Racing Engineering's Sebastien Viger: "The championship is very close at the moment."
Just two days after the Red Bull Ring race weekend that saw Racing Engineering driver Jordan King score his maiden GP2 race win and team are already headed to Silverstone for round five of the 2016 GP2 Series. Below Sebastien Viger, Racing Engineering’s Technical Director, looks forward to the weekend.
What a weekend at the Austrian Red Bull Ring! The tricky conditions made both races quite exciting didn’t they?
Indeed, July in Europe is always tricky and the weather can change very quickly from extreme heat to rain. Austria was no different and we experienced changing weather conditions. It was hot, rainy and we raced on a dry, wet and damp track. Inevitably, these conditions brought some challenging moments during the weekend, which resulted in exciting races. And it was great to see Jordan take his first win in GP2 after a great drive in the wet on Sunday.
The team is currently traveling from Austria to Silverstone where the next GP2 round is already taking place this weekend. Is Silverstone a track that suits the Racing Engineering cars?
In the past, the English track has been the scene of some very good performances from our team, but competition this season is very tough and nothing is taken for granted by us. The championship is very close at the moment, so it is all about keeping our heads down, get the results done and accumulate points.
What are the biggest challenges of the Silverstone track? Where are the key spots around the 5,901km circuit in Northamptonshire?
The high speed corners at Silverstone are really appreciated by the drivers for their difficulty, especially the iconic suite of Copse-Maggots-Beckett and Chapel. Stowe is also a place that is really interesting driving wise, and the recent Abbey corner is one of the quickest of the season, so it is all about precision and commitment.
Jordan has just celebrated his maiden GP2 win in Austria last weekend and Norman is in third in the drivers’ championship. What are the team’s expectations for the upcoming British GP2 round?
Our approach at Silverstone will be no different, which is to take the maximum points possible. Obviously this being Jordan’s home Grand Prix it is bringing more expectations, but the main aim is to bring both cars to the front and score big points throughout the season. As said before, the championship standings are really close, and we will need to achieve consistency with both cars in order to keep our championship targets in sight.
