Formula European Masters
Pau round 8 qualifying report
64th Grand Prix Automobile de Pau, France - 29th/31st June 2004 First Qualifying - Race 2: Weather: Humid, very hot. Here's what we said last year: "The weather is fine and sunny, the temperature edging its way up into the 30s, and ...
Published: May 30, 2004, 6:24 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
64th Grand Prix Automobile de Pau, France - 29th/31st June 2004
First Qualifying - Race 2:
Weather: Humid, very hot.
Here's what we said last year: "The weather is fine and sunny, the temperature edging its way up into the 30s, and the Pyrenees are almost invisible in the heat haze. The sound of racing engines echoing off tall buildings gives way to the less reassuring sound of the gentle crump of bodywork against Armco.This can only be Pau!" Strangely enough, it seems to be just the same this year. However, due to irreconcilable differences between the Formula 3 Euro series (which is FIA approved) and the other Formula Three championships (which are FIA-sanctioned) - and please don't ask us to explain the difference - this is no longer an international Cup race (or whatever they want to call it this year) and is instead Rounds 7 and 8 of the Euro F3 Series, which has already wended its way round the greater part of Europe before arriving here in France. After a somewhat lively pair of free practice sessions, qualifying finally started a little short of 6pm, though it wasn't any cooler than it had been for the afternoon session.
Hopefully, though, they were all going to behave a little better than they had in free practice, what with collapsing suspension (Nicholas Lapierre [Opel Team Signature-Plus] twice, but that's what happens when you keep hitting the kerbs), and people running up the rear end of other people's Dallaras (Thank you, Lewis Hamilton - Manor Motorsport), to say nothing of general ignorance of yellow flags (Tom Kimber-Smith - Kolles - this does mean you!).
Anyway, with only a dozen or so cars out in each session, and no more than 20 minutes at their disposal, it seemed likely that we might get away with this, at least this afternoon. The first driver to haul himself out was Andreas Zuber (Opel Team Rosberg), so he was also the first to set a time. In previous year's times have started in the 1.20s and only come down slowly. This time the provisional time was in the 1 minute 15 second range by the end of the first flying lap. Jamie Green (ASM Formule 3) was soon up there too, only to be shoved out of the way by Alexandros Margaritis (Opel Team KMS), who was first into the 1.14s. With last year's pole time (1.11:999) to aim for, it seemed likely that times would continue to fall rapidly during the twenty-minute session, despite the humidity and track temperatures that reached 42
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article EU V6: DAMS Brno race one report
Next article Charlotte: Vickers "Wake-up Call" transcript
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Lewis Hamilton
Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Oscar Piastri on his Singapore puncture: “Ironically, it probably helped”
Why Ferrari caved in to Lewis Hamilton’s failed Singapore F1 gamble
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
Why Ferrari caved in to Lewis Hamilton’s failed Singapore F1 gamble
More from
Manor Racing
The final stand of F1's last true minnow team
Formula 1
Formula 1
The final stand of F1's last true minnow team
Manor's early Le Mans LMP1 troubles explained
WEC
WEC
24 Hours of Le Mans
Manor's early Le Mans LMP1 troubles explained
Kubica: Combining WEC drive with F1 role too "risky"
WEC
WEC
Kubica: Combining WEC drive with F1 role too "risky"
Latest news
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
TDS Racing doubles down on IMSA program with two-car LMP2 return
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 2 h
TDS Racing doubles down on IMSA program with two-car LMP2 return
Why Isack Hadjar doesn’t like F1 sprints anymore
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Singapore GP
2 h
Why Isack Hadjar doesn’t like F1 sprints anymore
Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen to race for JR Motorsports again in 2027
NASCAR O'Reilly
NOAP NASCAR O'Reilly
Phoenix II
3 h
Ross Chastain and Shane van Gisbergen to race for JR Motorsports again in 2027
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe