Ho-Pin Tung shows the art of overtaking in Dubai GP-2 race
2008-01-26
From 23rd on the starting grid up to 10th at the finish line
Dubai, Saturday, January 26, 2008.
On Saturday the staff of the Trident GP2-team could laugh again. Chinese driver Ho-Pin Tung managed to finish tenth, having started from an apparently hopeless 23rd position on the starting grid. He showed both his talent and his skills by overtaking more half of his fellow contenders at a circuit where it is said to be impossible to overtake. ‘My race pace was good,‘ Ho-Pin explained after race 2, ‘almost all race I managed to do lap times close to those of the top of the field. The team did an excellent job, although they are all new to me working together is inspiring, the technical level is superb and the determination of the guys still impresses me.’
During the first race, on Friday all seemed to go wrong. Ho-Pin Tung qualified a 12th position on the grid, which gave him and the team high hopes for a finish in the points. When the lights went out his engine stalled and he had to rejoin the race with two laps behind. The engine had to be restarted at the Trident pit and being underway again he found himself at the very last position. ‘The engine stalled suddenly, we are still in the process of finding out what caused it. Probably it is a combination of electronic and mechanical trouble, although I might have done something to it myself, ‘ Ho-Pin analyses fairly.
Qualification on Friday went well, after a series of difficult test days at the Dubai track. P12 gave hope for a finish in the points. ‘I felt that qualy could have given a few extra tenths, if everything should have fallen into place. The car is good and the team is good, so I am optimistic for the second race weekend, in three weeks time in Indonesia,’ says the young Chinese with confidence.
