Briton finishes ahead of Tuscher and Pommer to extend title lead

Luciano Bacheta continued his domination of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship by securing victory during today’s (Sunday) round four at Portimão, and becoming the first driver to win four consecutive races.

The 22-year-old moved into the lead on the opening lap from his third place grid slot, passing pole-sitter Mathéo Tuscher around the outside of Turn 3 and powering away until the chequered flag.

In a repeat of Saturday’s race, the Swiss teenager had kept the Brit honest for much of the race and staying within a one second margin, but he made a mistake at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap to take the pressure of Bacheta. Tuscher then fell into the clutches of third-placed Markus Pommer but he was able to hold on until the chequered flag with the German coming home to collect his maiden F2 podium and making up for the difficult opening round he endured at Silverstone.

Last year’s F2 runner-up Christopher Zanella finished fourth despite starting on the all Swiss front-row having been passed by the much quicker Pommer on lap seven going into Turn 1. Zanella, who remains in third place in the drivers‘ standings, then enjoyed a relatively quiet race unlike the scrap for fifth place going on behind him.

That was eventually won by Briton Dino Zamparelli who battled for much of the race with four other drivers with the positions changing all the time. In the end it was Daniel McKenzie who came away with sixth ahead of Hector Hurst to complete a trio of Brits. Saturday’s podium finisher Kevin Mirocha secured eighth ahead of Brazilian Victor Guerin who had earlier received a two-place grid penalty following an infringement during the morning’s qualifying session. Swiss driver Alex Fontana completed the top 10 while fellow countryman Mauro Calamia finished 11th to pick up his best result of the season so far.

Speaking afterwards Bacheta, who now enjoys a 46 point advantage, said: "From lap two I started to make the adjustments that I was making to the car in lap 18 yesterday so that puts that race into perspective. I was struggling throughout the whole race and just had masses of oversteer. It was my fault as I made a bad call on tyre pressures and I should have stuck with what we planned. But nevertheless I’m happy to have won again. It’s been quite mentally draining this weekend having Mathéo in my mirrors all the time and I was glad to see the chequered flag again."

The next rounds (five and six) of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship take place at Germany’s Nűrburgring on 25-27 May with full coverage on the official Formula Two website.

F2 Results: Portugal Race 2:

1. Luciano Bacheta, 22 laps
2. Mathéo Tuscher, +1.514s
3. Markus Pommer, +2.267s
4. Christopher Zanella, +6.425s
5. Dino Zamparelli, +19.249s
6. Daniel McKenzie, +20.319s
7. Hector Hurst, +20.722s
8. Kevin Mirocha, +21.733s
9. Victor Guerin, +22.563s
10. Alex Fontana, +29.288s

F2 Championship Standings – After Round 4:

1. Luciano Bacheta, 100pts
2. Mathéo Tuscher, 54pts
3. Christopher Zanella, 42pts
4. Alex Fontana, 37pts
5. Markus Pommer, 37pts
6. Mihai Marinescu, 31pts
7. Daniel McKenzie, 30pts
8. Dino Zamparelli, 24pts
9. Kevin Mirocha, 19pts
10. Hector Hurst, 15pts

www.formulatwo.com

Briton finishes ahead of Mathéo Tuscher and Kevin Mirocha

Luciano Bacheta continued his unbeaten record to secure his third victory from three races during today’s (Saturday) FIA Formula Two race at Portimão.

The 22-year-old led from pole and was untroubled for much of the race until the closing stages when 15-year-old Mathéo Tuscher began to close in on him. The Swiss teenager showed superb pace and tyre management to get within one second of Bacheta and inside the championship’s new Boost Zone but was unable to topple him, settling for second and becoming the youngest driver in the new era of F2 to secure a podium.

Polish racer Kevin Mirocha also picked up his maiden podium after getting a good start from fourth on the grid and driving a controlled race to build a comfortable cushion to the battling pair of Markus Pommer and David Zhu behind him.

21-year-old Pommer, who had lined up second on the grid, got too much wheel spin off the line to drop him down to fifth behind a charging Zhu. The two then battled throughout the race, in particularly across the start/finish line and into Turn 1, with the Chinese racer defending superbly until the quicker German eventually got past.

