First lap claims Conway again
8 September 2007
British single-seater racer Mike Conway's recent run of first lap retirements struck again at Monza on Saturday, when his Super Nova International car was effectively taken out of the race at the very first corner by a rival contender.
GP2 rookie Mike began the Italian Grand Prix weekend in strong form, finishing the 30-minute free practice session on Friday morning in seventh position. When it came to qualifying, however, things didn't quite go so well, and Mike was disappointed by his laptime that meant he would start the feature race from 12th on the grid.
"I thought we'd be a bit higher than that," said Mike. "After finishing free practice in seventh, I thought we'd at least repeat it, but we just couldn't get the time out of the car. I felt on a knife-edge during the session, the rear of the car just kept stepping out.
"I wanted to attack the corners, and carry speed through them, but at the Lesmos, Ascari and Parabolica we were really struggling. We made some changes to the set-up of the car, but it didn't get any better so we couldn't go quicker on the second set of tyres.
"I just hope we get it sorted for the race, because our pace is usually good over the long distance," Mike added. "I think we can score points, even starting outside the top 10."
That hope disappeared when the anticipated first corner chaos unfolded just in front of Mike. Two cars collided just in front of him, yet the car behind, Borja Garcia, pushed Mike from behind towards a spinning car, forcing him into evasive action.
Sadly for Mike, his car became stranded on the kerb and his engine stalled.
"Zaugg was spinning in front of me, and he was on the kerb," said Mike. "I tried to get around him but got stuck on the kerb too. As I released the clutch to try and get away again, the engine stalled and that was it. But it was all because I got hit from behind in the first place.
"That's it. Another race gone. I watched the rest of the race on TV, and it was utter carnage with all those safety cars. Tomorrow I'll be starting from the back, so it will be really difficult. I'll just drive my own race and see what happens."
The GP2 series is the final stepping stone on a drivers path to Formula One, and with the races taking place at the Grands Prix, is a showcase of their talents in front of their peers and the F1 paddock. Conway is reigning British F3 champion and graduated to the GP2 series for this season.
The next GP2 round is tomorrow at Monza, starting at 10am.
