. Buller was also on the pace again and made it two Carlin cars in the top five, while Brundle saw both his new tyre runs ruined by red flags and was 14th quickest.

Da Costa’s best lap from the morning session was enough to make his second fastest of the day overall, just behind MW Arden driver Mitch Evans.

Reflecting on the test, the Portuguese racer said, “It was a really good test for us at Silverstone. The car felt quick in all conditions and on new and old tyres which is encouraging. I still feel like we can make some improvements but we’re in really good shape ahead of the first race of the season and I can’t wait to get to Barcelona.”

Trevor Carlin added, “The team have completed an extremely encouraging test at Silverstone this week, and all three drivers have been amongst the front runners at some point. Antonio’s previous experience in the series is clearly paying off, and Alex and Will have continued to improve with every session in the car. With a very strong GP3 driver line-up now confirmed, the team are pushing harder than ever as we head to the first race of the season confident that we have a good package to challenge for race wins.”

Carlin are pleased to announce that Portuguese racer Antonio Felix da Costa will join the team in the GP3 Series for the 2012 season. Da Costa has already worked with the team in race and test conditions, and has enjoyed a successful 2012 pre-season test programme with Carlin, having topped the timesheets at the last test in Barcelona. Da Costa joins previously announced Carlin GP3 Series driver Alex Brundle for an assault on the 2012 season.

20 year-old Antonio Felix da Costa previously competed with Carlin in four races of the GP3 Series in 2010 and was a regular front runner in last year’s championship. The Portuguese racer now returns for a championship assault with the team that has taken him to the top of the timesheets in pre-season testing.

Previous to the GP3 Series, Da Costa competed in the Formula Renault 2.0 Series where he took a total of nine wins on his way to becoming the 2009 champion. More recently the Portuguese driver has had experience in British Formula Three and competed in last year’s one off GP2 Final in Abu Dhabi. Da Costa’s impressive form saw him earn a drive in last year’s Formula One Young Driver tests, also in Abu Dhabi, with the Sahara Force India F1 Team.

Speaking about the upcoming season Antonio Felix da Costa said, ‘I’m really looking forward to this season with Carlin. I know the team really well and it get on so well with everyone, it’s like a family! Having raced with the team before I feel really comfortable in the car, which I think we’ve shown in pre-season testing. Our pace in testing has left me confident for the start of the season and I can’t wait for the first race in May.’

Trevor Carlin added, ‘Antonio is very well known to the team and I’m delighted to welcome him back for a season. He’s an extremely talented driver and his experience in the GP3 car has really helped the team. The team have done a great job in testing and Antonio has really been on form, setting the fastest time at the last test in Barcelona. I’m expecting him to be a real contender this season.”

Antonio Felix da Costa finished the final day of GP3 testing in Estoril third fastest for Carlin today, while Alex Brundle and William Buller set the thirteenth and sixteenth fastest times of the afternoon session at the Portuguese circuit.

With dry running and sunshine on the cards the morning session of the day saw the Carlin team continue a detailed test programme with Brundle, da Costa and Buller all setting competitive lap times and working hard on car set-up.

Da Costa was quick from the outset, finding his way to the sharp end of the timing sheets in the first and second session. Having had experience in the series before, the Portuguese driver continued to improve in the Carlin car and found himself sitting in the top three for both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Speaking of his positive test, da Costa said, “I think we can say that we were extremely consistent in our running during this test. I finished three out of the four sessions in the top three and I definitely felt that the car was good enough to be higher up than that – I couldn’t get a faster lap in during the final afternoon because I hit a little bit of traffic but the car felt good and I’m extremely pleased with how the test went.”

Alex Brundle also impressed the team with his feedback and performance in his first GP3 Series test. Brundle used the morning session to once again get more experienced with the GP3 machinery; with this being the young Brit’s first outing with the team and in the series, the main aim was to get miles on the clock and gain experience throughout the course of the test. He proved his potential by improving 0.5 seconds each practice session – all the while getting closer to his more experienced rivals.

Reflecting on his first GP3 test, Brundle said, “We worked today mainly on getting the most out of the tyres, and I feel as though we achieved that which made me more confident in the car. I want to carry this momentum into the second test and ultimately the first race of the season.

“The car feels great, it’s using the tyres well and although it’s a steep learning curve for me I think we can take a lot of positives from this test”

Former F3 racer Buller used the afternoon session to full advantage, completing race simulation runs and practice starts. He had clean running throughout the course of the day’s test and once again showed his pace, providing the team with great feedback over the two days of track action.

