Spaniard seals fourth victory of season

Andy Soucek scored a dominant victory in the opening race at Oschersleben today (Saturday), converting pole position into his fourth win of 2009.

The Spaniard made a clean getaway from the line to lead the pack into the first corner, but behind him several drivers were caught out as Tobias Hegewald made contact with Robert Wickens, tipping him into a spin.

Wickens had initially got the jump on Mirko Bortolotti, but the Italian responded by sneaking back through on the inside. Hegewald tried to follow suit, but he made his move too late and clipped the Canadian’s Red Bull-backed car. A multi-car accident followed as several drivers tried to take avoiding action – the incident left Hegewald, Julien Jousse, Jens Höing, Miloš Pavlović and Philipp Eng out of the race, whilst Robert Wickens, Jolyon Palmer and Jason Moore had to rejoin towards the rear of the field. Mikhail Aleshin was also lucky to continue after briefly becoming airborne.

The incident led to a safety car period, but Soucek maintained his lead from the restart and never looked back as he took victory by just over six seconds. Mirko Bortolotti, who had started alongside Soucek in second, also maintained position to score his fourth podium of the season.

Kazim Vasiliauskas picked his way the opening lap mayhem to take third from sixth on the grid, and the Lithuanian kept a consistent pace to take the final podium spot at the finish.

Carlos Iaconelli, Mikhail Aleshin and Nicola De Marco were covered by less than 1.5s in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. All three had battled their way past Jack Clarke during the contest, whilst De Marco moved up several places. The young Italian’s race included impressive moves on both Natacha Gachnang and Armaan Ebrahim.

Starting from 15th on the grid, Clarke took a fantastic seventh place after picking his way through the early melee. Wickens rounded out the points-paying positions with a storming recovery drive – the 20-year-old made aggressive moves past Natacha Gachnang and Armaan Ebrahim.

Ebrahim took ninth, ahead of a gutsy drive from debutant Ollie Hancock. The Briton saw off the attentions of both Gachnang and Edoardo Piscopo, before his race ended following a spin coming out of turn two on the penultimate lap. Fortunately the race was red flagged and Hancock was able to keep his tenth place finish as the results were counted back to the previous lap.

Andy Soucek said: "It always looks easy but it never is. I got a very good start, quite similar to the one I got at Donington. Through the race I was just focussing on not making any mistakes, but I was really pushing hard – I got the fastest lap by far, so I’m going to sleep well tonight. I think now I can try and go for the win again tomorrow!"

Mirko Bortolotti said: "I have to be happy with second. Of course I would like to be quicker and be able to fight for victory, but the positions are good at the moment. My target for the next race is to go like this, try to pick up points, and if possible go for the podium or even the win."

Kazim Vasiliauskas said: "I’m improving every weekend. The gap between myself and the leaders is getting smaller – I’m getting consistent and not making so many mistakes like in the beginning of the season, and I’m happy to be on the podium."

Race one – Oschersleben – Provisional Classification:

1. Andy Soucek, 25 laps
2. Mirko Bortolotti, +6.653s
3. Kazim Vasiliauskas, +11.169s
4. Carlos Iaconelli, +17.794s
5. Mikhail Aleshin, +18.747s
6. Nicola De Marco, +19.217s
7. Jack Clarke, +28.770s
8. Robert Wickens, +29.351s
9. Armaan Ebrahim, +34.990s
10. Ollie Hancock, +37.254s                                 www.formulatwo.com

Russian tops the charts ahead of Jousse and Soucek

Mikhail Aleshin took a superb maiden pole position in changing conditions today (Saturday), taking advantage of a drying track to set a time well clear of the rest of the field.

The session started in wet conditions after a heavy rain shower, but continued to dry until a clear dry line meant drivers made the switch to slick tyres with eight minutes remaining. Mikhail Aleshin was able to make the best of the changing conditions to set a time of 1:22.131s, before a late red flag brought the session to a close with many drivers on hot laps.

