Gearbox problem robs Di Grassi at Monza
Lucas di Grassi lost a chance to regain the GP2 Championship
lead
Lucas di Grassi lost a chance to regain the GP2 Championship
lead after a gearbox problem struck him with less than two
laps of the Saturday race at Monza still to run. In an instant
the Renault Driver Development squad member dropped from second
to 14th place, and thus he failed to score any points.
Prospects looked good after qualifying, when Lucas put the
ART car in second place, while his title rival Timo Glock
was down in eighth. Lucas got away well and held second throughout
the race, behind only Giorgio Pantano.
However at the start of the penultimate lap he had a downshift
problem going into the first chicane. He had survived a glitch
at the previous chicane, but this time he was left to coast
through the corner in neutral.
He brought the car to a halt on the grass and that allowed
him to select first and get away again, but by then most of
the depleted field had already swarmed past. He was classified
14th, and will thus start the Sunday race from that position.
Lucas lost eight points, while his problem also gifted Glock
another two, as the German moved up from fourth to third.
Overnight Glock leads on 72 points, while Lucas still has
64.
‘The gearbox broke and I couldn't downshift two laps
to the end when I was running second. As soon as I shifted
down I was in neutral, and when I exited the chicane I was
still in neutral, and I couldn't find any gears. It had happened
in the previous chicane, but I got through.
‘I had to stop the car for the gears to be selected,
and then I could go on again. If it had finished like it was
two laps from the end, I was going to be in the lead by one
point. So for me it was a good race, and I was running easy,
until we had the problem.
‘It was a shame, but when that happens you have to
keep the team motivated, because there's still 40 points to
go. So tomorrow we'll try to get some points and see what
I can do.'
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