Richard Plant wins FPA title and Formula Two scholarship
Briton clinches £50,000 prize after securing the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Championship at Snetterton

Richard Plant has won a £50,000 scholarship prize towards a seat in the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship after winning the 2009 Formula Palmer Audi Championship this weekend (17/18 October).

In what has been an incredibly competitive season in FPA, four drivers – Richard Plant, Tristan Vautier, Kazim Vasiliauskas and Adam Foster – remained in contention for the championship heading into the final round of the season. Plant emerged victorious after a frenetic weekend of racing, clinching the title in the very last race of the season, with Vasiliauskas and Foster finishing as his closest rivals.

The 19-year-old Briton was presented with the £50,000 scholarship prize by MotorSport Vision Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer, who also invited him to attend the final round of the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship at Barcelona on 31 October/1 November. Plant was also handed a three lap demonstration run in the F2 car, which has been designed by the AT&T Williams F1 team, at the Snetterton event ahead of a full test in the car later in the year. Vasiliauskas and Foster will also be handed a full test in the car as a result of finishing in the top three championship positions.

Speaking after his three lap run, a jubilant Richard Plant said: "The F2 car was a completely different animal to the FPA car. It was amazing – the power and grip was on another level and I loved every second of it. I just wanted the demonstration to run into a full test – I think I went even faster after the chequered flag came out. It was a fantastic experience to run the car in front of everyone from FPA and it is something I will never forget.

“My Dad and I have been invited to watch the final F2 round in Barcelona which will be mega and then I will hopefully be having my real F2 test in December. It is hard to take it all in but it was just such a great day for me and now I am fully focussed on racing in Formula Two next season."

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A third place finish in race one at Imola last Saturday (19 September) secured the FIA Formula Two Championship title for Andy Soucek, and the Spaniard went on to celebrate his achievement in style by storming to his fifth victory of the season in race two. Speaking to www.formulatwo.com, the newly crowned champion reflects on a fantastic campaign in F2 and talks about his burning Formula One ambition…

You’ve had a few days to reflect on the weekend; how does it feel to be the 2009 FIA Formula Two Champion?

It feels great! It has been a very special season, the best of my career. I not only won the championship, but I won with a good margin, and I have to be proud of everything I achieved. Hopefully it will open new doors for me: already a lot of people in the world of Formula One know me better than before, and the news has travelled around the world. No-one will ever be able to take away my title in Formula Two, and I will be able to look back on this for the rest of my career.

What are your hopes for F1?

I’m very positive that my dream can become true. I just feel like I’m at the right moment – I’m in the right place and with the right people, and this is my big chance, my dream. It doesn’t mean that I will get my chance for sure, but for me this is the right moment.

Things have changed quite a lot since F2 last ran in 1984, but F2 is still a category where young drivers can get themselves into Formula One. I know back then every champion progressed into F1, so I’m hoping to continue the trend as the first winner of the new series. I had a great championship, scored a lot of points, and brought the car home in almost every race. I think F1 teams look not only at the winner of every championship but also at the most complete driver. That’s why I think I’m in the right moment and I’ve showed it this year. It was not only the number of races I won, it was my consistency at the front that made it such a great year for me, and I think I can have similar success in F1 as well.

How did you feel about the video message you received from Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head congratulating you on your success?

It was incredibly emotional. I’m a realistic and humble person, and I really never expected to have a Formula One team boss – let alone such an important one, because he is one of the most successful ever – like Sir Frank Williams or Patrick Head giving me a message saying that they hope I can achieve my dreams of going into Formula One. It really was like a dream seeing that; it was very emotional, and something I will never forget. Hopefully they are right in what they said!

What will you do to prepare for your test with Williams later this year?

I’m very well prepared now. I started to train my neck as soon as I got back from Imola, because I think that is the one part of my body where the g-forces are different in F1. They have steering assistance, so there won’t be too much force on my arms, but you need a strong neck for sure. I hope to be in peak physical condition for the test, but I have never stopped training and I am fitter than ever so I don’t see it being an issue.

