Nurburgring: Fabio Carbone race one report

CARBONE CLAIMS VICTORY AT NURBURGRING

Ultimate Signature team driver Fabio Carbone has claimed a resounding victory in race one at the Nurburgring in Germany, round six of this year's World Series by Renault.

Fabio started second on the grid after going through to the super pole session in the morning, in which the top qualifiers battle it out for pole position. The Brazilian did not feel that the set-up of his car was ideal for the highly-technical Nurburgring circuit, but he was still in the thick of the hunt for pole position.

The Nurburgring contains a wide variety of straights and corners, providing a considerable challenge for both drivers and engineers. Weather conditions remained warm and sunny throughout qualifying and the race, which was watched by an enthusiastic local crowd.

When the lights went to green for race one, Fabio made an excellent start. He took the lead at the first corner and then managed to control his advantage to the end, to rack up his second race victory of the season. The 27 year-old had to hold his nerve throughout two safety car periods that punctuated a lively race, but nonetheless finished around nine seconds ahead of the second-placed man. He also claimed the fastest lap, putting the finishing touch to a perfect day.

As a result, Fabio is now third in the championship and has a strong chance of moving up to second after race two tomorrow if things go his way.

"It was a perfect race for us, but it didn't start off that way," said Fabio. "During qualifying, I didn't feel that the set-up of the car was quite right: I had to make a big effort to set the time. I made a good start for the race though and from then on everything went according to plan. It's never easy, but I got into a perfect rhythm and the car felt really good. We had to cope with two safety car periods, but I soon realised that we had the pace to pull away again even when the race was interrupted. Tomorrow our goal is to score more points and hopefully move up to second in the championship: we've certainly got the car for the job"

Philippe Sinault, Ultimate Signature joint team principal, concluded:

"I'm delighted with this brilliant result for Fabio and the entire team. Second place in the championship is firmly within Fabio's sights, and we would love to see him come away with that tomorrow. Today's race showed once more just what Fabio is capable of, and we look forward to seeing another strong race from him tomorrow." Race two at the Nurburgring takes place tomorrow afternoon. Fabio will start from seventh on the grid, with conditions expected to be warm and dry once more.

-credit: fabiocarbone.com