A1 Team Netherlands Secure Ninth And Sixth In Tactical Qualifying Battle
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Nov 22, 2008
A1 Team Netherlands was not able to create the desired starting position for both A1GP races tomorrow, with respective ninth and sixth grid positions.
A1 Team Netherlands was not able to create the desired starting position for both A1GP races tomorrow, with respective ninth and sixth grid positions.
On a warm and dry Sepang circuit Jeroen Bleekemolen drove to a fifth fastest time in the first Sprint race qualifying run. In the second segment a number of teams opted to used their Powerboost, amongst others Switzerland and New Zealand, and were able to improve their times considerably. This was the first time it was available to the teams for use in one of the four segments. A1 Team Netherlands decided to wait for the Feature race qualifying. In the end it was Switzerland that took the pole with 1’47.124. With a time of 1’49.323 Bleekemolen drove to ninth on the grid.
In the first qualifying segment for the Feature race A1 Team Netherlands went out on track with used tyres and without Powerboost and was thus not able to compete up front. The team kept the final set of new tyres and the ‘joker’ for the final run. There Bleekemolen set a time of 1’47.825, which was good for sixth on the grid. Adam Carroll took the Feature race pole for Ireland with a time of 1’47.124. Daniel Morad of Lebanon was the surprise during this qualifying, setting a third fastest time.
Tomorrow there will a mandatory pitstop for the teams in the Sprint race for the first time this season. The new rule was announced earlier, but had not been activated during the first two weekends.
Jeroen Bleekemolen; “After the free practice sessions I had hoped for more. We were inside the top 5 constantly and were competing with the top all the time. Because of the new ‘Powerboost rule’ it is very hard to be in front for both races. You really have to choose for which race you are going to use the powerboost. Also with tyres you have to choose and this causes countries to finish further down for one run. For us the Sprint race qualifying did not go as it should go yet. Then some others who used their powerboost passed us and you are in ninth. In the Feature race qualifying things did go better every time, but unfortunately still not good enough. For tomorrow I am very confident though. We have been on the pace with the car in race conditions and the team has practiced a lot of pitstops. So that should help us move forward.”
Jan Lammers; “Qualifying has become a tight battle. In the four qualifying segments you are allowed to use three sets of new tyres, so you have to do one run with the same tyres as before. This means that you have to choose wether you are going to sacrifice one qualifying run for the Feature or Sprint race. That has been so for quite some time, but from this weekend on we have the opportunity to use the powerboost during qualifying. When you push the Powerboost button you will get an extra 60 bhp after about 4km, and this stays active over a distance of 12km (approx 3 laps), so effectively your entire qualifying run. Our qualifying was difficult but in the end we were able to keep the podium in our sights. It has become a tremendous tactical battle, Switzerland for instance is on pole for the Sprint race and only 16th for the Feature race. New Zealand also had two completely different qualifying results. Fortunately we should be able to do something coming from sixth and ninth and we will have to show this tomorrow. In the Sprintrace you will come in after only four laps, when the field is still close together, which means that a fast (mandatory) pitstop can gain positions immediately. During the Feature race you come in after 8 laps and then the field has spread out more, you can make up some ground but it is more difficult to move up places straight away. It is as it is. For tomorrow; we have got all the ingredients to drive good races and we will have to use them well.”