Have you had any contact with other F1 teams?

Whilst we are not currently in negotiations with any other teams in F1, we are in contact with a few and I think that will probably intensify in the next few weeks. First we have to digest winning the F2 title, and then we will have to make a plan of which teams will be good for me and for my career, if they are interested, and work these things out. I know Adrian (Campos) from a lot of years ago and for sure I would be very happy to race for them, a Spanish team, but we are looking at other options as well.

How does this season compare to the rest of your career?

I think this was the best season, because now I am much more complete as a driver. I remember other great seasons like Spanish Formula 3, when I won the championship, and also World Series by Renault when I was challenging for the championship in the final weekend. I think I became a better driver when I moved into GP2 because I gained maturity and experience, but this year I think I have come on even more – everything just clicked and I feel very confident in myself.

Was there a weekend when it all came together this season, or was it a gradual process?

I think I was a bit unlucky in the first weekend in Valencia, but I think I was also a bit over motivated and was expecting to win at my home race, especially after running so well in testing. To be honest perhaps it was a bit of a surprise to have Robert Wickens in such good shape for that weekend – I really expected more and it was kind of a bad weekend for me. For the rest of the season though, really starting from the second race in Brno, everything has been pretty much perfect.

Does winning the championship vindicate your decision to race in Formula Two this year?

Absolutely. It was a group decision I made with my manager and my father to move into Formula Two. It wasn’t just the relatively low cost of competing, but the backing of the FIA, the prize of a test drive with Williams – the combination of all of these things made it a great championship to join. At the start we imagined the best scenario would be to win, but I haven’t just done that, I won it by distinction and that has made it very special. We also really believed in Jonathan Palmer and had heard a lot of good things about him. At the end of the day Formula Two has given me the opportunity to prove my potential in Formula One machinery with Williams, so it was exactly the right decision for me to have made.

How does the level of competition in F2 compare to that of a series like GP2?

I have always said that the drivers in F2 improve with every race, so I had to make sure I was doing the same otherwise I would lose ground. In that sense the level of competition is very high, and I had to become better and better in order to stay at the front, which has helped me as a driver. The car is very strong, with paddleshift gears, very good brakes and a powerful engine, so it’s good training. There are some young guys who have really improved recently, so it keeps getting harder.

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Spaniard takes his fifth win of the season in Imola

Andy Soucek celebrated his championship in style today, leapfrogging Mirko Bortolotti and Robert Wickens from the start to claim his fifth victory of the season.

The Spaniard, who clinched the championship yesterday, continued his impressive streak in Formula Two as he looks forward to a test with the AT&T Williams F1 team at the end of the season.

The race got off to a frenetic start – Soucek bursting between the Red Bull duo of Wickens and Bortolotti, and Mikhail Aleshin making his way up to fourth place. The Russian then passed Wickens on the outside at the Traguardo chicane, but Aleshin pushed too hard at the next corner and spun on the exit of Tamburello. His car was stranded on the circuit as the whole F2 field powered through – unfortunately, Jens Höing was unsighted and the German ploughed into Aleshin at high speed.

A safety car was instantly deployed but Pietro Gandolfi somehow did not see the boards and he ran into the slowing Natacha Gachnang ahead. The young Swiss female racer was furious with Gandolfi as she remonstrated with him after the accident. Both cars were out on the spot and this further prolonged the safety car period.

At the restart, Wickens got the jump on Bortolotti soon after the start/finish line, but the Italian had a problem. With smoke and oil coming from his car, Bortolotti pulled off but not before the slippery surface had caught out several drivers behind. Alex Brundle was having a great run but the young Englishman was the first to hit the oil and it fired him off into the barrier. Julien Jousse and Jack Clarke followed, although Clarke was able to rejoin.

