Kazuki's Column from Valencia
03 October 07
To finish on the podium at Valencia last weekend was a good result, but I was a bit disappointed not to end my GP2 season with a win. I started from pole position for the first time this year and no-one likes to go backwards in a race!
My car handled well from the outset and I ended Friday’s practice session in second place, behind my DAMS team-mate Nicolas Lapierre. Knowing that I had a good car, my aim for qualifying was to avoid traffic and not overdrive, both of which I managed to do. I set pole position with my first set of new tyres and we had a bit of a party in the garage at the end of the session!
The track conditions for race one were very tricky because it had rained during the morning and despite drying out, the track was neither wet, nor dry. I completed two installation laps before going to the grid: one on wet tyres and one on dries, and I elected to start the race on dry tyres.
I made a good get-away and led for the opening few laps, until it started to rain again. Vitaly Petrov and Giorgio Pantano had set-up their cars for the wet, which enabled them to catch and pass me. That dropped me to third place.
In the closing stages the rain stopped and my pace quickened as the track dried out, and by the chequered flag I was only 0.1s behind Pantano.
The weather for race two was fine, but I made a bad start from sixth on the grid and lost two positions before Turn 1. I lost another place later in the lap, so I was ninth by the time the race had settled down and the tyres were up to temperature. It’s very difficult to overtake at Valencia and try as I did, I finished the race in seventh place.
My fifth place in the final Championship table makes me top rookie, which is satisfying. GP2 is a really tough series and the standard of driving is very high. I’ve learnt a lot this year and whatever I end up doing in 2008 – Formula 1 or another season of GP2 – the things I’ve learnt this year will stand me in good stead.
Now though, I’m turning my attention to this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, where I’m driving the FW29 during first practice on Friday. It’s very important that I do a good job for the team to help them prepare for Sunday’s race.
Until next time,
Kazuki
My car handled well from the outset and I ended Friday’s practice session in second place, behind my DAMS team-mate Nicolas Lapierre. Knowing that I had a good car, my aim for qualifying was to avoid traffic and not overdrive, both of which I managed to do. I set pole position with my first set of new tyres and we had a bit of a party in the garage at the end of the session!
The track conditions for race one were very tricky because it had rained during the morning and despite drying out, the track was neither wet, nor dry. I completed two installation laps before going to the grid: one on wet tyres and one on dries, and I elected to start the race on dry tyres.
I made a good get-away and led for the opening few laps, until it started to rain again. Vitaly Petrov and Giorgio Pantano had set-up their cars for the wet, which enabled them to catch and pass me. That dropped me to third place.
In the closing stages the rain stopped and my pace quickened as the track dried out, and by the chequered flag I was only 0.1s behind Pantano.
The weather for race two was fine, but I made a bad start from sixth on the grid and lost two positions before Turn 1. I lost another place later in the lap, so I was ninth by the time the race had settled down and the tyres were up to temperature. It’s very difficult to overtake at Valencia and try as I did, I finished the race in seventh place.
My fifth place in the final Championship table makes me top rookie, which is satisfying. GP2 is a really tough series and the standard of driving is very high. I’ve learnt a lot this year and whatever I end up doing in 2008 – Formula 1 or another season of GP2 – the things I’ve learnt this year will stand me in good stead.
Now though, I’m turning my attention to this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, where I’m driving the FW29 during first practice on Friday. It’s very important that I do a good job for the team to help them prepare for Sunday’s race.
Until next time,
Kazuki