Outside the top five, Daniel McKenzie lost out on his P5 start to finish 13th, while Christopher Zanella secured sixth place after a tangle with Mihai Marinescu going into Turn 1. Marinescu drove well to recover from his spin to finish 10th but now drops to fourth in the drivers‘ standings.

Swiss driver Alex Fontana held onto his seventh place after enduring a great midfield battle which included Dino Zamparelli who crossed the line eighth ahead of fellow countryman Hector Hurst. Victor Guerin enjoyed a solid F2 debut gaining three places from P14 to finish just outside the top 10.

Speaking afterwards a delighted Bacheta, who dedicated the win to his mother on her birthday, said: "That felt pretty good! I was relieved to see the chequered flag because I knew Mathéo would be boosting behind me in the last few laps. I wasn’t really looking at my pit board as I had my eyes fixed on my mirrors!"

Tomorrow’s qualifying session gets underway at 09:35 (local time) with full coverage on the F2 website – www.formulatwo.com

F2 Results: Portugal Race 1:

1. Luciano Bacheta, 22 laps
2. Mathéo Tuscher, +0.309s
3. Kevin Mirocha, +16.307s
4. Markus Pommer, +19.801s
5. David Zhu, +24.106s
6. Christopher Zanella, +27.176s
7. Alex Fontana, +37.164s
8. Dino Zamparelli, +40.965s
9. Hector Hurst, +40.965s
10. Mihai Marinescu, +41.366s
11. Victor Guerin, +42.260s
12. Mauro Calamia, +42.797s
13. Daniel McKenzie, +43.311s
14. Kourosh Khani, +43.703s
15. Plamen Kralev, +49.179s
16. Parthiva Sureshwaren, +50.177s
17. Max Snegirev, +1:00.114s

First and second drivers separated by 0.001s in final session with top 13 within one second

Mihai Marinescu went quickest by a mere 0.001s during today’s (Thursday) fiercely contested Formula Two test at Portimão, which saw the top 13 drivers lapping inside one second in the final session.

The 23-year-old just edged out Kevin Mirocha with a best time of 1:33.871s to go top for the day with current championship leader Luciano Bacheta third and Markus Pommer, who topped the day’s previous three sessions, in fourth. Parthiva Sureshwaren completed the top five.

The morning’s first two sessions both saw drivers having to contend with light rain and their first chance to sample the new Yokohama wet tyre. 21-year-old Pommer topped both these sessions comfortably followed by the first dry session after the lunch break to make it three from three.

In the day’s last 55-minute stint, where drivers were able to use their overboost, it was Pommer who once again looked the most threatening early on and the first to break into the 1:33s. He was closely followed by Marinescu and Bacheta, celebrating his 22nd birthday, before the Romanian then went even quicker with Mirocha lapping an incredible 0.001s adrift and leaving the top four drivers separated by just one tenth of a second.

A second red flag then interrupted running in the final stages but no one was able to better Marinescu’s pace with his best time 1.322s quicker than the pole from 2010.

Swiss teenager Mathéo Tuscher, who had looked quick all day, ended sixth quickest overall ahead of Plamen Kralev, one of his best qualifying performances, and Alex Fontana in eighth. David Zhu and Hector Hurst completed the top 10 ahead of tomorrow’s first free practice session for rounds three and four at the Algarve circuit, which gets underway at 10:10 (local time).

Formula Two Results: Portugal test – overall times.

1. Mihai Marinescu, 1:33.871s
2. Kevin Mirocha, +0.001s
3. Luciano Bacheta, +0.078s
4. Markus Pommer, +0.099s
5. Parthiva Sureshwaren, +0.422s
6. Mathéo Tuscher, +0.460s
7. Plamen Kralev, +0.606s
8. Alex Fontana, +0.615s
9. David Zhu, +0.689s
10. Hector Hurst, +0.766s

www.formulatwo.com

Drivers applaud innovative new feature at Silverstone

Last weekend’s opening rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship at Silverstone saw the introduction of an innovative new overboost system, leading to some of the series’ closest racing.

The new ‚F1-style‘ system shares similarities with the DRS feature used in Formula One. Each driver has up to eight shots of overboost available to them – increasing power output of the F2 car from 425bhp to 500bhp for a period of six seconds – but can only use them if they’re within one second of the car ahead.