Marshalls were able to put sand down on the oil while the race continued and leader Soucek was the first to throw up plumes of white dust into the cars behind. Wickens‘ car was covered, which seemed to startle the Canadian momentarily as his vision was obscurred. The leading pair traded fastest laps towards the end of the race but they both maintained position as Soucek recorded his fifth win of the season.

Miloš Pavlović took a lonely yet well deserved third place. The Serbian has been struck by bad luck throughout much of 2009 so it was fitting that he made his first visit to the podium since Spa-Francorchaps in June.

Tobias Hegewald took fourth to fire himself back into the top six of the championship standings, whilst Carlos Iaconelli came home fifth.

There was a fantastic battle for sixth place and it will be a memorable one for young Briton Jolyon Palmer. The teenager has been in good form at Imola and he followed up his storming drive during yesterday’s race with another here today. His rise from 16th on the grid to sixth at the finish included a great pass on Spaniard Germán Sánchez, and he picked up his first points of the season ahead of Jason Moore and Sánchez. The reigning Formula Palmer Audi deserves great praise after racing with a fractured hand throughout the weekend, and a fantastic pass on Sánchez late on will have made his efforts all the more worthwhile.

Nicola De Marco and Philipp Eng both fought their way up from the back of the field and were challenging for sixth at one stage, but the pair eventually had to settle for ninth and tenth respectively. Armaan Ebrahim was struck with bad luck when his car did not get off the start line, whilst Kazim Vasiliauskas also retired when running well in the top six.

Andy Soucek said: "I got a good start. It was a bit dangerous because I was in the middle of the Red Bull cars and I was a bit uncomfortable, but I managed to squeeze up the inside. From then on I just pushed really hard to improve my lap times, I was very consistent and quick. Another victory, now five wins and eight podiums – I can’t really expect more. Today I really wanted it to be good, and I’m very proud."

Imola – Race Two – Provisional Classification:

1. Andy Soucek, 15 laps

2. Robert Wickens, +2.407s

3. Miloš Pavlović, +7.912s

4. Tobias Hegewald, +16.389s

5. Carlos Iaconelli, +20.163s

6. Jolyon Palmer, +23.510s

7. Jason Moore, +25.495s

8. Germán Sánchez, +27.214s

9. Nicola De Marco, +27.288s

10. Philipp Eng, +28.071s                           www.formulatwo.com

Spaniard becomes the first F2 champion for 25 years

Andy Soucek has sealed the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship at Imola today (19 September), becoming the first F2 champion since Mike Thackwell in 1984.

The Spaniard will earn a full test with the AT&T Williams F1 team, after building an unassailable points lead over his championship rivals with three races to go in the season.

Soucek clinched the crown with an impressive third place during today’s race at Italy after he started the race down in sixth. A delighted Soucek said: “As you can imagine I feel fantastic – I still can’t believe it! I have performed well throughout the championship and I have to be very proud. The test with Williams is a real chance for me to get into Formula One. It’s going to be a new experience for me: it will be with slicks, and it will be with Williams who have had a good year. Hopefully I will have a very good test – I’m going to prepare myself physically as good as I can and if it goes well we will see what happens next year.

"It was an amazing race today – I think it was the best so far. You have to know how to win a race starting from pole, but I think you also have to know how to climb your way up starting from further back. That’s what I did today – I believe I have proved to be a worthy champion and now I hope it leads to a chance in Formula One.”

Soucek has proved himself the class of 25-strong international field, the Spaniard amassing a total of four race wins and eight podiums thus far this season. He has been in imperious form on his run to the championship, finishing in the top four for the last ten consecutive races.

Sir Frank Williams, Team Principal of the Williams F1 team, led the plaudits after Soucek’s championship victory. Sir Frank said: “I personally offer Andy my very sincere congratulations on effectively dominating a very close category of motor racing. I remember saying a year ago that Formula Two would join GP2 as the desired or accepted stream of new up and coming drivers for Formula One, and I will as a result of this season continue to believe the same.

