The two days of GP2 Series testing that Ocean Racing Technology took part in this week could not have been more productive for the Portuguese team.
The four drivers who were enlisted to contribute recorded excellent performances, particularly Antonio Felix da Costa, who secured the 6th best time in one session, 0.3 seconds off the fastest time.
Along with evaluating the four drivers (Antonio Felix da Costa, Stephane Richelmi, James Calado, and Yuki Shiraishi), Ocean Racing Technology experimented with a wide range of technical solutions that generally cannot be tested during a race weekend.
The final result was very satisfying for the team’s managers, Monteiro and Jose Guedes.
"These tests were intense and productive. They are positive not only in terms of the performances, especially for Antonio, but also in mechanical terms because we did not encounter the slightest problem. The four drivers made a good impression on us, each one having their own level of experience, and everyone having a high level of professionalism. We have to analyze all the information collected at Jerez and apply them during the next tests," declared the Portuguese structure’s managers.
Antonio Felix da Costa was happy to rejoin the team he knows and likes. "The car was very high-performance and it showed when I did a qualifying simulation. After a good lap, I improved my time, and I could have been in the top two but a small error held me back. Those little errors are a part of learning. In the afternoon, our focus was not to have fast laps but to experiment with several set-ups, particularly regarding races with a lot of fuel and worn tyres."
Stephane Richelmi tackled this test session at Jerez de la Frontera as an important step for him in learning the series. "I learned a lot of things in contact with Ocean. I was impressed by the performance of the car, which is very different from the one I drove at Monza. I still have a lot to learn to be able to drive at the best of my abilities," declared the Monaco-native driver.
"I learned that you have to be in excellent physical condition to drive the car," declared Yuki Shiraishi, "But it was a very interesting day and a unique experience in my career. I would like to thank Tiago and the entire team for this opportunity."
James Calado also showed himself to be very satisfied with his first contact with the GP2 Series. "The car’s performance surprised me. It is really excellent. It was a pleasure to drive with Ocean and I think it was a very positive test for both parties."
Ocean Racing Technology will drive in Barcelona on October 19 and 20.