Two activation zones, named Boost Zones (BZ), were introduced around the 5.901km track with the first being the run into Stowe corner and the second through the Wellington Straight into Brooklands. The system becomes active after the first lap and lasts until the final lap of the race with a maximum of two boosts per lap.

British driver Luciano Bacheta took full advantage of the new system as he secured a superb double win – both times overtaking the leader in the closing stages of the race. Just 0.912s separated him and second-place Christopher Zanella at the finish in the opening round – one of the smallest margins in the championship’s history. Alex Fontana was another driver who put it to good use, with the Swiss passing Mihai Marinescu in race one through Woodcote in the dying seconds to secure his maiden podium.

The system was one of several new features introduced for the 2012 F2 season including new Yokohama tyres and carbon brakes. The improvements saw the cars lap around two seconds faster than the 2011 machine.

Drivers were quick to hail the new system following the weekend. Double race-winner Bacheta said: “I really liked it. The previous system meant drivers could cover up mistakes but that’s no longer the case. You have to very clever how and when you use it as once you get past someone you need to have the pace to stop them re-taking you.”

Fontana, the reigning European Open F3 champion, added: "I like it and how it makes the series closer to F1. Before, you could defend by also boosting when someone tried to boost past, you which you can’t do now. I also like how it’s limited to eight shots so you have to think carefully about when to use them and to work it with the state of your tyres."

F2 newcomer Daniel McKenzie, who finished fifth and fourth respectively over the weekend and raced in Formula Renault 3.5 last year, said: "It’s a cracking system and possibly the best feature I’ve experienced in all previous single seaters. It doesn’t make overtaking easier as you still need to get close to the car in front and also still time your move. It also makes overtaking safer as it stops drivers making lunges."

The next rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship take place on 27-29 April in Portugal with full coverage, including live streaming, on the F2 website and also live on Motors TV.

www.formulatwo.com

British driver Luciano Bacheta completed a superb double victory during today’s (Sunday) second FIA Formula Two race at Silverstone.

On home soil the 21-year-old pressured pole-sitter Mihai Marinescu throughout before making his move on the penultimate lap to take the chequered flag for a clean sweep of the honours and an early championship lead. Marinescu finished second with Alex Fontana completing an impressive maiden F2 weekend with another visit to the podium in third.

As the drivers lined up on a bitterly cold Silverstone circuit, light rain began to fall ahead of the formation lap with the threat of further rain looming. As the lights went out it was the Romanian who made the best start to lead with Bacheta slipping into second and Fontana in third. Just behind Daniel McKenzie lost out to Kevin Mirocha to be lying in fifth, while a lap later Mathéo Tuscher got the better of Dino Zamparelli around the outside of Brooklands for sixth spot. Zamparelli then had his mirrors full of Christopher Zanella while up front the leading pair of Marinescu and Bacheta began to pull away from third placed Fontana.

A mistake by Mirocha through the last few sections on lap seven allowed McKenzie to get by along with Tuscher with the Pole losing yet more ground, first to Zamparelli through The Loop, and then Pommer at Luffield. The midfield battled continued to rage this time Pommer going side-by-side with Zanella and squeezing past at Luffield on lap 13 for P7.

Up front the leading duo were now six seconds clear of the rest of the field as Bacheta started to close in on Marinescu, waiting for the best time to make his move and take advantage of the series‘ new Boost Zones.

On lap 20, the Brit saw his chance and took the 23-year-old going into Brooklands to take the lead and keep enough of a margin to avoid being retook a lap later. Marinescu, who didn’t put a foot wrong throughout the race, claimed second with Fontana, who endured a relatively isolated race, in third.

McKenzie hung on to finish fourth ahead of a charging Tuscher who has impressed on his F2 debut, while fellow newcomer Zamparelli came home in sixth. Pommer and Zanella finished seventh and eighth respectively with China’s David Zhu and Hector Hurst completing the top 10.

Speaking afterwards an elated Bacheta said: "The experience from yesterday definitely helped. I was just biding my time. I pushed a lot harder in the beginning than I wanted to just to stay in a second of Mihai all the time. He was so quick. He didn’t put a tyre wrong. And it was tough to keep up. I kept chipping away then the gap levelled. I was saving the boost for the final stages but in the end I didn’t have to use it. I used it on the last but one lap at Brooklands. Mihai was looking in the mirror knowing I had the boost. We still need to work a little bit on our qualifying pace but I’m happy with our race pace and I couldn’t have asked for a better two results!"