Patrick Head, Director of Engineering at Williams, said: “Congratulations to Andy! He’s driven a fine season in the first year of Formula Two. We are looking forward to running him in our Formula One car, and I hope the whole process will help get him to achieve his ambition to compete in the Formula One World Championship.”

Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision, said: “I am really thrilled. We established Formula Two to provide drivers who couldn’t afford budgets of 1-1.5 million Euros, the chance to prove that they could be some of the best drivers in the world, and I believe we have achieved that. Andy is a very deserving winner of this championship. He has been outstanding and I am really proud of the job he has done. I am sure Andy will be a fantastic ambassador for Formula Two.”

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Lithuanian sets blistering pace in first qualifying

Kazim Vasiliauskas stormed to his maiden F2 pole in the first qualifying session at Imola today (Friday), eclipsing his rivals by more than three tenths of a second.

The Lithuanian backed up his earlier claim of wanting to fight for victories, as he set the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:38.468s: "I’m really happy," said Kazim. "I see that every time I am improving, and now this is my first pole, I am just so happy. At the first race in Valencia my father told me if you are in the top ten I will be very happy. Now, at the end of the season, I have a pole! Tomorrow I will try to make progress and take my first win of the year."

Mirko Bortolotti pipped Mikhail Aleshin to second place, but the Italian was upset with his colleague after Aleshin allegedly blocked him on his final run. It is the second time in as many meetings that the Red Bull duo have had a difference of opinion.

"It was a bit frustrating because the pace was there to get pole," commented Bortolotti, "but on my fastest lap Aleshin stopped me, so I don’t know what to say. In the end I am happy because I got second position, but it could have been better for sure. Still, first row is a good result and it gives me confidence for the race."

During the post-qualifying press conference Aleshin simply said he hadn’t seen Bortolotti in his mirrors, but the Russian had a complaint of his own: "I think that many people were pushing under the yellows, and I think it will be a good decision if the FIA investigate this a little," he commented. "In my opinion I was the only one slowing down."

Robert Wickens completed a Red Bull 2-3-4 as the Canadian left it late to see off Philipp Eng. The Austrian was second behind Vasiliauskas with only five minutes to go, but he may have paid the price for aborting his final run. Championship leader Andy Soucek may be content with sixth on the grid as he looks to wrap up the title this weekend, but the Spaniard earlier admitted he did not have the pace to challenge for pole.
Sebastian Hohenthal ended up seventh ahead of a mighty impressive run from Germán Sánchez. The reigning Spanish F3 champion recovered from an early spin to score his best qualifying position of the season.

After setting the pace during the opening practice session, Julien Jousse will be disappointed with ninth, whilst Edoardo Piscopo will have to fight for his first F2 podium from tenth on the grid.

Armaan Ebrahim spun out of the session at Rivazza on his first flying lap – the Indian pilot will start tomorrow’s race from the back of the grid. Jens Höing also crashed out late on, whilst Jolyon Palmer and Jack Clarke recovered from separate off-track excursions. Wickens endured a mixed session after bouncing back from a double-off on the same lap, but Tom Gladdis wasn’t so lucky – the Englishman was left stranded in the middle of the circuit on the exit of Tamburello as the chequered flag waved.

Imola – Qualifying 1 – Provisional Classification:

1. Kazim Vasiliauskas, 1:38.468
2. Mirko Bortolotti, +0.313s
3. Mikhail Aleshin, +0.401s
4. Robert Wickens, +0.433s
5. Philipp Eng, +0.538s
6. Andy Soucek, +0.860s
7. Sebastian Hohenthal, +0.982s
8. Germán Sánchez, +1.200s
9. Julien Jousse, +1.219s
10. Edoardo Piscopo, +1.263s

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Spaniard determined to make history at Italian round this weekend

Andy Soucek is just one race victory away from taking the inaugural FIA Formula Two Championship and the Spaniard is hoping to wrap things up in Imola this weekend (18/19/20 September).

