PRESS RELEASE: Monday, 12 September 2011
ATECH CRS GP ROUNDS OUT THE GP3 SEASON AT MONZA
Atech CRS GP brought its 2011 race season to a close in the final rounds of the GP3 Series at Monza this weekend, with Marlon Stockinger bringing his car home in 13th and 19th places from the two races. There was disappointment for Nick Yelloly who suffered a mechanical problem in race one and had his charge through the field in race two, which earnt him two fastest laps, ended in a five-car crash on lap nine.

Swiss Zoel Amberg saw his chances of another strong finish brought to a premature finish with a collision in both races, which left him unable to show his improved form of the second half of the season.

Friday’s practice proved promising for Stockinger, the Swiss-Filipino posting the seventh fastest time in the opening session to show his ever-improving pace in his first season in the series. However in the morning qualifying session, it was Amberg who led the way, the Swiss GP3 rookie setting the 18th fastest lap, with Stockinger in 25th and Yelloly 28th, the trio all struggling to find a tow on the long straights of the historic Italian track.

In Saturday’s opening round, Amberg was one of three drivers eliminated on the opening lap, the 20 year-old victim of an incident that ended his race on the spot. Yelloly meanwhile had made a good start and was up into 11th when he lost power with a broken cambelt on lap nine.

And so it was left to Stockinger to uphold honours for the Leicestershire-based team, with a strong drive up into the top ten and chasing eighth and the pole spot for race two, before an off-track excursion dropped him down the order.

In Sunday’s early morning final race, a storming drive through the field from Yelloly allowed him to twice post the fastest lap, which was only beaten on the very last tour of the 16-lap race. However as the field entered the Parabolica on lap nine, Nick was one of five cars attempting the corner, from which only one car escaped unscathed. Yelloly was forced to sit out the rest of the race from the sidelines.
Stockinger had another strong drive from the eighth row, making up six places to finish 13th. But for the unfortunate Amberg, a first lap clash caused damage which subsequently put him out for the second race in succession.

Nick Yelloly: “Friday was OK, we were quite fast but in qualifying, where at Monza it’s all about getting a tow, we just didn’t get the most out of the traffic and consequently didn’t get a strong grid start for race one. It was close though; I was only a tenth of a second off the fastest driver in the mid-sector. I made a good start and was up into 11th when the cambelt came off and that was it.

Slightly disappointing as I think I could have got up to eighth and taken the pole spot for race two. In the second race the pace was great, I was setting fastest laps and feeling pretty confident of moving through the field, until I was taken out at the Parabolica. Five of us went into the corner but only one came out.”

Marlon Stockinger: “Practice started well and I was feeling pretty confident going into qualifying but was unable to get a tow, which is really important here. In the first race I was pushing hard, I managed to get up to tenth and was trying hard to get to eighth and pole spot for race two, when I went off. And in race two I made a good start and got past six cars but ran out of laps.“

David Hayle: “This weekend was all about the lack of tow in qualifying and accidents in the races unfortunately, which after a good start from Marlon in practice is a little disappointing. Nick had a great second race; he was very quick in the opening laps so it’s frustrating for him to have his charge through the field ended.

Marlon too drove well in race one, pushing hard all the way to try and get the pole spot for the second race, so to lose that opportunity is a shame. Zoel was the unfortunate victim of two accidents and was unlucky not to have been able to show his strong pace in the races.”
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Tags: Marlon Stockinger, Monza