The next rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship take place on 27-29 April in Portugal with full coverage, including live streaming, on the F2 website and also live on Motors TV.

F2 Results: Silverstone – Race two results:

1. Luciano Bacheta, 21 laps
2. Mihai Marinescu, +1.137s
3. Alex Fontana, +6.279s
4.Daniel McKenzie, +7.232s
5. Mathéo Tuscher, +8.202s
6. Dino Zamparelli, +13.461s
7. Markus Pommer, +16.943s
8. Christopher Zanella, +18.093s
9. David Zhu, +18.562s
10. Hector Hurst, +20.676s
F2 Championship Standings – After round two:

1. Luciano Bacheta 50pts
2. Mihai Marinescu, 30pts
3. Alex Fontana, 30pts
4. Christopher Zanella, 22pts
5. Daniel McKenzie, 22pts
6. Matheo Tuscher, 18pts
7. Markus Pommer, 10pts
8. Dino Zamparelli, 10pts
9. Hector Hurst, 7pts
10. David Zhu, 2pts

www.formulatwo.com

Brit just edges out Christopher Zanella for superb maiden F2 win

Luciano Bacheta just edged out Christopher Zanella to secure a superb maiden victory on home soil during today’s (Saturday) thrilling opening FIA Formula Two race at Silverstone.

Starting from P3, Zanella had stormed into the lead on lap one getting past both Bacheta and pole pole-sitter Mathéo Tuscher, who ran wide at Becketts and then Brooklands to drop down the order. The Swiss racer, using fresh rubber having carried over a set from pre-season testing, than began to pull away and looked to be on course for his third F2 win.

Marinescu, now in second place, then began to catch the 22-year-old and by lap eight was less than one second behind and putting the Romanian in the new overboost zone.

Third place Bacheta was also now closing in on the leading pair making a three-way battle for the lead, separated by just 1.5s. As the race progressed Bacheta continued to close in on Marinescu, taking some pressure off Zanella, and was able to get passed the Romanian with a great move going into Brooklands for second place.

The 21-year-old then set about closing in on Zanella and had narrowed the gap to 0.237s with just a few laps remaining, carrying better speed through the slower corners and taking a tighter line through Luffield. He then made his move along the Wellington straight and on the inside going into Luffield to take the lead. Despite Zanella having one overboost left, he was unable to re-pass him handing Bacheta a superb maiden F2 win.

There was more drama to come as fourth place Alex Fontana, who had been closing in on Marinescu all race, then made a move into Woodcote in the dying stages of the race going side-by-side to steal third place and the final podium spot on his F2 debut.

Just behind, Daniel McKenzie impressed to finish fifth after making up two places with Tuscher recovering to finish sixth and Hector Hurst in seventh. Pommer, who was forced to start from the back of the field after spinning in qualifying, drove remarkably through the field to claim a deserved eighth spot ahead of Dino Zamparelli, who was suffering electrical issues in the latter stages with Kourosh Khani rounding out the top 10.

Speaking afterwards a delighted Bacheta said: "My heart sank when I had that start, because I dropped down to fourth by the first corner which I wasn’t very happy with. I stayed out of trouble and started to get into the rhythm of the race, as we were stepping into the unknown in the first race of the year without many long runs in practice. I knew it would be easier to overtake when the tyres were falling away towards the end. I would have been happy with third in the first race of the year, but I saw myself starting to catch the guys in front, so just waited and tried to force them into a mistake."

Tomorrow’s (Sunday) second qualifying session gets underway at 09:30 (local time), with full coverage on www.formulatwo.com

F2 Results: Silverstone – Race one:

1. Luciano Bacheta, 21 laps
2. Christopher Zanella, +0.912s
3. Alex Fontana, +5.267s
4. Mihai Marinescu, +6.154s
5. Daniel McKenzie, +6.240s
6. Mathéo Tuscher, +13.249s
7. Hector Hurst, +15.089s
8. Markus Pommer, +15.433s
9. Dino Zamparelli, +16.215s
10. Kourosh Khani, +19.231s