As F2 arrives in Italy, Soucek holds a commanding 32 point advantage with just four races and 40 available points remaining in the 2009 season. The four-time race winner may not even need to stand on the top step of the rostrum to take the crown, but Soucek is determined to win the championship in style.

Mikhail Aleshin took his maiden victory last time out in Oschersleben and the Russian racer is now Soucek’s main championship challenger. Aleshin is two points ahead of his Red Bull Junior Team colleague Robert Wickens, who in turn is two points in front of Julien Jousse in fourth place. Mirko Bortolotti and Tobias Hegewald are fifth and sixth respectively as just ten points separate the five drivers battling for second in the standings.

The top seven contenders in the championship have all tasted victory in F2 this season, and Philipp Eng in seventh will be looking to bounce back from a fruitless weekend in Germany.

It will be an emotional round for several Italian Formula Two drivers this weekend, with Bortolotti arguably the most likely to take a victory on home soil. Nicola De Marco will be looking for a good result after returning to points scoring form at Oschersleben, whilst Edoardo Piscopo will be chasing a maiden F2 podium. Pietro Gandolfi is another who is looking forward to racing in his homeland for the first time in 2009.

The Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit is steeped in history. Based near the Italian town of Imola, a picturesque little town in the province of Bologna, the track is one of the few major international circuits to run in an anti-clockwise direction.

The Imola circuit was home to the San Marino Formula One Grand Prix until 2006, and has recently undergone a series of revisions under the direction of Hermann Tilke. F2 will partner the WTCC this weekend and both races will be screened live on Eurosport.

Andy Soucek said: "I would love to win the championship in Imola and I would like to do it with a victory. Of course, I have to finish in front of my rivals here to take the title, but it will not feel as good if I am not at least on the podium. I will push as hard as always to try and score more wins in F2. Imola has a lot of history and although I have never raced at this circuit, I am sure it is going to be an incredible experience. My Dad competed there in the past and he has told me a lot about the place. If I can do it this weekend then I can really enjoy the final round in my home country when we race in Barcelona."

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Russian fends off Soucek and Jousse to clinch victory

Mikhail Aleshin scored his maiden victory in Formula Two in the second race at Oschersleben today (Sunday), although he had to fend off the attentions of Andy Soucek and Julien Jousse for the entire race.

The Russian made a decent start from pole but he had Jousse challenging his lead into the first corner. Jousse made a failed attempt down the inside and then lost momentum through turn two, which allowed Andy Soucek to sneak through into second.

Mirko Bortolotti failed to get away cleanly from fourth on the grid, the Italian dropping down the order as a result. Robert Wickens inherited fourth but was unable to challenge the lead trio, instead having to protect his position from a charging Nicola De Marco.

The opening lap drama didn’t happen at the expected first corner, but it arrived at the exit of turn nine when Philipp Eng barrel rolled his car at high speed after contact with another driver. The Austrian was completely uninjured during the spectacular looking accident.

The lead trio of Aleshin, Soucek and Jousse proceeded to open a small gap over Wickens in fourth. Soucek was able to put Aleshin under heavy pressure throughout, but he also had his mirrors full of Jousse behind. The Spaniard had a few exploratory looks down the inside of Aleshin, but he was unable to make any real attempt to pass. He also made a small mistake when running wide on the penultimate lap, and subsequently settled for second. When the chequered flag fell, the top three drivers were separated by just over one second.

Wickens hung on to fourth, ahead of De Marco and Tobias Hegewald. Kazim Vasiliauskas took seventh, whilst Edoardo Piscopo made a great charge from 14th on the grid to clinch the final point. Sebastian Hohenthal and Carlos Iaconelli both jumped Alex Brundle late on to round out the top ten.