The second GP3 series test gets underway in Barcelona on 6th March.

Antonio Felix da Costa showed the pace of the Carlin GP3 car today, in the first official test of the season in Estoril. The Portuguese racer looked quick on home soil, and went fastest in the final stages of this afternoon’s session. Last minute improvements by two other driver relegated da Costa to third place by the chequered flag. British racers William Buller and Alex Brundle also put in a strong performance, with Brundle making his debut with Carlin and in the GP3 Series.

The GP3 drivers were met with perfect conditions in Estoril this morning, for the first test of 2012. Alex Brundle made his on track debut with Carlin today, having been announced as a member of the team’s GP3 squad earlier this month. The Norfolk based racer adapted well to the GP3 car, and was 18th quickest in the morning session despite never having driven the car before.

Fellow Brit Will Buller made a welcome return to Carlin having tested the team’s GP3 car late last year. The Northern Irishman finished the afternoon 17th on the timesheets and is sure improvements can be made ahead of tomorrow’s second day of track action.

Da Costa proved to be a front runner today, fine tuning his set up throughout the morning session, before going second quickest in the afternoon. The 20 year-old went one better on his next lap to set the quickest time of the day so far. However, in the final minutes, Nico Müller went quicker, as did Mitch Evans by just 0.061 seconds to put da Costa third.

Speaking about his test, da Costa said, “It’s great to be back in a racing car after almost three months, and thanks to a great effort by everyone at Carlin, we finish today in the top three! We had good tyre management during the day and we have a good work plan for day two when I think we can improve even more.”

Carlin GP3 driver Brundle added, “Today’s learning curve was pretty much vertical for me, but we have made good progress I hope to continue improving tomorrow with the help of the team. I think overall we’ve made a good start today.”

Testing will resume tomorrow.

Argentina’s driver, at the wheel of car lined up by French team, concluded second during first day of GP3 collective testing held at Jerez. In addition he was the fastest man of Lotus ART on track.

Facu Regalia showed today his good shape during first day of GP3 collective testing at Jerez, in spite of he had problems in the morning, due to mechanical issues. But, in the afternoon, Argentinean driver improved to achieve second fastest time ahead of almost thirty cars.

Regalia, who was making his debut with Lotus ART – team led by Frédéric Vasseur and Nicolas Todt and with a long career in motorsport-, had a hard start of the day, mainly related to gearbox problems. “It was a shame because when my car was fixed, morning´s season was almost finished. I just completed a few laps”, Regalia explained afterwards, but who tried his best during the afternoon. “Because of our problems, we started after lunch time on new tires, and it was useful to be second since the beginning, and having a good fight with Daniel Abt on track to be first”, Regalia said later and, obviously, he was happier with his performance.

At the end, Lotus ART´s driver improved his lap times to set a best time of 1:35.587, which meant a second place during afternoon´s session. “Today was a very positive day for us, and I feel happy with our work. Despite our problems, we knew how to manage them and in the end we could overcome them. We were second, a fantastic position if we think there were almost 30 cars on track. On the other hand, to work with Lotus ART was good for my learning”, Regalia finally explained. Tomorrow, a new day and Regalia is going to drive “with Status GP. I hope to avoid any kind of problems and to finish on top”.

Scott Malvern had his first taste of GP3 action this week at the Circuit De Catalunya in Barcelona at the first official end of season test with the Status GP team. He acquitted himself well against far more experienced opposition, being the only one of the 26 drivers taking part who hadn’t previously competed in a winged formula.

Scott commented “Obviously there was a lot to learn over the two days but overall I am very pleased with what we achieved. We set ourselves some clear targets and a programme that we wanted to work through to give me a better understanding of how a winged car works and in that respect we met all of our objectives. I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t set a quick time on the final new tyre run but that was down to lack of clear track time more than my inability to do it and we were compromised by some minor problems that we had with the car late in the day. It was a good experience and can only help with my future development”

The GP3 championship is contested at European Formula One Grand Prix events and is regarded as the first stepping stone to Formula One before GP2. Scott and his partners are evaluating programmes for progressing his career in 2012 and GP3 is seriously being considered along with the FIA International Formula 2 championship.

Photo by GP3 Media / Status Grand Prix

British race ace Adrian Quaife-Hobbs will undertake his third Formula One test at the wheel of the Marussia Virgin Racing F1 team’s MVR-02 car in Abu Dhabi in November. The 20 year-old will complete the opening day’s F1 rookie tests immediately following the Grand Prix, which takes place on 3 November, as reward for his performance in the 2011 GP3 Series.