Spanish racer takes place on Silverstone grid this weekend

Spaniard José Luis Abadin has confirmed he is to return to the FIA Formula Two Championship following a promising part-season last year.
The 25-year-old contested selected F2 rounds in 2011, establishing himself as a regular top 15 finisher against a competitive field. His best weekend came at Brands Hatch where he recorded his maiden points finish with 10th after starting from 18th on the grid.
Prior to F2, Abadin competed in the Master Formula Junior series before moving up to Spanish F3 in 2008. He stayed in the category, renamed the European F3 Open Series, for the following two seasons, finishing seventh overall in 2010. He also claimed third in the series‘ 2009 Copa de España class, taking three wins in the process.
Abadin said: "I’m absolutely thrilled to come back to F2. It’s a great championship, very professional and very competitive. Last year was tough for me due to budget issues so it will be important for me to get good results this season and Silverstone is the best place for me to start showing my potential."
Formula Two Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: "José Luis showed real potential in his first season of F2 last year, particularly at Brands Hatch where he drove very well to claim a maiden points finish. With a full campaign ahead of him I expect José to make great strides and become a regular points scorer although it won’t be easy – the field is extremely competitive this year!"
To view José Luis Abadin’s driver profile visit www.formulatwo.com  . The opening rounds of the Formula Two season take place at Silverstone this weekend on 14-15 April.

Formula Pilota China champion joins the F2 field at Silverstone

Swiss racer Mathéo Tuscher will take his place on the 2012 Formula Two grid this weekend at Silverstone, stepping up to the series after securing last year’s Formula Pilota China title.

The teenager has quickly established himself as one of his country’s rising stars, winning his first karting championship in 2006 and enjoying four more years of success at national karting level.

In 2011, he made the step up to single seaters with the Formula Pilot China series, where he took the title on his debut season by securing an impressive eight wins, nine podiums and four pole positions.

Last year he sampled the Williams designed F2 car during winter testing in Barcelona where he finished 10th overall on his first outing having topped the third session. More recently he finished an excellent fifth quickest during the official pre-season test at Silverstone, ending just a fraction off the more experienced front runners.

Tuscher said: "I’m very excited to embark on the 2012 F2 championship. It’s an unbelievable opportunity for me and I am very thankful to my sponsors, parents and team for their support and guidance. Last year I was racing in Asia, wining the Formula Pilota championship, this year I am thrilled to discover the European circuits. F2 offers a unique challenge combining six grand prix circuits with a fantastic car equipped with an overboost facility, which I love, and a level playing field for all drivers. My aim this season will be to improve my skills, and win the best rookie award."

Jonathan Palmer, Formula Two Chief Executive, added: "I watched Mathéo during both the winter test sessions and last month’s Silverstone test and was instantly impressed at how quick he was for someone so young, and for his first time in the Williams F2 car. Having raced predominately in Asia in less powerful single seaters, F2 provides him with the perfect platform in which to develop his career on a level – and very competitive – playing field whilst learning some of Europe’s top circuits and I have no doubt he’ll prove just what a talent he is."
For more information on Formula Two visit the official website at www.formulatwo.com

McLaren Autosport Awward finalist to make debut at Silverstone

British driver Dino Zamparelli has confirmed his place on the grid for the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship.

The BRDC Rising Star has proven himself to be one of his country’s most exciting prospects ever since he won the Ginetta Junior Championship title on his car racing debut in 2008 with 10 wins and five podiums.

The following year he progressed to single seaters with the Formula Renault BARC Championship where he finished third overall, winning three races and collecting a further six podiums from just 13 races.

In 2010, Zamparelli was forced to sit on the sidelines but he returned to the Renault series in 2011 to claim championship victory, earning him a place as a McLaren Autosport BRDC Award finalist and his first taste of the Williams designed JPH1B F2 car, which he sampled during the driver assessment process.

18-year-old Zamparelli said: “I’m delighted to be on the grid for F2 this weekend. Since January we’ve been working very hard to find the budget so it’s great to see all that hard work pay off. The F2 test last month went well and it was good to get behind the wheel again as it‘s been a while. I feel like I’m mentally and physically prepared now and will be pushing for top three this weekend, although I go into every race trying to win. I have every chance of winning the championship too but we’ll just have to take it step-by-step.”

