Sauber Predict a Difficult Trip to Monza.

Monza plays host to the final European race of the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship and for Sauber, they head to the parkland circuit just outside Monza, looking to score points in their quest to secure their sixth place in the Constructors Championship.

The circuit, with its long straights, tight chicanes and the highest speeds of the season makes the Italian Grand Prix one of the highlights of the season.

Both the team’s drivers, Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez are hoping to replicate their recent qualifying performances and then turn their qualifying performances into points finishes, having missed out on the point’s last time out in Belgium.

Kobayashi believes that the Italian race will be a challenging one for the team, but he enjoys the circuit from his time racing around the circuit in junior categories.

He said about the forthcoming weekend: “Monza will be challenging, we have to find the best possible set-up for the car and see how fast we can go on the long straights. Last year we qualified 12^th, which wasn’t too bad, because we expected difficulties there. Hopefully the race this year can be better. Last year I didn’t manage to do the race because I had a technical problem, and I retired on my first lap after starting from the pit lane. But this year I am quite confident of doing a good race. I like Monza. I have driven quite a lot there because I did Formula Renault Italia. I have also done GP2, but that wasn’t nice as I remember there was a lot of rain then. Anyway, I like the track and the town, as there are a couple of nice restaurants, it is quite close to Milan and it is always nice to go there as well.”

For Perez, the trip to Monza means that he is returning to the scene of his best weekend to date in his career. He is aiming to score points at a circuit which he feels could be a tough challenge for the team, as he explains: “I’m very much looking forward to the Italian Grand Prix. The track in Monza is one of my favourites. There I did what I regard as my best race weekend so far. It was in Formula 3 when I qualified 14^th and won both races. In 2007 and 2008 I raced there in F3 and then also in GP2. The very long straights in Monza could be tough for us. I want to maintain a good rhythm with positive performances in qualifying and for the start. Then, of course, I want to finish the race and score points for the team. It is my aim to finish the European season on a high. The race weekend there always has a very special atmosphere, and I can’t wait to take part for the first time in the Formula One Grand Prix. I like the people in Italy a lot and, of course, I’m a fan of Italian food.”

Technical Director of the team, James Key describes the challenges of the Italian Grand Prix as well as the updates the team have brought for this weekend: “The Italian Grand Prix in Monza is a unique event for many reasons. First of all it’s a very old and famous circuit with a great deal of motor racing history behind it, and is a place where teams have been going for many years. It also has one of the greatest atmospheres of the year, with huge support from all the fans. Technically it’s by far the lowest drag level circuit of the season. To get the drag down to levels which are optimum you have to reduce downforce, which is why we call it a low downforce track, although fundamentally it’s a low drag track. It’s a mix of long straights with two chicanes. Certainly the first one provides an overtaking opportunity, followed by a whole range of low to high speed corners in sector two – with the Lesmo corners and the Ascari – and then a very tricky corner, the Parabolica at the end of the lap, which is quite critical for carrying as much speed as possible down the pit straight.

“Although the lap is quite simple, it’s quite technical particularly with the downforce level you are running. You need a well balanced car through these corners. It’s also critical for braking, because the top speeds are by far the highest of the year, and you’re braking down to a very low speed for the two chicanes. In addition, the kerbs play their role in these chicanes, although in recent years the amount of kerbs you can use has been limited a bit. So it has a lot of different aspects to it. Overtaking can be expected in two places, although we don’t know yet how effective the DRS will be in such a low downforce setting. The tyres will be the soft and medium compound, as in Spa-Francorchamps. For the car we will have a modified front wing for low downforce settings and a rear wing specific to Monza.”

Team Lotus Prepared for Monza Challenges.

Monza marks the end of the European leg of the 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship and with the introduction of two separate Drag Reduction Systems activation zones, the Italian fans should be in for a treat.

Pirelli have supplied the Soft and Medium compounds for this weekend but with the temperatures being higher than normal recently, as Italy has been subjected to a heat wave, it increases the challenges to the teams’ and drivers’ as they will have to manage their tyres better.

For Jarno Trulli, Monza is his home race but he feels that he can’t treat it any differently to any other race weekend.

He said: “Monza’s a funny one for me. As an Italian everyone expects it to be the most special race of the season for me but really it’s not. I can’t really afford to treat it differently to any other race as I want to make sure I can focus on the job every day I’m on track, and even though there’s a lot of fans in the stands, and friends and family around the paddock, I always try and treat it like any other race.  Obviously the good thing for me is that it’s close to my home, so I do get to catch up with lots of people who I don’t normally have time to see, but ever since I started racing I was nearly always abroad, so while it’s obviously my home race it’s not one I approach differently to any others.