Julien Jousse set the second fastest time, although the Frenchman admitted he may have been relegated further down the field if the session had not been halted. Spaniard Andy Soucek again showed great consistency to take third, whilst Mirko Bortolotti will join him on the second row.

The session got off to a frantic start as a number of drivers spun, as provisional pole position changed hands on several occasions. Jousse, Tobias Hegewald and Aleshin all spun and recovered in the early stages, whilst Alex Brundle, Miloš Pavlović and Robert Wickens all enjoyed a brief spell at the top of the timesheets.

Jack Clarke spun in the opening ten minutes and was left stranded on the circuit and Jolyon Palmer went off into the gravel at turn six. Both cars were out of the session, which instigated the first of two red flag intervals.

A completely new order was formed in the final five minutes as the grip improved dramatically. Aleshin, Jousse, Soucek and Bortolotti were followed in the order by Robert Wickens and an impressive run from Alex Brundle.

Nicola De Marco pipped Tobias Hegewald to seventh, whilst Sebastian Hohenthal and Jason Moore rounded out the top ten – the Englishman reaching his target as reported on formulatwo.com yesterday.

Mikhail Aleshin said: "My team and I have done a lot of work and this is the result. I want to thank my team, my mechanic and my engineer. In these very difficult conditions it was important how fast they could change the car set up and the tyres, and they did it very well."

Julien Jousse said: "It’s good to be on the front row. I was unlucky with the last red flag because I was behind Hegewald and I couldn’t do better in my last lap, but I was lucky to still take second position! It’s good for the race tomorrow, because I think after the first corner it will be very difficult to pass."

Andy Soucek said: "It was drying up and it was all about who pitted earlier and put on slicks – I think Mikhail was one of the first, so I knew he would be on the front because you get the confidence and grip on the tyres. The championship is still open but I just have to keep my head down – I’m happy to have Mikhail ahead of me rather than Julien or Robert."

Qualifying two – Oschersleben – Provisional Classification:
1. Mikhail Aleshin, 1:22.131s
2. Julien Jousse, +0.632s
3. Andy Soucek, +0.646s
4. Mirko Bortolotti, +0.952s
5. Robert Wickens, +1.092s
6. Alex Brundle, +1.137s
7. Nicola De Marco, +1.249s
8. Tobias Hegewald, +1.265s
9. Sebastian Hohenthal, +1.286s
10. Jason Moore, +1.455s

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Inspired Spaniard goes fastest ahead of Bortolotti and Wickens

Andy Soucek recorded an emphatic pole position for race one at Oschersleben today (Friday), producing an inspired lap to finish more than three tenths of a second clear of the rest of the field.

Mikhail Aleshin set the early pace, but Soucek hit the top inside the opening ten minutes. Robert Wickens then began to trade blows with Soucek for pole, but the Spaniard had the final say – setting a scintillating 1:20.402s lap time.

With four minutes of the session remaining, Italian Mirko Bortolotti inched out Robert Wickens for second by just 0.005s. Wickens could not respond as he had already used his prime set of tyres when an unfortunate red flag was thrown in the final ten minutes.

Julien Jousse improved late on to take fourth, ahead of Miloš Pavlović. Kazim Vasiliauskas continues to produce impressive form during his debut season of single seater racing – the Lithuanian rounded out the top six.

Home favourite Tobias Hegewald had to settle for seventh, whilst Carlos Iaconelli set the eighth fastest time. Alex Brundle made a welcome return to the top ten, as he pipped a slightly disappointed Mikhail Aleshin, who dropped to tenth place following a late flurry of improvements.

Sebastian Hohenthal and Natacha Gachnang both set a time of 1:21.498s, but it was the Swede Hohenthal who was rewarded with 11th having completed his lap before the Swiss female racer.

The earlier noted red flag was caused when Jason Moore went off between turn 12 and turn 13 with eight minutes remaining – the Englishman made light contact with the barriers but his car was stranded close to the circuit. Several drivers were on flying laps at this point, but they all had to abandon their efforts.

Germán Sánchez ended his session in the gravel at turn ten, whilst Pietro Gandolfi recovered from an off at turn 13.