Jonathan Palmer, Formula Two Chief Executive, added: “I’m delighted to see Dino step up to Formula Two this year. Dino was a well deserving 2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC finalist and tested the F2 car at Silverstone as part of the evaluation. He has worked really hard with very modest funding and achieved outstanding results on his way up. F2 is ideal for such a driver and will provide Dino with an equality of opportunity that he simply could not afford anywhere else.”

For more information on Dino Zamparelli and the Formula Two series visit www.formulatwo.com

Formula Renault 2.0 graduate becomes F2’s first Iranian driver

Kourosh Khani will make his debut in the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship this weekend at Silverstone (14-15 April), becoming the series’ first Iranian driver.

The 22-year-old steps up to the series from the Formula Renault BARC Championship where he finished fourth last year having secured a maiden win together with a further three podiums.

Last month Khani experienced his first taste of the 500bhp Williams designed F2 car during pre-season testing at Silverstone where he ended the day an encouraging seventh quickest against 18 drivers – a pace he is confident he can maintain this weekend: “I’m very happy and excited to be competing in Formula Two,” said Khani. “I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time, and I’m absolutely delighted that I will be out on track this weekend after a strong outing in testing.

“Silverstone is the first track that I raced on in the UK. It’s very fast and flowing and it will be brilliant to be racing there as I make the next step in my career. I’m going to go out there, do more and try to learn as much as possible about the car.”

Jonathan Palmer, Formula Two Chief Executive, added: “I’m delighted Kourosh has joined F2. I watched him at our Silverstone F2 test and was very impressed with just how quickly he got on the pace, especially for someone straight out of BARC Renault. I have always felt drivers are able to graduate far faster than convention might suggest and I am sure Kourosh will prove that moving straight to F2 from BARC Renault is a logical, sensible and very cost effective step.”

The opening rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship get under way at Silverstone on April 14/15. For more information visit www.formulatwo.com

23-year-old Romanian gunning for prize Williams F1 test

Romanian driver Mihai Marinescu has confirmed he will return to the FIA Formula Two Championship in 2012 and already has his eyes on the prize Williams F1 test.

Marinescu enjoyed an impressive second season in F2 last year, finishing fifth overall after claiming his maiden win at Monza, together with a further three podiums. He capped off his 2011 season by competing in the non-championship GP2 round in Abu Dhabi.

The 23-year-old, who will continue to be backed by the Romanian Tourism Department, joined Formula Two in 2010 on the back of a competitive year in Formula Renault 3.5. He scored nine points finishes over the course of the 2010 season to finish a respectable 11th overall, with his best result coming at Portimão where he narrowly missed out on his first F2 podium after storming from tenth to fourth.

Marinescu’s previous racing experience stretches back more than a decade to karting, when he won four consecutive national titles and enjoyed strong success internationally. He made his single seater debut in 2005, when he competed in a variety of Formula Renault categories alongside a full campaign in Formula Junior 1600 Italy, in which he finished runner-up at the first attempt – ahead of former Toro Rosso F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari. Mihai switched to Formula BMW Europe in 2008, finishing 11th overall, and won the Formula BMW Pacific race that supported the annual Formula Three Macau Grand Prix before moving into Formula Renault 3.5 for 2009 with Interwetten.

Marinescu said: "I’m happy to be back in F2 for the 2012 season. I enjoyed racing in the series, so it was a natural choice to continue here, in a friendly and familiar environment. Of course I aim to win the championship and to take the big prize – the test with the Williams F1 car – but I learned that the championship is long, you need consistency and to work very hard, every day, to achieve this dream.

"The drivers of the 2012 season are very good ones, the competition will be hard, but spectacular for the viewers. I will do my work, I will try to be on the podium on almost every race and I will fight for race wins. If I will do my job perfectly, the big prize will come."

Formula Two Series Director Jonathan Palmer added: "It’s really great to have Mihai back for 2012. He showed title winning potential last year with a superb maiden pole and lights-to-flag victory in Monza. Mihai was equally impressive during F2’s winter test programme in Barcelona ending second and third quickest, and I’m sure he will be a very strong contender for the championship title."

The 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship will commence at Silverstone on 13-15 April. For more information visit www.formulatwo.com

20-year-old Swiss graduates from Formula Renault 2.0

Swiss driver Mauro Calamia will race in the FIA Formula Two Championship in 2012, after stepping up from Formula Renault 2.0.