“From a technical perspective Monza’s not the most technical track, but it’s still critical to have the car balanced so you can attack the kerbs and be really confident under braking, particularly into the first chicane as that’s the most obvious overtaking opportunity. The car felt really good in Spa, and I know we have the revised power steering system I used in Hungary back for this race, so I think we’ll be ok. We had very strong race pace in Belgium, and if we can carry on like that in Italy we’ll be just fine.”

For Heikki Kovalainen, he feels that the trip to Monza offers the team another different challenge but after their Spa-Francorchamps performance, apart from the La Source incident, they should go well in Italy.

Kovalainen added: “Monza is another different challenge for us and it’ll be good going there on the back of such a strong weekend in Spa. It has different downforce requirements to most of the rest of the tracks we race on, but we’ll go there with the same sort of aggressive strategy we used well in Spa to put us into Q2.

“For Monza you’ll hear a lot of the drivers talking about how one of the keys to a quick lap is how well you use the kerbs. Getting over them as efficiently as possible helps minimise the overall length of the lap and it might only be fractions of seconds, but shortcutting as much as you can, obviously within the rules and as much as the car can take, saves time and helps you maintain momentum onto the straights. To the viewer on TV and even at the track the kerbs don’t look all that hardcore, but when you’re in the car you hit them pretty hard and you need to be ready for it to get out of shape and even start to snap away from you. We’ll work on Friday on getting the setup right to give us maximum speed on the straights and enough compliance in the suspension to really be able to attack under braking and into each corner.  I’m looking forward to it – it’s a classic track and the Tifosi are among the most passionate fans anywhere, so it’s a good place to end the European leg of the season.”

Tony Fernandes has missed the last couple of Grand Prix due to other commitments so he is glad to be back at the track for the Italian Grand prix. He is pleased with how the team performed at Spa-Francorchamps, after their turn one incident.

He doesn’t think that the team will be challenging those teams ahead of them this weekend but they will be edging closer before they head to Singapore for what is their third home race – after Malaysia and Great Britain – and he hopes that the reliability record established at Spa can be repeated at Monza.

He said: “I am delighted to be back on track after having had to miss a couple of races due to what has probably been the busiest summer of my working career! Despite not being on track I have been keeping up with everything that has been going on, both at the factory and the races, and it was very pleasing to see the team have such a strong weekend in Spa after a disappointing couple of races before the break. The factory staff were working right up until Friday night of the Belgian race weekend on reliability fixes, to ensure we did not see a repeat of the problems we had in Hungary and Germany, so the fact both cars finished well, particularly after being involved in the collisions at the first corner, is testament to a job very well done by the factory team.

“Monza gives us another chance to keep edging towards the teams ahead before we go back to the Far East and what is really our third home race in Singapore. This weekend we are not going to be challenging the teams ahead quite yet in outright pace, but clever use of strategy and very strong drives from both Heikki and Jarno gives us a chance to hold our own in the race, so the target for Monza has to be to maintain the reliability record established in Spa and look for another two car finish at the chequered flag, as high as we can reasonably hope. That is a realistic target, and that is the approach we bring to everything related to our team. The plans for the future development of the team, and the group it sits in, are taking shape exactly as we want them to and we are setting ourselves reasonable goals that can be achieved through hard work, innovation and a little bit of luck.” c

Caterham Team AirAsia Aim for Monza Rewards as Maiden GP2 Campaign Comes to an End.

Monza in Italy marks the conclusion of the 2011 GP2 Series campaign and for Caterham Team AirAsia, their maiden season in the category has been one of highs and lows.

They head to Monza hoping for a final high in the season and for a change in luck, as the last few race weekends have brought mostly back luck to the team.

Pirelli have provided the Hard Compound tyre for this weekend, due to the high speeds and heavy braking of the parkland Monza circuit.

Heading to Italy and Monza, Phill Spencer is in optimistic mood ahead of the final two races of the season.

He said: “I am optimistic. We have had a bit of a bad run recently but both drivers have had good results here so there is no reason why the drivers cannot do well here, but we will find out when the cars turn a wheel here in free practice tomorrow. The engineers are experienced and have been here many times in the past so they know what they are doing. I am a little anxious but I am happy to be here. The first time I came to this circuit was in 1979 and not much has changed really, just a little at the first chicane. With the long straights and monster braking, drivers like it. The high speed makes it an exciting track to drive but it is the braking that will make up all the time here.”

