Qualifying
With the fastest lap on the championship calendar, qualifying at the Red Bull Ring is always a very hotly contested session. By securing 7th (Laurens), 10th (Nikola), and 11th (Christian) positions, the three ART Grand Prix drivers achieved their first goal in Austria: being well placed on both starting grids for a circuit where overtaking is possible.
Sprint Race
Christian and Nikola quickly overtook the poleman and battled cleanly at the front of the race.
The Bulgarian driver got the better of his Australian team-mate by perfectly handling a safety car situation at the end of the race to claim his second victory of the season and the fastest lap of the race. Christian secured his third consecutive podium and his fourth of the year.
Laurens had a remarkable race by managing his tires and defending against his opponents’ attacks to achieve the best possible result.
Feature Race
By managing their tire wear well, keeping their lines clean and embroiling in some very smart battles, Christian and Nikola worked their way through a dozen places or more to climb up through the rankings.
Laurens lost several positions at the start but managed to stay calm and keep his objectives in sight. He gained five positions to finish in the top 8, with the fastest lap of the race.
Nikola Tsolov:
“Qualifying was not easy because I had a fever, and you need to be at your best in all aspects on this circuit where any delay is costly. The Sprint Race was very enjoyable because you can overtake, and you need to be strategic with tire management. It’s great to be one of the few drivers with two victories this season and to contribute to the team’s collective effort, which is 2nd in the championship. In both races, our pace was excellent, and we adapted well to achieve very good results on both days. We now need to do even better in qualifying to aim for the podium in the main race and score more big points.”
Sébastien Philippe:
“ART Grand Prix rose to the challenge of the Red Bull Ring, where the acceleration/braking configuration is very different from that of Barcelona or Monaco. Despite a difficult session, with three drivers within 2 or 3 tenths of pole position and all in the top 12, qualifying was a springboard for having two good races. Nikola and Christian battled equally at the front in the Sprint Race, and it was a close call. Laurens was equally fearless with an excellent 5th place, allowing ART Grand Prix to take 2nd place in the team standings. The Feature Race allowed us to consolidate our gains with three finishes in the top 8 and another 25 points scored, but also two fastest laps, which proves our race pace was very good. This is our best total of the year (50 points), and the goal should be to do just as well on yet another different circuit, at Silverstone in a week’s time.”
Copyright : Formula Motorsport Limited