The 20-year-old began karting at the age of 13 in his nation’s ICA Junior category before success saw him move into KF3 and KF2. In 2009, Calamia moved into single seater racing with the Formula Lista Junior championship, finishing 10th in his maiden season with one podium and one fastest lap. He then enjoyed a second year in the category before turning to the Formula Renault 2.0 Alps series in 2011 where he once again finished in the top 10.

Last year saw Calamia get his first taste of the 500bhp JPH1B F2 car during winter testing in Barcelona, where against a highly competitive field he produced a best session result of 12th and continued to improve during last month’s pre-season test.

Calamia said: “I’m really looking forward to driving in Formula Two this year. It’s a great car to drive and I’m enjoying the new tyres and brakes, but the increased power and speed make it a big step up for me to what I’ve driven before. I aiming to be in the top 10 at the opening rounds at Silverstone but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”

Jonathan Palmer, Formula Two Chief Executive, added: “I’m delighted to welcome Mauro into the 2012 F2 championship. He performed very solidly in winter testing where he made excellent progress and I’m sure there’s much more to come. The Williams F2 car is a big step up from anything he’s driven before, but thanks to F2’s unique data sharing feature he’ll have every opportunity to close on the pace of the more experienced drivers, and I’m sure he’ll be surprising people as the season develops.”

The opening rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship take place on 13-15 April at Silverstone. For more information visit www.formulatwo.com

Upgraded 2012-spec F2 car leads to two seconds quicker lap times

Markus Pommer headed the timesheets during today’s (Wednesday) official FIA Formula Two Championship test at the Silverstone GP circuit. The session also marked the first outing for the new upgraded 2012-spec F2 car, which lapped the circuit two seconds quicker than during last year’s pre-season test.

The 18 drivers were blessed with warm, spring sunshine for the test session at the 5.901km track, where the opening rounds of the season get underway in just over two weeks time (14/15 April).

Pommer was the first driver to get to grips with the new Yokohama tyres and carbon brakes, with the German leading the way in both the morning sessions and lapping in the 1:48s -already two seconds up on the 2011 pre-season test times.

F2 returnees Christopher Zanella and Luciano Bacheta were also among the front runners during the morning two sessions as was Mihai Marinescu, Alex Fontana, Daniel McKenzie and McLaren Autosport Award finalist Dino Zamparelli. 2010 F2 champion made a welcome return to the series too going fifth in the second session – his first time in the car since being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

Temperatures continued to rise after the lunch interval with this time Swiss driver Fontana going quickest in session three with an impressive lap in the final few moments. However, it was Pommer who went back on top for the final session, topping three of the today’s four stints, with a best of 1:48.272s.

Speaking afterwards 21-year-old Pommer said: “The car has felt fantastic all day and we’ve hardly had to make any changes. The morning times were really good and we could have gone quicker but we didn’t want to push too hard too soon. During the third session we used worn tyres and concentrated on longer, race runs which went really well and the tyres didn’t drop off at all. The final overboost session was really good too and I’m feeling confident for the season ahead.”

The day also saw strong debuts from the likes of Zimbabwean Axcil Jefferies, Iranian driver Kourosh Khani and Swiss racer Matheo Tuscher.

The opening rounds of the 2012 FIA Formula Two Championship take place at Silverstone on 13-15 April. For more information visit www.formulatwo.com

F2, Silverstone test results – Combined times:

1. Markus Pommer, 1:48.272s
2. Mihai Marinescu, +0.375s
3. Luciano Bacheta, +0.410s
4. Christopher Zanella, +0.584s
5. Matheo Tuscher, +0.786s
6. Alex Fontana, +0.842s
7. Kourosh Khani, +0.947s
8. Daniel McKenzie, +1.033s
9. Dean Stoneman, +1.077s
10. Axcil Jefferies, +1.265s

For more information on the series click onto www.formulatwo.com

Full entry list revealed for official pre-season test

Eighteen drivers from 11 different countries will take part in tomorrow’s (Wednesday 28 March) official FIA Formula Two pre-season test session at the Silverstone GP circuit.

Among them is a wide variety of new and returning drivers all eager to begin preparations for the 2012 and fourth F2 season, which gets underway on 14/15 April at the 5.901 km Northamptonshire venue.