Aleshin’s first F2 win promotes him to second in the championship standings, having jumped his Red Bull Junior team mates Wickens and Bortolotti. "It’s incredible," said Aleshin. "It was one of the most difficult races in my life I would say. I had a problem with the gearbox and couldn’t shift down properly – I was losing a lot of time, especially in the first corner. Well I was pushing and I didn’t make any mistakes, and that’s why I’m sitting here in the middle! I want to say thanks to my mechanic and engineer for all their help."

Soucek now holds a 32 point advantage with only 40 available points remaining at Imola and Barcelona: "That was not the best start I have done," said the Spaniard. "I saw the two guys fighting in front of me so I broke a bit earlier and I used the opportunity on the second corner where they were parallel fighting together. Julien was quite fair to me and didn’t close, otherwise we would have probably crashed. It was a bit of a risk for the championship, but it went well. It was kind of impossible to overtake though, so I thought about the championship and I think eight points are very important now."

Jousse completed the podium, but the Frenchman is not hopeful of challenging for the championship: "For me the championship is finished for sure, but I will fight the maximum for second position," he said. Soucek can clinch the title with race victory in the opening contest at Imola in two weeks time.

Race 2 – Oschersleben – Provisional Classification:

1. Mikhail Aleshin, 18 laps
2. Andy Soucek, +0.479s
3. Julien Jousse, +1.061s
4. Robert Wickens, +2.914s
5. Nicola De Marco, +3.642s
6. Tobias Hegewald, +4.427s
7. Kazim Vasiliauskas, +5.381s
8. Edoardo Piscopo, +13.290s
9. Sebastian Hohenthal, +15.193s
10. Carlos Iaconelli, +17.116s

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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

F2 arrives in Oschersleben for rounds 11 & 12 (4/5/6 September)

Andy Soucek will be looking to increase his lead in the overall standings as the FIA Formula Two Championship arrives in Germany for rounds 11 and 12 this weekend (4/5/6 September).

The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben will play host to the event as F2 reaches a critical stage in the 2009 campaign. Soucek extended his championship advantage at Donington Park last time out as the Spaniard took his third victory of the season, whilst his main title rival Robert Wickens failed to score points in either race during a frustrating weekend. Whilst the Canadian was able to maintain second place in the standings, he will be keen to get his championship challenge back on track in Germany. Wickens has raced in various categories below F2 this season to gain as much race experience as possible to bolster his championship challenge, and the 20-year-old enjoyed success at a round of the Formula Atlantic Championship last weekend, scoring a strong fourth place finish at Mosport in his homeland.

Julien Jousse took a superb maiden F2 victory at Donington to fire himself back into title contention and the Frenchman is just two points behind Wickens in third place, with German racer Tobias Hegewald narrowly behind in fourth. Having won both races at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in June, Hegewald will be searching for his third victory of the season as he races in front of his home fans for the first time.

The Red Bull Junior Team duo of Mikhail Aleshin and Mirko Bortolotti, who was recently linked to Luca Badoer’s seat at Ferrari, currently lie fifth and sixth respectively in the championship order, whilst Austrian Philipp Eng is tied with Bortolotti on 31 points. Eng dropped four places in the table during the last round in England, illustrating the importance of consistent scoring at every event in Formula Two.

Incredibly, just eight points separate second to seventh in the championship standings. Six drivers have scored victories in the opening ten rounds this season – the podium has seen twelve different visitors and a staggering 20 drivers have already scored championship points.

It will be a vital weekend for many F2 drivers in Oschersleben, not least for local driver Jens Höing – the Berlin-born racer will be searching for his first points finish of the season at his home circuit. 22-year-old Ollie Hancock will make his F2 debut this weekend after signing up to contest the final six races of 2009, and the young Briton enjoyed a successful maiden run in an F2 car at Bedford Autodrome last week.

Located in Oschersleben, Börde, the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is a relatively new racetrack having only opened in July 1997. Germany’s third permanent circuit after the Nürburgring and Hockenheimring, Oschersleben hosts rounds of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, DTM and FIA GT Championships. F2 will partner the WTCC this weekend and both races will be screened live on Eurosport.

