Chilton’s pace impresses in Hockenheim

For Ocean Racing Technology, the results of this weekend’s races at the Hockenheim circuit were determined by qualifying.

Max Chilton shone in the first part of the session which was disputed on a wet track. Best performer of the field in the opening moments, the young English driver was 4th at the conclusion of the first round of timed laps.

He was in the perfect position to confirm his speed when he became a victim of the damp conditions and was sent into a spin. The engine of his contender having stalled as a result, Max Chilton was pushed by the track marshals and was forced to finish the session early. With the track drying, most of his rivals significantly improved their times and Max dropped back to 18th place on the starting grid for the first race.

Meanwhile, teammate Fabio Leimer lined up on the back row of the grid following an off track excursion in the initial phase of qualifying.

Before the start of the first race, that took place after Formula One qualifying on Saturday afternoon, Ocean Racing Technology had never lapped on a dry track in Hockenheim but despite the new and unknown parameters, their drivers quickly and effectively adapted to the new conditions and at times recorded very competitive sector times.

Max Chilton finished in 19th place after having to take a drive through penalty for speeding in pitlane. The 19 year old driver spent the major part of the second race behind much slower drivers and he was unable to get passed, however once again he showed that his race pace was as strong as his potential.

His 16th place does not reflect its fundamental talent and Max explains "It was two intense races where I lost a bunch of time starting at the back of the grid. The car was competitive and I knew the tyre wear would be drastic but we coped really well with it and everything went smooth. I was fast in the first race but I lost a lot of time because of the drive through penalty which prevented me from gaining more positions. But the most important thing is that we had a good pace; had the rain not stopped in qualifying, the scenario of both races would have been different!"

Fabio Leimer encountered mishaps in Germany and in a championship where the smallest hindrance is costly, the Swiss driver paid dearly for his off track excursion in qualifying which greatly hindered his chances of getting into the points. Fabio completed 34 of the 37 laps of the first race before retiring and on Sunday his attempts were halted when he suffered a collision with Davide Valsecchi. Leimer does not hide its disillusionment...

"It was a tough weekend for us. I had a good start in the first race and the car was really well balanced. My pace was good but a hydraulic failure stopped me before I saw the chequered flag," Leimer explained. "I had a decent start in the second race but contact with Valsecchi damaged the steering of my car. It is a shame because the car was very good, especially in its dry track trim."

The GP2 Main Series will continue in Hungary next weekend where Ocean Racing Technology will try to find their place back in the first places on the grid.