2011 runner-up Christopher Zanella heads a number of returning drivers which includes former race-winner Mihai Marinescu along with Comma-backed Luciano Bacheta, James Cole, Parthiva Sureshwaren, Plamen Kralev and José Luis Abadin.

The test will also see a welcome return for 2010 F2 champion Dean Stoneman who makes his first appearance in the Williams designed F2 car since being diagnosed with testicular cancer.

The F2 paddock will also feature several new faces including David Zhu, the first Chinese driver to compete in any era of F2, Iranian Kourosh Khani, who steps up from Formula Renault BARC, and Formula BMW Pacific driver Axcil Jefferies from Zimbabwe.

Along with Bacheta and Stoneman, home grown talent comes in the form of Daniel McKenzie, who makes the switch from Formula Renault 3.5, McLaren Autosport Award finalist Dino Zamparelli and Formula Renault BARC graduate Hector Hurst.

Three Swiss drivers will also be present for the test with European F3 Champion Alex Fontana, Formula Pilot China Champion Matheo Tuscher and Formula Renault 2.0 convert Mauro Calamia. German Markus Pommer completes the line-up.

The test will also be the first time drivers will experience the upgraded F2 car featuring new Yokohama tyres and carbon brakes.

The first of four test sessions begins at 09:30 with full coverage, including live timing, available on www.formulatwo.com.

Silverstone pre-season test – entry list:

2 James Cole (GBR)
4 Luciano Bacheta (GBR)
5 Parthiva Sureshwaren (IND)
7 David Zhu (CHN)
8 Plamen Kralev (BUL)
9 Mihai Marinescu (ROM)
10 Alex Fontana (CHE)
11 Kourosh Khani (IRN)
12 Matheo Tuscher (CHE)
13 Jose Luis Abadin (ESP)
14 Mauro Calamia (CHE)
18 Dino Zamparelli (GBR)
19 Christopher Zanella (CHE)
20 Daniel McKenzie (GBR)
22 Axcil Jefferies (ZWE)
27 Markus Pommer (DEU)
35 Hector Hurst (GBR)
48 Dean Stoneman (GBR)

Testing schedule:

Session 1: 09:30-10:30
Session 2: 11:30-12:30
Session 3: 14:30-15:30
Session 4: 16:15-17:00
For more information on the series click onto www.formulatwo.com

2011 runner-up eyes Williams F1 prize

2011 FIA Formula Two runner-up Christopher Zanella has his sights firmly set on championship victory and the Williams F1 prize test after confirming he is to return to the series in 2012.

The 22-year-old Swiss racer produced an outstanding maiden season last year with two wins and seven podiums to secure second place in the standings, which secured eligibility for an FIA Super Licence required to compete in Formula One.

Prior to F2, Zanella quickly established himself as one of his country’s leading motorsport talents starting with victory in the Formula Renault 2.0 Switzerland Championship in 2008, whilst he also competed in selected Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 races. From here he graduated to Formula Three in the Euro Series with the Motopark Academy team and claimed his first podium finish at the final round in Hockenheim in 2009.
He continued to race occasionally in the F3 Euro Series in 2010 alongside a full campaign in the Italian Formula 3 Championship, where he finished sixth overall, before making the step up to F2 in 2011.
Zanella said: “I’m really looking forward to this season and have been working hard over the winter to prepare. It’s going to be really tough though as I finished second last year so I have to win this season. I have an advantage over some of the drivers because I have more experience but I still have to adapt to the new tyres and brakes of the upgraded F2 car.”

He added: “I would love to get my hands on the Williams F1 test, like any aspiring F1 driver. It would be a dream come true.”

Formula Two Series Director Jonathan Palmer said: “I’m delighted to welcome Christopher back to F2. He impressed me enormously by recording his maiden podium at Silverstone in only his second race, and from 10th on the grid. He followed that up with a standout double victory in Magny-Cours before going on to score four more consecutive podiums to become Mirko Bortolotti’s main title rival. With his experience in F2, Christopher will undoubtedly be one of the favourites for the title and the Williams F1 test this year.”

Christopher will join the official pre-season test tomorrow (Wednesday 28 March) at Silverstone circuit. For more information visit www.formulatwo.com