GP2

ESTEBAN ARRIVES VERY MOTIVATED FOR THE GP2 FINAL ROUND IN SINGAPORE

Esteban Gutierrez has arrived in Singapore in fourth place in the GP2 championship for the 12th and final race weekend of the season. The Marina Bay Circuit is completely new to the GP2 teams, as is the experience of nighttime qualifying this season. 

After failing to finish on the podium in Belgium and Italy, Esteban’s chances of winning the drivers’ championship have gone but third place is still up for grabs. James Calado, Esteban’s Lotus team mate, sits on 160 points, just eight ahead of the Mexican. Guido Van der Garde is behind Esteban on 141. There are still 48 points to play for.

The Marina Bay Circuit presents a challenging mix of corners, bumps and a slippery surface which the GP2 drivers will have very little time to master in free practice.

ESTEBAN GUTIÉRREZ :
“Singapore is going to be tough because it’s completely new to GP2, there are a lot of corners to learn and it’s very humid. Free practice is going to be very important because this is a track we don’t know, and we need to have confidence in the car from the start to have a chance in qualifying. We shouldn’t try to compensate too much in Singapore for what has happened during the last two weekends. We have to keep our focus on the technical side of the car right now. But I’m looking forward to this last race of the season and learning a new, very exciting circuit. I’ll do my best to claw back third place in the standings, as it’s important to finish on the overall season podium.”

GAËTAN JEGO, CHIEF ENGINEER: “Singapore is going to be a big challenge for all the teams and drivers, most of whom have never raced here before. As it’s a city track, which goes unused for 51 weeks a year, the surface will be very green and slippery. GP2 will be the second cars to take to the track on Friday after the Ferrari Challenge. Because the walls are so close, like in Monaco, the drivers are going to have to be brave to find where the limit is, and mistakes will be costly because we need as much track time as possible. It’s very bumpy, there are a lot of corners, and fewer laps than usual because of the long track length, so that will have to play into our strategy. Qualifying will be held at night, which will be a new experience. Both cars have new engines here, which should help us. Although we struggled at Monza, the set-up here is very different in terms of aero configuration and therefore I expect us to be quick here and fight for the