The team are currently sitting sixth in the teams’ Championship but having secured a victory in their debut season as well as a Pole Position, it has been a good season all round.

Davide Valsecchi, who brought the team their first victory at Monaco lives close to the Italian circuit said about the upcoming race weekend: “It’s an incredibly good feeling being here this week. Monza is close to home so I have friends and supporters with me which is really nice. It is a lot of fun racing here, there are long straights, strong brake points and lots of chances to overtake, so I hope the team and I can qualify well and have a good weekend from the front. I hope the hard tyres will not be a problem. We had a good, competitive result when we used them in Barcelona, so considering this and the good weather forecast I am feeling positive. The team always do a good job I want to make a faultless race so we can finish the season well.”

Luiz Razia has previous experience of winning at Monza, as he secured the Sprint Race honours in 2009, for rival team Scuderia Coloni.

He said about the Monza race weekend:  “It is a pleasure to be here in Monza! I won the sprint race here in 2009 with Di Grassi and Hulkenburg behind me which was a great feeling. It is good fun to be on the track where the hard tyres, low downforce and high speeds mean you are on the edge all the time. The atmosphere is always great here too. Since Silverstone we’ve had very wet, difficult conditions but hopefully here will be dry so we can work through the weekend and have a good consistent weekend. If the weather is stable of course everyone else is in the same situation, so competition will as always be tough but that’s good. I really like the Ascari chicane and Parabolica, the change of direction through these are very quick. We used the hard compound tyres in Barcelona and we had a good race, our aim here is to work on the qualifying so we can start the weekend in a strong position.”

Humphrey Corbett is hoping for a stress free end to the season after the last few rounds, which have been stressful for all concerned.

He said: “I’m looking forward to this weekend. There’s no chance of rain at the moment and it would be nice to have a stress free weekend unlike we have had in the past few races. We have got two drivers that have done very well here, we have a good set-up and will be using the hard tyres which we like so we are confident of a good result. To have a good chance at doing well here you need good braking, good stability under braking, low downforce and to be reasonably good over kerbs. I am sure both drivers will go for it this weekend. We have nothing to lose but we can climb up the championship so let’s go for it!”

GP2 Monza Weekend Schedule:

Friday, 9 September:

11.55 – 12.25: Free Practice
15.55 – 16.25: Qualifying

Saturday, 10 September:

15.25: Pit Lane Opens
15:30: Pit Lane Closes/Grid
15.40: GP2 Feature Race. (30 Laps/60 Minutes)

Sunday, 11 September:

10.15: Pit Lane Opens
10.20: Pit Lane Closes/Grid
10.30: GP2 Sprint Race (21 Laps/45 Minutes)

Scuderia Coloni Look for Positive end to 2011 GP2 Series Campaign.

Scuderia Coloni head into the final round of the 2011 GP2 Series, looking to maintain their recent momentum which has seen the team secure three front row starts, two victories and another podium finish with Luca Filippi.

Filippi, who only rejoined the team before the Nurburgring weekend has secured thirty one points in those three races weekend’s and heads to Monza with a chance of finishing inside the Championship top three – having been victorious on his 100^th GP2 start at Nurburgring, which he then backed up with a podium in race two. He also secured the victory in the Spa-Francorchamps Sprint race.

Currently sitting third is Jules Bianchi but with only an eight point advantage, Filippi could overhaul him if he has a great Monza weekend.

The team has plenty of reasons to get everything right this weekend – from securing Pole Position in qualifying, having been close during the last three qualifying sessions.

Monza has traditionally been a good circuit for Scuderia Coloni, as they have secured three victories there in the past few seasons. Giorgio Pantano secured a double victory in 2006 while Luiz Razia secured the Sprint race honours in 2009.

Looking ahead to Monza and the season finale, Paolo Coloni said: “Racing at home race always feels special, but this time it’s much more so because we have a great momentum from the previous races that we want to carry in this finale.

“Needless to say, the whole team wants a win in Monza, especially to say thanks to all the Italian fans who congratulated us for the recent results. We want to bring them some more joy, this is the aim. Obviously, after starting from P2 for three times in a row, we also want to clinch pole position, it would be the perfect stepping stone for a great result in Race 1.

