FIA F2

Arden Sepang qualifying report

Arden International press release

Edited: Mar 24, 2012, 3:20 AM

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Luiz Razia

Razia makes flying start on Arden return

Luiz Razia

Photo by: GP2 Media Service

Luiz Razia made a spectacular start to the second phase of his career with the Arden GP2 team, qualifying in second place for the opening race of the season at Sepang, Malaysia. The Brazilian, who previously drove for Arden in the 2008-09 GP2 Asia Series, was seventh during free practice and then conjured a 1m 45.554s lap to secure a place on the front row of the grid tomorrow. Competition was fierce, even by GP2’s customary standards, with less than 0.15s covering the fastest six drivers.

Having made his GP2 debut in last year’s non-championship seasonal finale in Abu Dhabi, Razia’s team-mate Simon Trummer is preparing to learn about life in the cut and thrust of the main championship. He will start tomorrow’s race from 24th position.

Luiz Razia comments:

“This has been a very good day for the team – and the same is true for me. To qualify at the front has been a great confidence booster, although the oppressive climate here makes racing tough, no matter where you line up. There’s always a chance of rain, too, so I’m expecting things to be difficult.

“It is important to remain focused, to minimise any risk of error, and we have to keep an eye on the strategic permutations. The situation has changed this season, with the adoption of different tyre compounds, and we need to look at the data to see whether it’s best to choose hard-hard or medium-hard for the race. One of the key objectives today was to save tyres for the race – and we managed to do that while lapping quickly. It has been a very positive start, but the hardest bit lies ahead.”

Simon Trummer comments:

“I know there is potential in the car – Luiz proved that much – so I have to be a little disappointed with my own result. I was happy enough with the way things were going and felt fairly sure I could qualify in the top half of the field, but I didn’t manage a clear lap on my final run and slipped back to 24th. It is all part of the learning process, though, and I’m confident that I’ll be able to move forward in the race.”

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