Ocean prepares for 2012 at Jérez

After wrapping up its 2011 season of the GP2 Series two weeks ago at Monza, Ocean Racing Technology is already turning toward 2012.

This week, the Portuguese team will be taking part in the first off-season tests at Jerez, September 28 and 29, before heading to Barcelona for a second session scheduled for October 19 and 20, and finally, on to Abu Dhabi for an exhibition race the same weekend as the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

At Jerez, four drivers will share the wheel of the Ocean Racing Technology cars: Antonio Felix da Costa, Stephane Richelmi, James Calado, and Yuki Shiraishi.

For Ocean’s CEOs, Tiago Monteiro and Jose Guedes, "The objective of these tests is to determine which drivers will be part of the team in 2012, but also to experiment with several technical solutions that we generally did not get a chance to test in the regular season. Regarding the drivers, the four that we selected are all excellent and have different levels of experience but they all have their speed in common. We are certain that these two days will be productive."

Antonio Felix da Costa has set his objectives: "The goal is to gather as much information as possible regarding the car, because our ambition is to take part in the GP2 Series in 2012. I have already driven with Ocean in 2009 and I feel good with this Portuguese team that I know well."

Stephane Richelmi, from Monaco, got his start in the GP2 Series two weeks ago at Monza, and is delighted to be joining the team "I know I will learn a lot during these tests and I am sure that Tiago’s experience will help me to adapt. I do not know the Jerez circuit and so this week will be totally new, both in terms of the car and the track."

Yuki Shiraishi will be taking the wheel of a GP2 series car for the first time in his career. "It will be the first time that I will be taking the wheel of such a powerful car. I want to get the most out of this experience and take this chance to prepare for the future. This test is a big challenge, but my objective is to race in GP3 or F3."

Runner up in the 2011 GP3 Series, James Calado explained, "I am eager to drive the GP2 Series car for the first time. I will be on the track for two days and so I will have the time I need to adapt to the power and braking. My objective is to be fast throughout the tests, but my priority is to learn the car and figure out its behavior. It’s definitely a very different car from the GP3 Series car."