“Anyway, we know it won’t be easy, also because it will be the first time we will be using the low-downforce setup. It’s a config that is allowed for Monza only, so it will be something new for all the teams and the drivers, who will have to find the feeling quickly. Anyway we did a lot of simulation work and we are confident, we are charged-up and ready to give our best.”

Webster Remains in the Protyre Formula Renault BARC Title Hunt.

Josh Webster ensured that he will head into the Silverstone finale of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship right in the hunt for the crown after securing a brace of hard fought podiums during rounds nine and ten of the season at Thruxton.

Coming off the back of his invite to become a British Racing Drivers’ Club ‘Rising Star’, the Stowmarket based seventeen year old overcame a clutch problem at the start of both Thruxton races to secure a brace of third place finishes.

Despite the obvious disappointments of not being able to challenge for victory around the 2.35 mile Hampshire speed bowl, Webster’s sixth and seventh podium finishes of the season means he is all set for a mouth watering season finale alongside the British Touring Car Championship at Silverstone over the 15/16 October.

In order to leave Silverstone as the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Champion, Webster has to overturn a nineteen point gap to series leader Dino Zamparelli. His task has been made harder due to the fact that he has a brace of no scores compared to Zamparelli’s one, even though he has secured seven podiums in ten races this season.

“I want to win every time I go out but two thirds have definitely kept the championship alive for us”, said the Suffolk racer, “I am disappointed we couldn’t take a win this weekend, we didn’t have the pace I expected, but finishing on the podium twice isn’t a disaster at all. Plus I’ve been invited to be a BRDC Rising Star which is a massive honour, I’m really proud to be part of the club.

“I did struggle with the starts, each time I was mobbed into the chicane and dropped to fifth or sixth so I had to race quite hard to get back onto the podium. We later found out there was a problem with the clutch though. We’re looking ahead to Silverstone now, it’s one of my favourite tracks and I know we can still win the championship from here – so that’s what I’m going out to try and do.”

Qualifying for the Nine Telecom Group, Admiral Group, Integra ICT, Sunwise, Melbek Technology, Everyone Active and Flying Saucer backed driver didn’t go according to plan. He missed out on the tow around the circuit and thus ended up fourth for race one, while he would line up third for the second race.

With thirty five sponsors and guests watching him, Webster headed into the opening race looking to make his way to the front of the pack as quickly as he could – that was before the clutch problem played its part – and he couldn’t make his sharp getaways from the line.

The net result of his slow start was that he was under attack at Allard and soon slipped down to sixth position, which became fifth later on the opening lap and then he took fourth a lap later.

After moving up to fourth, he set about chasing the final podium position from James Thorp, this soon became the battle for second after Kourosh Khani dropped back from second on the road.

Sadly, for Webster, he was denied a full chance to pass Thorp as the race was stopped at half distance due to a two car accident. The result was declared after eight laps and Webster finished third, just 0.7s off Thorp in second.

Just as in round nine, Webster had another frustrating start to round ten as he dropped from third on the grid to fifth on lap one. He started his recovery drive by passing Khani for fourth on lap two and he moved into third on lap four, after overtaking Steven Durrant.

By this point, the top two drivers had gone so the MSA Academy driver decided to settle for third and the points which came with the position.

The final rounds of the 2011 Protyre Formula Renault BARC Championship take place over the 15/16 October as support to the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship, which hosts its final weekend of the season at Silverstone.

Silverstone National marks the biggest race of the season for Webster and his Protyre Formula Renault BARC rivals as their season finale, round twelve will be televised on ITV4 and ITV4 HD on Sunday, 16 October.

Silverstone Return for Christodoulou

Adam Christodoulou will make a return to the home of British Motorsport this weekend as the Autosport Six Hours of Silverstone makes its annual visit to Silverstone.

Local hero Christodoulou will be at the wheel of the #82 CRS Racing Ferrari 430 alongside regular team-mates, Klaas Hummel and Phil Quaife.

With fifty cars entered for the six hour race at the British Grand Prix circuit, it is all set to be a classic when the lights go out to mark the start on Sunday.

Christodoulou believes he and the team can be successful this weekend, after an up and down season to date with the Ferrari and the McLaren MP3-12C GT3 car.

“We fully expect to take a podium finish at Silverstone,” said Adam. “We were right up there in the first three races but for one reason or another we didn’t get the results we wanted. There’s no reason why we can’t be right up there again this weekend and I think we can make it stick.

