Frustration but some positive signs for Bird (From Epsom Guardian)

Frustration but some positive signs for Bird

9:30am Tuesday 3rd November 2009

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Claygate’s Sam Bird impressed in his first competitive outing for GP2 champions ART Grand Prix, the feature race in Abu Dhabi as part of the F1 weekend.

An excellent qualifying session landed the 22-year-old a front-row start and a fantastic burst from the lights saw him lead on the opening lap.

However, his race – and ultimately his weekend – was spoilt by a terminal brake disc issue, which forced him to retire on the penultimate lap.

ART boss Frédéric Vasseur said: “Sam then put in another remarkable performance in race two to try to fight his way back up the order, deservedly achieving the fastest lap of the race in the process.”

For Bird, it was very much a case of what might have been.

“We showed in qualifying and, on Sunday in particular, that we had race-winning pace,” he said.

“What happened on Saturday with the rogue brake pad was just one of those things and strangely similar to the issue that put an end to Lewis Hamilton’s race in the F1.

“On Sunday, starting that far back, I really had to go for it to make something happen.

“I had a good start and managed to jump up from 18th to 10th but, a few turns later, I got tagged into a spin by the car just behind me.

“That meant I had to do it all again and I certainly gave it my best shot and pushed to the limit.

“It was important for the team and for myself to get fastest lap, which we did by a good margin.

“It makes an important point to our opponents that ART and I are very much in the frame.”

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