British driver Adam Carroll (FMS International) and UAE driver Andreas Zuber (iSport International) shared the race wins, both taking their first victory of the season, at the fifth round of the Bridgestone-supported GP2 Series at Silverstone, UK.
Changing weather conditions over the weekend added to the challenge of maximising performance of the hard compound Bridgestone Potenza slick racing tyres on the fast, abrasive circuit.
Friday’s running in qualifying saw cold and windy weather, meaning a greater number of laps than usual was required to get heat into the tyres. Despite these conditions, Zuber managed his tyres in the difficult conditions to set pole from British driver Mike Conway (Super Nova) by over two tenths.
In warmer conditions, Saturday’s 36 lap race which included a pit stop where at least two Bridgestone tyres had to be changed, Zuber dominated from his pole position to win by 1.8 seconds from Conway. Kazuki Nakajima (DAMS) made his first podium appearance with a fine third place.
It was sunny weather again for Sunday’s 24 lap race which saw Carroll storm to victory, after overtaking Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado (Trident Racing) to lead the race with just eight laps to go. Nakajima also finished third in this race, after another strong run. The Bridgestone Potenzas performed well throughout and were consistent, providing Adam Carroll with a much celebrated win on home soil.
Timo Glock (iSport International) continues to lead the Drivers’ Championship on 39 points, just ahead of Lucas Di Grassi (ART Grand Prix) on 37 points, followed by Luca Filippi (Super Nova) and Bruno Senna (Arden International). The next round of the GP2 Series is at Nurburgring, Germany, on 20-22 July where teams will return to medium compound Bridgestone Potenzas.
Quote from Hirohide Hamashima - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development
“With the colder weather on Friday, drivers had to learn about the conditions and find ways to use the grip of the Bridgestone Potenza hard compound tyres to maximum effect in order to run faster. For Saturday’s race, the conditions were warmer and the majority of drivers could control the car. On Sunday, the warm up of the tyres was good and it was an exciting race for Bridgestone and the GP2 Series. The tyre appearance is much better than on Friday and Saturday, due to the extra grip obtained from the rubber already laid on the track. I believe our choice of tyre was correct as today’s weather is as we predicted. ”
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