Bangkok--22 Jun--Stuvik Racing Project
Round 2 of the GP3 Series on 19-21 June took place at the Red Bull Ring circuit in the mountains of Spielberg, Austria. The Thai driver was keen to improve upon his results from the previous round in Spain, and was seeking rewards for a top 10 finish.
Stuvik, as usual is racing for Status GP with the generous support of Singha Corporation, The Pizza Company, Dacon Inspection Services, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Royal Automobile Association of Thailand, and the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Sandy Kraokaew Stuvik qualified in 7th place with a time of 1.19.970, just 0.620 from the pole position driver Luca Ghiotto who set a 1.19.350. Second and third grid spots were Esteban Ocon and Alex Palou respectively. Stuvik: “I feel that we've made a step up from the first round at Barcelona in terms of car balance but there is still more time to gain. Again we will be working closely with the engineers and teammates to set up the car for the race.”
Race 1 of the weekend on Saturday afternoon saw Stuvik finishing in 7th place after a tough fought battle. First place was Luca Ghiotto, followed by Antonio Fuoco and Esteban Ocon in second and third positions. Stuvik: “This circuit lends itself much better to racing as there are areas to overtake and it suits my driving style. Also, now we've seen how much more we can use the tire throughout a race. The key for the next race will be to maximise the tires for the slightly shorter race tomorrow. But overall I’m very happy to be in the top ten and scoring good points.”
Race 2 on Sunday morning the Thai driver was crashed out in the second corner when another driver overestimated his brake point and took out 5 cars including himself. First place was Oscar Tunjo, with Marvin Kirchhofer and Esteban Ocon filling out the podium. Stuvik: “It’s a shame to have my race ended by the mistake of another driver. We were in for a strong points finish. Now we have shown our pace and know that in Silverstone we will be up there fighting for points once again.”
With the weekend over Sandy Kraokaew Stuvik took home 6 points, and has achieved his goal of finishing in the top 10. However, the work is only just beginning for the Thai driver as the next race will take place in just 2 weeks at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix on the 3-5th of July. “I'm looking forward to the next race, Silverstone is a very fast and flowing circuit, and I feel it will suit my driving style. Thank you to all my fans and my sponsors for your support, it is an honour to represent Thailand in the top level of motorsports.
2015 GP3 Series Calendar
Date Venue Remark
8-10 May Barcelona, Spain Round 1
19-21 Jun Red Bull Ring, Austria Round 2
3-5 July Silverstone, UK Round 3
24-26 July Hungaroring, Hungary Round 4
21-23 Aug Spa-Francorchamps,Belgium Round 5
4-6 Sept Monza, Italy Round 6
9-11 Oct Sochi, Russia Round 7
27-29 Nov Yas Marina, UAE Round 8