A bumpy weekend ends on a positive note: In round 3 of the GP2 season at Barcelona Daniel Abt managed the leap into the top ten in the sprint race, scoring one point in eighth place. Right in the main rain on Saturday he was running in the vicinity of the top ten. After a botched pit stop the ART driver ended up in eleventh place.
“I can be pleased with the point. It’s a bit of compensation for the weekend that was in part difficult,” said Abt after the 26-lap sprint race. In his Dallara-Mecachrome featuring a new design the racer from the Allgäu demonstrated plenty of patience, as overtaking opportunities were in short supply. Only towards the end of the race the degrading tyres made for some dynamics. The only German entrant in the field was able to make better use of the tyres than his rivals and advanced to eighth place on the penultimate lap.
By contrast, Abt was unable to advance in the 37-lap main race. The 20-year-old in a turbulent early phase managed the leap from position twelve to ten but a botched pit stop cost him crucial seconds and thus foiled his race. Disappointed, Abt said, “A place in the top eight would have been possible – it’s time for the misfortune to come to an end.”
The weekend had already started less than optimally for the only German GP2 race driver. Both in free practice on a drying track and in qualifying the Kempten-based driver finished in twelfth place. “Neither fish nor fowl. The set-up still isn’t optimal, that’s why we’re lacking speed,” said Abt.
Abt will have the chance to score his next GP2 points at the season’s pinnacle in Monaco in two weeks from now (23–25 May). Abt only has positive memories of the principality, as the subsequent GP3 championship runner-up took his first GP3 podium there last year.
