MW Arden Report: PROMISE UNFULFILLED

Arden MW had high hopes of a good result in this morning’s GP3 Series race on the Valencia street circuit, but they were swiftly extinguished. Miki Monras started the race in fourth position, after his excellent run to fifth yesterday, but he was knocked into a spin at Turn Three on the opening lap and dropped towards the tail of the field. He was one of the fastest men on the track during his subsequent recovery drive, but the damage was done and his spirited efforts netted only 13th place.

Team-mates Michael Christensen and Leonardo Cordeiro started their races towards the back, following their accidents on Saturday, but both made solid progress. Christensen moved up from 22nd to 14th and Cordeiro from 29th to 21st.

Miki:
“I’m really disappointed because I could have done a lot better today. Robert Wickens touched me on the opening lap and the resultant spin cost me many places. It’s frustrating because we have had good pace all weekend and I did some very quick laps today. Even five laps from the end, after I touched the wall and bent my steering, I was putting in good sector times. But we come away from this weekend with some points and I hope we can maintain this speed into the next race.
 
Michael:
“I started on the back foot today and knew it was going to be difficult not to touch anyone during the early stages. I brushed wheels a few times, but not too seriously, and did my best to gain some positions. I didn’t have too many dramas once the race settled down. I expected a little bit more from the weekend but my pace was not too bad and I’m looking forward to Silverstone. I’m sure the team and I can do a good job there.”

Leo:
“I made another good start and passed several cars, but the car was probably not quite right in the wake of all yesterday’s dramas. It felt OK, but I was still probably a little too cautious during the race’s opening stages. I gained more confidence as the race went on, though, and my lap times improved significantly towards the end. It has been a positive day, with another solid race finish, and I am sure I will make further progress at Silverstone.”