Again in 2010, the champion will again receive a full test with the Williams F1 team
Soucek gears up for ‘dream’ Williams Formula One test

The successful maiden season of the FIA Formula Two Championship witnessed Andy Soucek crowned the first F2 champion for 25 years with a dominant performance.

To build on that success, series organiser MotorSport Vision is pleased to announce that it is working closely with the FIA and Williams F1 in proposing a number of significant advances for the 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship, to ensure that the championship continues to provide the revolutionary combination of optimum performance, professionalism and equality at an exceptionally low cost.

As in 2009, the eventual champion will again receive a full test with the Williams F1 team at the end of the season.

The 2010 calendar has been expanded from eight to nine events, with two races to be held at each event to give a total of 18 races for the championship. Eight rounds of the F2 championship will accompany the FIA World Touring Car Championship’s European events, together with the Moroccan round at Marrakech. F2’s season will open with a major Formula Two headlining event at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

All races will be televised live by Eurosport, the world’s foremost sports broadcaster, whose network reaches 69 countries across Europe and Asia. In 2009 more than three million people on average watched live coverage of F2 events and this will increase in 2010.

MSV has been eager to ensure the price of F2 remains uniquely inexpensive, representing extraordinary value despite car specification upgrades and the addition of a further race weekend. The 2010 FIA Formula Two Championship season will therefore cost ÂŁ275,000 + VAT. Entries are now open for the grid of 25 cars which is expected to be rapidly filled.

“When the FIA announced in September 2008 that MSV had won the tender to design and build a fleet of new Formula Two cars and operate the championship we knew we faced an enormous challenge to get 24 cars on the grid for the first race at Valencia,” stated Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive, MotorSport Vision.

“Williams F1 did an outstanding job designing our new JPH1 F2 car under the direction of Patrick Head. Our MSV F2 team headed by Giles Butterfield has worked phenomenally hard this year to both build the cars and run them so professionally in F2’s first year. There is no question F2 has been a great success already.”

” We have had a full grid from the start to the end of the season. The unprecedented affordability of F2 has meant we have had drivers from 15 different nationalities competing. F2 has been fiercely competitive with eight different drivers winning races. Most importantly F2 has enabled the outstanding talent of Andy Soucek to prove his ability by winning the championship and underline his claim to an F1 drive.”

”However 2009 has just provided us with a solid base from which to aggressively enhance F2,” Palmer added.

“Key areas that will be addressed for 2010 include a target of achieving 100% car reliability, greater car performance and team operational efficiency. Our championship will expand to 18 races and yet the cost will still be kept at an extraordinarily low ÂŁ275,000. Early indications are that the 2010 grid will fill quickly with a high quality field of drivers and that our champion next year will be another talent destined for F1.”

“I am pleased to see that the F2 championship in 2009 has been successful and has been won by the driver who not only had the best speed over the season, but who also was tactically ahead of his competition,” continued Patrick Head, Director of Engineering, Williams F1.

“Jonathan Palmer is never one to stand still, and amongst many other improvements wishes to raise the performance of the car by working on all the major performance controlling parameters; weight, power, tyre grip, downforce and drag.”

” 2009 champion Andy Soucek will be driving for a full day of our permitted three days testing allowance for young drivers in December, and I am sure he will perform well. Formula Two has made a mark in 2009 as a competitive championship, professionally run with equal cars, but everything can be improved and we intend that this shall be the case for F2 in 2010.”

FIA Formula Two Championship – 2010 Schedule

 Date  – Track  – Location

April 17-18 Silverstone Circuit Silverstone, England
May 1-2 Streets of Marrakesh Marrakesh, Morocco
May 22-23 Aitodromo Nazionale Monza Monza, Italy
June 19-20 Circuit Zolder Zolder, Belgium
July 3-4 Autodromo Internacional do Algrave Portimao, Portugal
July 17-18 Brands Hatch Circuit Kent, England
July 31-August 1 Automotodrom Brno Brno, Czech Republic
September 4-5 Motorsport Arena Oschersleben Oschersleben, Germany
September 18-19 Circuit Ricardo Tomo Valencia, Spain 

Soucek gears up for ‘dream’ Williams Formula One test

Spaniard ready to receive prize for winning 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship

24-year-old Spaniard Andy Soucek has described his forthcoming test in Jerez tomorrow (1 December) for the Williams F1 team as a ‘dream come true’, and insists he is feeling confident and relaxed ahead of the experience.

Soucek received the test as part of his prize for winning the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship, which he clinched in magnificent style after taking five wins over the season. He will drive for Williams for the first day of the three day test, after which Nico HĂĽlkenberg – confirmed to drive for the team in 2010 – will take over testing duties.

Soucek visited the Williams factory in Grove last week for his official seat fitting, and admitted he had been delighted to meet the team for the first time. “For me it is like a dream come true, having an F1 team focus on you for an entire day,” he explained. “Williams really do set the highest standards, and every detail is examined and catered for – I even had three people analysing how my seat position could improve!

“It’s a big responsibility driving Williams’ car, and as always I’ll be going out hoping to be fast and do the best job I can. However I’m not putting myself under too much pressure; I’m confident and relaxed more than anything else, and it will just be great to get experience from the test and get reference points of how Formula One works.”

Soucek will be joined at the test by some of the best young drivers in the world, including F2 pilot Mirko Bortolotti, who will test for the Scuderia Toro Rosso team. The Spaniard insisted, however, that all the drivers would be judged on more than just their raw speed.

“The test is about an accumulation of factors,” he said. “You need to be able to create and build a good environment with the team, you have to deliver good and accurate reports on the car, and of course you have to be quick. If you put everything together, then you have a good test. I’m just going to be myself and be natural.

“I knew I had the test after Imola where I won the championship, so since then I have been training a lot, working on my neck and my fitness. F1 requires you to be in very good physical shape, so I have been working hard. It’s also about your mental state, so I have spent the last few days with my grandmother and family in order to be fully focussed before the test. On Monday I will spend the whole day with my engineer making final adjustments, and then I’m sure the nerves will kick in the night before.

“Overall though I’m feeling very relaxed and confident. I have even had my Stilo helmet repainted with the Williams blue and white colour scheme, and it looks really good. The team made me feel very comfortable, and I can’t wait to get out in the car!”

source: eformulacarnews.com / formulatwo.com