Quaife-Hobbs has already successfully tested twice for the John Booth-led F1 team, carrying out aero-testing at Idiado Proving Ground in Spain where he completed around 150kms and then at RAF Cottesmore where he clocked up over 200kms at the Leicestershire airforce base.

Now, as the most successful driver in the team’s sister GP3 Marussia Manor Racing team, Quaife-Hobbs from Tonbridge, Kent will take to the track on which he successfully completed a GP2 session last year, to complete his first proper F1 circuit test.

“I’m very excited about the prospect of driving the MVR-02 again following my two aero tests and welcome the chance to drive around a proper circuit,” said Adrian. “In Idiado and RAF Cottesmore, it was purely straight-line testing, which was a fantastic opportunity to be part of the team’s ongoing development, but now it will be proper testing and I can’t wait.

“I finished the season as top Manor GP3 driver and it’s nice to have your results recognised in this way. Previously I was helping the team to carry out development work, but now it will be more about them testing me. However, after a successful performance in the last two tests, I feel confident that I can continue to improve as I get more used to the car, and hopefully produce some reasonable lap times.”

With the 2011 GP3 Series now over, following the F1 test Quaife-Hobbs will carry out a full testing programme over the coming months in a variety of cars as the BRDC Rising Star evaluates his options for the 2012 season.

British race ace Adrian Quaife-Hobbs brought his GP3 Series campaign to a finish at Monza at the weekend with a stirring performance at the historic Italian track. The 20 year-old took his second pole position of the season on Saturday, after being consistently in the top three in Friday’s practice and in race two on Sunday passed a staggering 18 cars to take sixth, and clinch fifth in the points table.

The Marussia Manor Racing driver went into the final two rounds with a mathematical chance of lifting the title. And, after setting the early pace with the second fastest time in morning practice, he headed into the afternoon session confident of improving.

However a coming together with another driver on lap six brought his charge to a premature end. Despite that the Tonbridge racer still finished third quickest of the 30-car field.

Heading into Saturday’s qualifying, Quaife-Hobbs was once again on fine form, settling in to sixth place on his first run on old tyres. As he ventured out for his final attempt at pole on new tyres though, he found the rest of the pack also out on track, and it looked like being an impossible task to repeat his previous form.

However, on the run onto his final tour, he managed to make a gap to the car in front, and in the closing minutes of the session, dialled in the perfect lap to clinch pole position and earn two valuable championship points.

Starting from the front row for the first of two races Quaife-Hobbs made the perfect getaway to take an immediate lead, gradually extending the gap over the first four laps. On lap five however, he began to struggle with oversteer and dropped to fourth. Then entering the Ascari bend on lap ten the oversteer worsened and he was pitched off the circuit, hitting the wall and severely damaging his car.

With the car repaired overnight and despite his championship title hopes over, the BRDC Rising Star took to the circuit for race two on Sunday morning, lining up 24th. A staggering start allowed him to pass ten cars as the packed filed into Ascari for the first time, but a collision ahead caused the car in front to brake heavily, leaving Quaife-Hobbs nowhere to go. The resultant impact damaged his front wing and lost him four places in the process, dropping him to 18th.

Over the remaining laps, he reeled in and passed another 12 cars to finish sixth at the flag, gaining an additional point and earning him fifth place in the points table.

“Overall it was a pretty good weekend, in that we had good pace throughout,” said Adrian. “I did all I could to win here this weekend. After the pole time I really believe we could have finished second in the championship.

“Testing started well and we were immediately quick but in the second session, I got hit by another car, which pushed me off into the gravel and ended my run. We were still third though and I’m certain I could have gone quicker had I been able to do more than six laps.

“In qualifying I was sixth on my first run and it became obvious that to get a quick time I would need a tow from another car. But, when I came back out with new tyres ready for the run, the whole field was on track, it was like a GP3 car park out there. So, on the penultimate lap, I backed right off and found a gap to the car in front. Then it all came together, a perfect lap, and good enough for pole.

“Race one was disappointing to say the least. After getting the pole spot, I knew I could still win the title, or at least take second and for the first four laps, it was all going according to plan, until lap four when I started dropping down the order. Then on lap ten I oversteered off the track and into the wall, taking off two corners.

“We knew going into the second race it was going to be tough starting so far back but I was determined to end the season on a high. I made a great start, passing ten cars before we went into Ascari, although a collision ahead resulted in the car in front braking heavily and I hit the back of him damaging my front wing, and allowing four cars to retake me. After that I managed to pick off a car a lap and get up to sixth. So overall a pretty good race after starting so far back.”