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Frenchman coverts pole position to race two victory

Julien Jousse, who started on pole position, took a dominant maiden victory in race two of the FIA Formula Two Championship at Donington Park this afternoon (Sunday).
Jousse made a fantastic getaway as the lights went out, whilst Kazim Vasiliauskas also had a storming start – the Lithuanian got by Sebastian Hohenthal and Mirko Bortolotti around the outside at Redgate to move into second.

An incident at the Esses on the first lap involving multiple cars towards the back of the field eliminated Jason Moore, Armaan Ebrahim, Jens Höing, Nicola De Marco and Tom Gladdis, and brought out the safety car for three laps. At the restart, Jousse pulled out a good advantage whilst Alex Brundle and Robert Wickens made contact at the Craner Curves. The young Briton made heavy contact with the barriers and both drivers were out on the spot.
Jousse continued to pull away from Vasiliauskas whilst an intense battle raged behind, as Mirko Bortolotti, Sebastian Hohenthal and Andy Soucek all scrapped for third place. Soucek made a remarkable pass on Hohenthal on lap 17 at the Craner Curves and quickly set about catching Bortolotti – the Spaniard applying intense pressure on the reigning Italian Formula 3 champion.
Bortolotti produced a superb defensive display to hold Soucek at bay as the pair went side-by-side through Redgate, Hollywood and the Craner Curves. Soucek was forced to concede and Bortolotti clinched the final podium position, whilst Jousse took victory by more than 15 seconds from Vasiliauskas.

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Sebastian Hohenthal held off both Tobias Hegewald and Mikhail Aleshin to take fifth, whilst Miloš Pavlović rounded out the points in eighth position. Carlos Iaconelli and Philipp Eng were ninth and tenth respectively.

Germán Sánchez and Jolyon Palmer both enjoyed good runs just outside the top ten – 11th place for Sánchez equalling his best performance of the season. Edoardo Piscopo retired late on, as did Natacha Gachnang after a spin at Goddards.

Julien Jousse said: "I’m happy because everything went right in this race. It was not the case this morning, because I made a big mistake and missed an opportunity to score big points. I’m happy to win after this pole. I was quick all weekend and I am happy to confirm that with a win. I don’t know Oschersleben, so I hope to learn it very quickly and get the same result."

Kazim Vasiliauskas said: "The start was not so bad. I used the boost and Bortolotti and Hohenthal were fighting on the inside of the corner. They both braked early so I just tried to go around the outside and I passed them. Then at the restart I made a mistake because I tried to press the boost but instead I pushed the wrong button! Bortolotti almost overtook me but I defended and after that I just tried to focus on my race."

Mirko Bortolotti said: "I’m happy to be back on the podium. It was a really difficult race for me because I was under pressure throughout the race. I had a close moment going side by side with Soucek, but it was fun."

Race 2 – Donington Park – Provisional Classification:

1. Julien Jousse, 25 laps
2. Kazim Vasiliauskas, +15.116s
3. Mirko Bortolotti, +17.858s
4. Andy Soucek, +18.318s
5. Sebastian Hohenthal, +19.315s
6. Tobias Hegewald, +19.948s
7. Mikhail Aleshin, +20.383s
8. Miloš Pavlović, +21.440s
9. Carlos Iaconelli, +23.886s
10. Philipp Eng, +24.301s

Minute’s silence held at Donington Park

The Formula Two team and drivers assembled on the grid at Donington Park this morning (Sunday) to pay tribute to Henry Surtees, who tragically lost his life following an accident in the second F2 race at Brands Hatch in July.
Henry’s car was placed on pole position with all 24 F2 drivers stood behind, together with MSV’s Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer and the entire Formula Two team. A minute’s silence was held at 9.30am.

All 24 Formula Two cars are also carrying a personal tribute sticker to Henry on the rear wing this weekend, bearing the simple message: "Henry – we miss you."

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