Race Report

Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana 2016
GP3 SERIES

Circuit: Barcelona (E), Length: 4.655 km, 14^th/15^th May 2016, Rounds 1 & 2
www.circuitcat.com

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2016:
Akash Nandy (MAS), Richard Gonda (SVK) and Oscar Tunjo (COL)

Richard Gonda (SVK), Akash Neil Nandy (MYS), Oscar Tunjo (COL)

Excellent start for Tunjo with a podium!

The GP3 Series teams met for the first event of the season using the new GP3/16 race car for the sirst time as they ran as part of the Formula One programme at the Gran Premio de Espana 2016, held on the challenging Barcelona circuit in Spain. The sun shone throughout the weekend, and the pleasant conditions went a long way towards making it very obvious just how close the competition is within the 24-strong field.

Race One Qualifying

Saturday, 14/05/16, 09.45 – 10.15, Weather: Sunny, 16°C

Free practice on Friday evening however took place in changing conditions on a mostly wet track. Our drivers managed to surprise us though: Richard Gonda set the fastest time overall, just ahead of teammate Akash Nandy, while Oscar Tunjo was in 14^th place.
The track was dry for the first qualifying session of the new season and the temperature had risen slightly. Our drivers all achieved good positions even though the lap times were very close across the whole field, with 16 drivers finishing within a second of the best time.

Richard Gonda (SVK)

GP3 Series

Race One (40 Minutes)

Saturday, 14/05/16, 17.20, Weather: Sunny, 20°C

The first race of the new season started on schedule. Oscar shot ahead, but was pushed off and by the time he’d recovered was down in 8^th at the end of the first lap. Richard managed to hold his place and to keep pace with the pack. Akash gained two places during the course of lap one and was now up to 19^th.
During the race it proved difficult to attack, because with the exception of the front runners pretty much everyone was going at the same pace. Oscar managed to hang on to 8^th place all the way to the finish line without much problem. That meant he collected his first points and, as per the regulations, would start Race 2 from pole position. Richard made no mistakes either and held onto a very good 13^th place until the end. Akash drifted off a bit too much to the outside in one corner which was enough of an invitation to Aitken and Palou to slip past him. That meant Akash took the chequered flag in 21^st place.
The grid for the second race of the weekend was set by reversing the order of the first eight finishers in the first race, with the rest of the places set according to finishing order in the first race.

Oscar Tunjo (COL)

GP3 Series

Race Two (30 Minutes)

Sunday, 15/05/16, 09.25, Weather: Sunny, 16°C

Oscar managed a good start from pole, but was looking out for Dennis, who was pushing to the front. While they watched each other Albon saw his chance and went past both of them in one swift move to take the lead. Oscar then managed to put the pressure on Albon for the rest of the race and also to post the fastest lap time of the race, but in the end he couldn’t find a way past Albon. Oscar, who drove his last race nearly a year ago in June at the Red Bull Ring, nevertheless showed an excellent turn of speed, claiming 2^nd place well ahead of 3^rd placed Fuoco, which meant a podium so soon for the team. Richard ran wide soon after the start and dropped back to 15^th. His tyres were dirty and it took him several laps to get back into the rhythm, which allowed two other drivers to get past him. Richard crossed the finishing line in a respectable 17^th place. Akash had a similar experience, when he ran off the track soon after the start, also letting two cars slip past. After that he held his 23^rd place with no further incidents and brought the car home in that position.

Akash Neil Nandy (MYS)

We are now looking forward to the next race at the Red Bull Ring in July.

Championship standings after 2 out of 18 races:

1^st Charles Leclerc (F), 27 points; 2^nd Alexander Albon (THA), 23 points; 3^rd Jake Hughes (GB), 23 points; 4^th Antonio Fuoco (I), 22 points; 5^th Oscar Tunjo (COL), 18 points; 6^th Nirei Fukuzumi (JPN), 15 points

2016 GP3 Series

For more information:

• www.gp3series.com
• www.italiaracing.net