News

29 Oct 09

Curtain falls on Tambay’s 2009 season

Adrien Tambay was hoping to round off his 2009 F3 Euro Series campaign at Hockenheim last weekend with a good result, but unfortunately, the Frenchman was once again dealt a difficult hand.

“I’m not sure why, but the race director took away my three best laps in qualifying ! So instead of lining up tenth on the grid with an opportunity to gain some points and an advantageous spot on Sunday’s race grid, I ended up 17^th, faced once again with a difficult task. I moved up a few spots and finished 14^th. On Sunday, things weren’t looking bad as I also passed a few drivers at the outset. I was really looking forward to the second part of the race but after a tire change, I accelerated a bit harshly coming out of the pits and was given a drive-thru. It’s a pity because I would have probably scored some points.”

Tambay’s first F3 Euro Series season was a bumpy road all year long, marked by the Gravity driver’s head injury sustained while playing football in the Spa paddock which sidelined him for several races.

“Yes, it was indeed a difficult season, but the F3 Euro Series is one of the most competitive championships in motor racing, where drivers are racing amongst the best of the category. Unfortunately, my head injury at the beginning of the summer really set me back as it restricted me from any physical exercise for two months. But I also learnt quite a bit overall this season. There were mistakes, penalties and situations over which I had no control but everything must now be reflected upon and digested so it all has a positive bearing on the future. The jump from Formula BMW, where I was racing last year, to F3 is a fairly big one, and there isn’t much common ground between the two, with the biggest difference being the aerodynamic characteristics which separate the two categories. To achieve an optimal set-up on a F3 car is a complex process, and one which also takes some time to fully understand. Although the results don’t’ reflect it, I believe my progress was steady throughout the year and I certainly improved many aspects of my driving and my technical understanding of the car. I now hope to capitalize upon all this next year."

"Finally, I would like to thank ART Grand Prix and Gravity Sport Management for the support I received this season. And I really think we will work well together with my managers to learn from this year and reap some nice benefits in 2010 !”