Soucek said: "I had a very good second flying lap on the new tyres, which could have been even faster but I hit a yellow and it spoilt the lap. It’s not easy – the level of competition is increasing every race. I think I have found a very good set up and the car is behaving incredibly well and I have a lot of confidence, so I’m in good shape."

Bortolotti said: "I could have improved a bit but I don’t think it would have been enough for pole, so I’m happy with second. It’s my first year in international racing so I’ve had to gain a bit of experience. Sometimes I have made mistakes but that’s racing you know. Now we are on the front row and I’m thinking about tomorrow."

Wickens said: "Second row is better than where I have started in the past. I’m pretty sure the race on this track could be decided on the first corner. Starting third is obviosuly more difficult than starting first, but we’ll just have to see how the race goes and try to salvage some points."

Qualifying one – Oschersleben – Provisional Classification:

1. Andy Soucek, 1:20.402
2. Mirko Bortolotti, +0.387s
3. Robert Wickens, +0.392s
4. Julien Jousse, +0.460s
5. Miloš Pavlović, +0.710s
6. Kazim Vasiliauskas, +0.851s
7. Tobias Hegewald, +0.895s
8. Carlos Iaconelli, +0.933s
9. Alex Brundle, +1.005s
10. Mikhail Aleshin, +1.014s                             www.formulatwo.com

Spaniard holds off Wickens and Jousse

Championship leader Andy Soucek recorded the fastest lap time of the day (Friday) during the second Formula Two free practice session at Oschersleben.

The Spaniard’s time was set relatively early on in the 30-minute session, whilst his title rivals tried to respond in the latter stages. Robert Wickens and Julien Jousse are second and third respectively in the current overall standings, and both drivers secured the same positions during the final moments of the second free practice session.

Whilst Soucek remains out in front, both Wickens and Jousse are confident of a good weekend ahead: "The weekend has started pretty well," commented Wickens. "I have come into the event in a positive frame of mind and I am happy with the progress we have made. I didn’t use the boost either so I can still find some time there. I really enjoy technical circuits like this – it seems to suit my driving style. Andy is in front, but it was only practice!"

"I am feeling confident," said Jousse. "The track is quite difficult to learn however, as it is quite bumpy. It is very easy to make a mistake here. My time was with the boost, but I don’t know what everyone else was doing. It will be very close in qualifying on new tyres."

Edoardo Piscopo set the last flying lap of the session, which included the fasted final sector of any driver. Unfortunately his first two sectors did not reach the same heights, but the Italian’s lap was still good enough for fourth.

Tobias Hegewald was bumped down to fifth and Miloš Pavlović set a last minute lap to take sixth away from Austrian racer Philipp Eng.

Carlos Iaconelli and early pace-setter Mikhail Aleshin were eighth and ninth, but both drivers had late spins at the tight turn one whilst trying to improve their times. Lithuanian talent Kazim Vasiliauskas rounded out the top ten.

The tight, twisty and slippery nature of the Oschersleben circuit caught out several drivers, most notably Armaan Ebrahim, who spun into the gravel at the exit of turn nine, and debutant Ollie Hancock, who made contact with the barriers after a late off. It was an unfortunate incident for the Briton as he had set his fastest lap of the session during the previous tour. British trio Alex Brundle, Jolyon Palmer and Jason Moore were also amongst those who recovered from spins.

Earlier in the day Julien Jousse and Mikhail Aleshin had set the pace in the first free practice session, both drivers remarkably recording the same lap time of 1:21.514s.

Free Practice two – Oschersleben – Provisional Classification:

1. Andy Soucek, 1:20.900
2. Robert Wickens, +0.026s
3. Julien Jousse, +0.169s
4. Edoardo Piscopo, +0.231s
5. Tobias Hegewald, +0.355s
6. Miloš Pavlović, +0.416s
7. Philipp Eng, +0.479s
8. Carlos Iaconelli, +0.524s
9. Mikhail Aleshin, +0.555s
10. Kazim Vasiliauskas, +0.634s                          www.formulatwo.com