“Yes, we’ve had a little bad luck but I think it’s time for that to change. All three of us know the track very well and I would like to think we can do well on home soil. Since the Imola round we have all been out racing different cars, including the McLaren GT car. All this extra experience and extra track time will help us when we get behind the wheel of the Ferrari this weekend.”

Free Practice sessions ahead of the main event will be held on Friday, 9 September while qualifying is on Saturday, 10 September. The main event will get underway at 11.35am on Sunday, 11 September and will run for six hours.

CRS Announce Full McLaren GT Focus.

CRS Racing have announced that after four years of success in motorsport, they are going to turn their full attentions towards the McLaren GT programme. They will see out their 2011 racing duties in the Le Mans Series, Intercontinental Le Mans Cup, British GT and their GP3 programme as Atech CRS.

CRS Racing, which was formed by Chris Niarchos and Andrew Kirkaldy in 2007 entered into an agreement with McLaren in 2010 to create the McLaren GT – the end result being the McLaren MP4-12C GT3.

With this, the team and company have announced that they are going to scale down the racing side of things to focus on the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 car and offer their customers the best possible service.

“We have thought long and hard about this,” commented CRS Owner, Chris Niarchos. “Ultimately at McLaren GT we have a commitment to our customers to deliver the best product and the best service.  We do not want this to be diluted or indeed affected by our own racing programmes.  It also makes no sense for us to go out and race against our own customers.”

“It goes without saying that we are all racers at heart and we love to compete,” said Team Principal, Andrew Kirkaldy. “It is time for us to take a step back as a race team though and provide everything our customers need in order to go out and win on track in the 12C GT3.”

CRS Racing are out at Silverstone this weekend in the Autosport Six Hours of Silverstone, part of their Le Mans Series/Intercontinental Le Mans Cup programme. They are also at Monza for the finale of the 2011 GP3 Series.

Under 21 Crown the Season’s aim for Ceccon.

Valencia saw the first Auto GP Championship trophy awarded for the 2011 season as Kevin Ceccon secured the honours in the Under-21 Trophy. Ceccon moved into the lead of the Under-21 Trophy Classifications after the second round of the 2011 Championship and from that point on, hasn’t looked back.

His consistency throughout the season has seen the Italian driver secure the honours with one race weekend left, at Mugello in Italy.

How did he feel after securing the honours in the Under-21 Classification?

“I’m really happy of this Under 21 title. Today that I’m leading the Overall classification of the Series somebody could see it as a secondary objective, but it would be a big mistake. We shouldn’t forget that at the start of the season, when I decided to race in Auto GP, the Under 21 Trophy was my primary aim. It was the only realistic one, because I didn’t believe I would have been fighting for the main title at my first season in the Championship, and it had a fantastic prize, a GP2 test I’m looking forward to. I was aiming at this, and clinching it with one event to go was a great achievement. Furthermore, it’s good to have something that reminds where we were starting from.”

He then elaborates on his feelings of being crowned Auto GP Under-21 Champion 2011: “I mean that when I decided to race in Auto GP, I did it because I felt that it was the right step for my growth as a driver, but I didn’t imagine that it would have happened so quickly. Then podium finishes came, then an incredible chance of debuting in GP2, then even the lead in the Auto GP standings with a real shot at the title.

“Going too far with your mind, losing it a bit was definitely a risk. This Under 21 Trophy reminds me that I’m very young, just 17, and that even if I already achieved a lot, I have plenty of time to keep growing, and not only as a driver.”

His success in the Auto GP Under-21 Championship hasn’t gone unnoticed and a lot of team managers from GP2 teams are looking at him as a candidate for a race seat next season.

“I take this with a mix of satisfaction and surprise. Frankly I still don’t have a clear plan for 2012 and GP2 is a matter of budget also, but knowing that people from there is looking at me with interest is surely something that makes me proud,” explains Ceccon.

“Auto GP was a key stone to achieve this and it worked much more than I was expecting. Looking at the media impact, now I’m known in international motorsport also, not only in Italy and that’s vital for my career.

“From a sporting standpoint it has helped me even more: I passed from racing in the European F3 Open, a decent championship but surely not the benchmark in F3, to challenging experienced drivers like Filippi and Carroll and already established youngsters as Tambay and Afanasiev. My former fellow competitors made different choices for their future, and looking to how their careers are developing, it seems that Auto GP is giving me a clear advantage in terms of awareness. Then making the most of it it’s up to me.”

