Palmer on course to bid for GP2 title in 2014

26/03/2014

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In every sport, confidence comes from knowing that preparation and training have all gone well and according to plan. For his assault on this year's GP2 crown, Palmer has joined the hugely experienced French DAMS team to which Comma is also Technical Partner. Palmer, his Monégasque ream mate Stéphane Richelmi and the team have worked systematically and without any significant hitches through all the phases of a race weekend, and can now look forward with a high degree of confidence to the first race of the season at Sakhir circuit in Bahrain on the weekend of April 4/6th.

Starting on March 11th, the first three-day 2014 GP2 test was held at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, which is where the eleven round series will end in November. Race drivers always get a lift when their car is quick 'straight out of the box', and the DAMS drivers could hardly have been more pleased with the initial run-out of their race machines. Palmer's first day time of 1.49.126 was quickest of the 22 cars and never beaten thereafter, while MP Motorsport's Jon Lancaster was the only driver to separate Richelmi from his team mate by the time the Abu Dhabi test concluded.

A second three-day GP2 test began on March 19th at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit. Desert sands blown onto the track meant that relatively few meaningful laps were completed by any of the drivers, but Palmer nevertheless picked up from disappointing pace in the morning to finish the day in fifth place on the timing sheets. It was a similar story on day two, with the team concentrating on a mixed plan of qualifying runs in the morning and race preparation in the afternoon, and Palmer finishing fifth with Richelmi eighth overall. A busy opening session on the final day saw the DAMS duo complete 63 laps of the Sakhir circuit, with Palmer's best lap just over three tenths shy of the fastest, set by Jon Lancaster. In the afternoon, the pair concentrated on race runs, completing a further 66 laps. Jolyon headed Stéphane for much of the session, before ending in fifth place. The morning times having been quicker, Palmer completed the day sixth overall, with Richelmi eleventh.

Reflecting after Bahrain on his preparations for the season, Palmer said: "I'm very happy with the way things have gone. We have been competitive all the time and in all of pre- season testing, I haven't finished a day outside of the top six. This is all positive going into the season. Confidence is high, and now we need to make sure we put everything together and start the season strongly."

You can follow the DAMS team and Jolyon's progress in the 2014 GP2 series on the Comma brand website at www.CommaOil.com and also on the official GP2 series website at www.gp2series.com