London, 31th August 2015 - Sean Gelael returns to the cockpit of his Jagonya Ayam with Carlin Formula Renault 3.5 Series racecar for the first time in almost two months for the next round at Silverstone over the weekend of 4^th-6^th September.

He will be hoping to make up for a disastrous crash in the last Formula Renault 3.5 event before the summer break at Austria’s Red Bull Ring, where he was collected by a rival in a high-speed accident that sent him into the barriers. Despite this, the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team worked miracles to get Indonesian Gelael out on the track for the second race, in which he showed great pace that matched the leaders but was ruled out of contention by mechanical problems.

The 18-year-old has filled the break in between Formula Renault 3.5 races by taking in his first two GP2 Series events, as well as being the mentor to Indonesia’s GT Academy team at the Silverstone circuit. Now he is making another trip back to Silverstone, just 160 kilometres from his British home in Bath.

Unlike some of the tracks on the Formula Renault 3.5 calendar, Silverstone is a circuit with which Sean is familiar. He took his first European podium there in the British Formula 3 Championship in 2013, and has also competed there twice in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship.

Silverstone had the honour of hosting the first-ever race in the Formula 1 World Championship, back in 1950, on a track that was bordered by straw bales and oil drums! Although the circuit has undergone many modifications since then it has retained its high-speed, flowing feel, and is one of the favourites for the competitors.

Gelael is a rookie in Formula Renault 3.5, but he should not be at too much of a disadvantage at Silverstone because the track has not been part of the series’ schedule since 2012, when the late Jules Bianchi and ex-Mercedes Formula 1 test driver Sam Bird were the winners. None of the current drivers have raced in Formula Renault 3.5 at Silverstone, although like Sean they all have experience of the track from other categories.

A good result or encouraging form are crucial for Gelael because Silverstone heralds the start of the frantic end-of-season run-in, which will take the competitors to the Nurburgring the following weekend, Le Mans two weeks after that, and then the finale at Jerez in October.

“It is really important to get back into the groove at Silverstone as quickly as I can,” said Sean, “especially as I have been driving the GP2 car recently. Silverstone is a track I like and which has a great tradition of racing – this is a place that any driver wants to do well at, because we all really enjoy driving it. I scored my first points in Monaco in May and I feel that this weekend I have a chance of building on that. I am really looking forward to it!”  (sm/arl)