Heading into the season finale at Mugello next month, Ceccon has a seven point Championship advantage over Sergei Afanasiev and fifteen over Luca Filippi. Does he feel that he has a big enough advantage going into the final two races?

“No, with 46 points up for grabs there’s no reason to feel safe, but being ahead gives me a tiny margin to manage the situation. Anyway it won’t be easy: Afanasiev is on fire, and looking to what Haryanto is doing maybe DAMS now has a little edge on the competition in car performance. Then, you shouldn’t underestimate Filippi. Luca is now one of the top three drivers in the GP2 field and if his performance will be good also in Monza, as I frankly hope, he will be really charged-up in Mugello. Surely being 15 points adrift is not ideal, but it’s not enough to rule out such a talent.

“Anyway, in whatever shape they will arrive in Mugello, they will have to cope with me. I’ve never raced there, but I’m sure that working together with Ombra Racing we will be quick straight out of the box. And fighting for the title will be a further boost, that’s sure.”

Luca Filippi – A bowls playing GP2 Race Winner.

Luca Filippi is a racer with an extensive CV for his young age, and in 2011, he is gunning to be the Vice Champion in the 2011 GP2 Series, as part of the only all Italian driver/team combination.

After a slow start to the season, his season really got going when he joined the Scuderia Coloni outfit ahead of the Nurburgring race weekend – where he scored victory on his 100^th GP2 start.

After his race weekend at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, where he was at the wheel of an Auto GP car, he took time out to speak with Back Of The Grid.co.uk about his early career, his test roles in F1 and GP2/Auto GP.

Twenty six year old Filippi first developed an interested as interest in Motorsport from a young age, as his Dad was a rally driver: “My father was racing in rallies, so it was easy to get interested, I went to watch him racing and I immediately got the racing fever,” said Filippi before adding “Then, at 8 I tried a go-kart for the first time. Funny to say, that kart was property of Francesco Dracone, one of the guys I’m racing with in Auto GP, and a long-time friend.”

When he was growing up, as a youngster, which drivers did Filippi see as idols during his childhood?

“I loved Mansell and Piquet. It didn’t matter they were rivals, they were quick, reckless, aggressive drivers and they always put up a big show. I loved watching them…” said Filippi.

Filippi made his racing debut after winning a competition in a magazine, as he explains: “I won a contest from the magazine AutoSprint, and the prize was a race in a Club race, the Mazda Mx-5 Cup in Magione. I was 5^th, so not bad at all.”

Filippi secured the Italian F3000 crown in 2005 with Fisichella Motorsport, the team run by Giancarlo Fisichella. This success gave Filippi his first taste of Formula 1 as well.

“It was my first big title, so it was an amazing moment,” explains Filippi. “I was a rookie in F3000 that year but despite that I manage to clinch the title. Furthermore, I was racing with Fisichella Motorsport, and at that age being involved with an F1 driver as Giancarlo was stuff of dream. At the end of the season I even got the chance to test the Minardi F1 car, so that season was just unbelievable. I was like a kid on a playground, so happy!”

Following on from his success in the Italian Formula 3000 series, he moved into GP2. This move has meant, that over all the series, he has had chance to drive each generation of GP2 car – to varying degrees of success. His best finish in GP2 to date is fourth in 2007, while he finished as the GP2 Asia Series runner up in the 2009/2010 campaign.

Having raced all three cars, Filippi describes the difference between the three cars: “The first one, the 2005 car, was the best one. It was a challenging car, it was powerful and it moved a lot, driving talent was really important there.

“Then the 2008 car came, and it was a bit different. Maybe too much aero grip made it too easy to drive, so it wasn’t always the best drivers who were winning there. It didn’t require any finesse, you could be rough on the wheel and it was working anyway, so I didn’t like it.

“Luckily with the actual car, the GP2/11, Dallara went back to his roots. With no ground effect the car is moving again, and to be fast you really need to be smooth, which is something I can do easily.”

Having competed in 105 GP2 races to date, which one of those would Filippi say is the best one he has raced in?

“I would say Nurburgring 2011, for many reasons. It was my first win after a long time, it was a dominating one, and I fulfilled the expectations of a team that took me onboard hoping that together we could show the others what we were capable of. The atmosphere in the team was amazing; everybody was so hungry, giving 100% to achieve that result. You can imagine how happy we all were after that win.”

