Σε λιγότερο από δύο χρόνια, οι ΗΠΑ θα έχουν δύο αγώνες της Formula 1. Αυτή τη στιγμή, ωστόσο, κανένας από τους τωρινούς οδηγούς του αθλήματος δεν είναι κατάγεται από τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες. Ο τελευταίος Αμερικάνος οδηγός ήταν ο Scott Speed, ο οποίος αποχώρησε μέσα στο 2007, έπειτα από το Ευρωπαϊκό Grand Prix στο Nürburgring της Γερμανίας.
Ίσως, όμως, να μην περάσει πολύς καιρός από τη στιγμή που θα ξαναδούμε Αμερικάνο σ’ επίσημο αγώνα του κορυφαίο μηχανοκίνητο άθλημα στον κόσμο, καθώς ο πολλά υποσχόμενος Alexander Rossi είναι ο μοναδικός οδηγός από την Αμερική που έχει Superlicense της FIA, κάτι που του επιτρέπει να οδηγήσει στη Formula 1. Εκτός αυτού, ο 20χρονος οδηγός έχει κερδίσει τον τίτλο στην κατηγορία Formula BMW, τερμάτισε στην 3η θέση στο πρωτάθλημα Formula Renault 3.5, σημειώνοντας 2 νίκες.
Ο οδηγός από την Καλιφόρνια θα πάρει μέρος στις δοκιμές νέων οδηγών που θα γίνουν στις 15-18 Νοεμβρίου στο Abu Dhabi. Θα οδηγήσει για λογαριασμό της Team Lotus (Caterham από το 2012), αφού είναι η ομάδα που τον στηρίζει, και θα πάρει μέρος στο GP2 με την AirAsia, θυγατρική της Caterham. Δηλώσεις μπορείς να βρεις στο Δελτίο Τύπου που ακολουθεί.
[Πηγή: Team Lotus]
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Rossi To Contest GP2 Finale in Abu Dhabi With Caterham Team AirAsia & Take Part in F1 Young Driver Test With Team Lotus
Thursday, November 03, 2011 6:04PM
Hingham, UK – 3rd November 2011
Alexander Rossi will have a busy end to the 2011 season, competing for Caterham team AirAsia in the forthcoming GP2 Finale in Abu Dhabi and then taking part in the F1 Young Driver Test for the GP2 team’s senior counterparts Team Lotus.
The GP2 Series newcomer showed great pace in both recent GP2 tests at Barcelona and Jerez and finished the final test session P2 after just three days in the new car. The team have high hopes for the young American who adapted very quickly, proving he will be a strong contender in the GP2 2011 Finale race Abu Dhabi, 11th – 13th November. He will also be given the chance to take the next step up to F1 with one full day in the post-F1 race at the Yas Marina Circuit, taking place from 15th – 17th November.
Team Principal Riad Asmat: “We are very excited to have Alexander Rossi back onboard for the Abu Dhabi GP2 race and the subsequent F1 test. He worked very well with the GP2 team during the tests in Spain and it will be great to continue that working relationship in addition to giving him more exposure to the F1 environment with Team Lotus. He has shown maturity and confidence on track so the decision to put him in the car for the GP2 Finale was a simple one to make and we want to give him the chance to experience the pressure of an F1 environment so the young driver test is the natural place to give him that chance. We are all looking forward to both events and I am sure he will perform to the best of his ability whenever he is on track.”
Caterham Team AirAsia Team Manager Phill Spencer: “I am very happy Alexander will be joining our GP2 team again in Abu Dhabi. He has shown great potential in the car and built up a good rapport with the team and especially his engineer during the post season tests. We have come a long way since the beginning of this year, it has been a roller coaster season with some highs and lows but I feel confident that with Alexander we can finish 2011 on a positive note.”
Alexander Rossi: “I am very excited to finally announce I will be competing in Abu Dhabi with Caterham Team AirAsia and will have the chance to put more F1 miles on my CV with Team Lotus. After the positive Gp2 tests in Jerez and Barcelona I feel we have a good chance of a strong result in the GP2 races and I will definitely be going into the weekend fully focused and motivated for a race win – looking at the team’s past results I see no reason why we can’t achieve that. For the F1 test I will be looking to learn as much as possible, do the best job I can and soak up every minute, in and out of the car.
“The Yas Marina circuit is really pretty impressive. The track itself has some quite slow corners and not a great deal of overtaking opportunities, but it seems to combine a road course with a circuit course. In the first two sectors you can be quite brave with what you’re doing but in the marina section there’s very little run-off area as the walls are really close, so you have to restrain yourself somewhat. Every lap requires two different driving styles and that in itself makes it fun and very interesting to race for both the drivers and the engineers.”
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