Motorsports Mondial.
Turning a new leaf: Talented Romain Grosjean, the Swiss-promoted-as-French driver, is set to break into the top tier of motor racing this season. He will compete in the GP2 series which starts in Barcelona this weekend, and is also reserve and test driver for Renault.
Grosjean will go against Japanese rising star Kamui Kobayashi who just raked in the GP2 Asia title. Both will face a fresh breeze in the form of yet another German sensation, Nico Hulkenberg, who is managed by Willi Weber and will drive for Nicholas Todt’s ART team.
GP2 is F1’s official feeder series and every champion since the series was inaugurated in 2005 has found a berth in a Grand Prix team, Giorgio Pantano from 2008 being the only exception.
The spec series features Renault-powered Dallara chassis.
Snapshot from Sunday
Green with envy: Adam Carrol gave Team Ireland victory in the World Cup of Motorsport, the A1GP series, in a dominating fashion. The ex-GP2 race winner won both the sprint and feature races from pole position in the season finale at Brands Hatch, located in beautiful Kent countryside in England.
Neel Jani, last year’s Champion, gave Team Switzerland second place this season and Team Portugal was third with Felipe Alburquerque.
JR Hildebrand from Sausalito in northern California finished an impressive fourth on his debut in the sprint race for Team USA.
Rossi Rules: The Doctor checked in with his first win of the season in the Spanish Grand Prix at Jererz. Local hombre Dani Pedrosa was second on a Honda with Australian Casey Stoner third for Ducati. Rossi re-takes the lead in the championship from teammate and pole sitter Jorge Lorenzo; the young Spaniard crashed three laps from the end.
Moroccan Menu: FIA sanctioned World Touring Car Championship made a stop in Morocco for the first time. Briton Robert Huff and Italian Nicola Larini were in Cruze mode and gave Chevrolet their first and second wins of the season. The double header event was staged through the streets of Marrakech. The photo shows their Swiss teammate Alain Menu.
Mark this Aussie: 19-year old Daniel Ricciardo from Perth has now won three of the four races in the 2009 British F3 Championship. Sunday’s victory at Silverstone puts him well ahead in the championship with 68 points over second place Nick Tandy on 40 points. Opening race of the weekend was won by debutant Dutch driver Renger van der Zande.
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