The Nurburgring race which Filippi talked about was his 100^th GP2 start – and he describes how it felt to win on such a milestone race.

“It was special, mainly because of sceptical people’s comments,” said Filippi. “They were asking me things like “at 100 races don’t you feel the time has come to leave GP2”? The first row qualy was already a good answer, but winning the race in such a manner… And now I can say: if after 100 races I can still fight with the best guys out there, and I’m as focused and hungry as them, why should I quit?”

In his six seasons of racing in GP2, either the Main Series or the Asia series, which driver has been his roughest on track rival?

“It depends much on the season: I would say Timo Glock and Romain Grosjean. Romain in particular was very difficult to beat this year, especially at the start of the season when his knowledge of the Pirelli tyres made a difference.”

The GP2 series has visited plenty of different circuits during its time but if Filippi could take it to a new venue within Europe, where would he take it?

“I would like GP2 to race in Portimao. It’s amazing both for the environment around it and for the layout, with fast corners, blind corners and uphill and downhill sections. Then there is Brno, which is one of my all-time favourites, so I would like GP2 to race there also.”

Having also done some Formula One testing during his career – for Minardi, Honda F1 and Super Aguri, Filippi is in the ideal position to describe the main differences between a GP2 race car and a Formula One race car.

He said about the differences: “Everything is beefed up in an F1 car compared to GP2. Better braking, better cornering, better acceleration. For the driving, the main difference is that the massive aero grip you have on an F1 car means that you need less steering input. You have to be very gentle with the car especially in the fast sections.

“Then there is the setup. In GP2 you can already work on many areas of the car, but when you get to F1, the amount of details you can work on is astonishing. Understanding what you can use at your advantage is where things get difficult, and in my testing duties time I was pretty good at that.”

During his career, Filippi has been lucky enough to race at, and secure, a podium finish on a street circuit. What street circuit has he raced at?

“I raced in Monaco, that’s the only street circuit I know from direct experience. Needless to say, I absolutely love it, it’s one of my favourites and getting on podium this year felt really great.”

With there being a wide variety of street circuits all around the world, are there any specific circuits Filippi would like to race at?

“Well, the first that comes to my mind is Macau, but frankly I would like to race on each and every one of them. Long Beach, Toronto, Pau, it’s a challenge that I would love.”

What, in the opinion of Filippi, do street circuits bring to a championship compared to the purpose built race tracks?

“They bring us into the city centre; hence we are closer to the fans. From a driving standpoint, there’s just no room for mistakes, so usually those are places where the best drivers can shine.”

Looking back at all of the street races which Filippi has seen, whether it be live at a circuit or live on TV, what does he believe his best memory is?

“I remember Zanardi winning at Long Beach in Cart. In the first part of the race he touched with a rival and dropped at the back of the grid, but then, despite a damaged front A-Arm he managed to climb back through the field and pass Herta for the win with just two laps to go. It was amazing…”

Throughout his career to date, Filippi has been lucky enough to race in a wide variety of different cars. What does he feel his favourite race car which he has driven is?

“I would say that Auto GP, which I’m also racing this year, is the most fun to drive,” explains Filippi. “It resembles a lot a F3000, which is my all time favourite, but with 100 bhp more. You can drive it with your right foot, so it’s really great.”

Does Filippi follow the series which he raced in during his early racing career days?

“Yes, but that’s just how I am. I am passionate about racing, so I follow pretty everything happens around, from single seaters to GT, to Sportscar racing.”

Given the choice of having a one off team-mate for a one off race weekend, what driver would Filippi choose, in what car and at what race circuit?

“That’s a tough one! I would choose Hiroki Yoshimoto as a team mate, because he was quick and talented, and would have deserved more success in single seater racing. As a car, the GP2 2005 type, and in Monaco to be sure it’s challenging.”

To finish, Filippi gave myself an interesting, non Motorsport fact about himself – which was: “In this days, I pass my evenings playing bowls. Would you expect that from a racing driver?”

Back Of The Grid.co.uk would like to thank Filippi for taking some time out to speak with us and a special thanks to Filippo Zanier at Scuderia Coloni for helping to organise this interview.

Filippi heads to Monza as one of five drivers with a realistic chance of finishing the season second, behind newly crowned Champion Romain Grosjean. You can follow all of the weekends’ proceedings right here on Back Of The Grid as we would like to wish Filippi the very best of luck with chasing down the Vice Champion’s position.