Spa-Franchorchamps, 16th August 2015 - After almost one month without racing, Sean Gelael begins a busy period of late-summer action on the tracks of Europe with the next round of the GP2 Series supporting the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
This is Indonesian Sean’s second outing in the GP2 Series, following his debut last time out in Hungary. The 18-year-old will be hoping to use the good form he has shown in the past on the challenging Spa circuit, which is the longest track raced on by GP2 and Formula 1.
Gelael has already raced at Spa this year in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. Although he narrowly missed out on points at that event, he set an excellent fourth fastest time in free practice so he will be aiming to move the Jagonya Ayam colours that adorn his Carlin car up the grid as he continues his learning and experience-gaining in the ultra-tough GP2 Series.
Spa opened in the 1920s using public roads, and although the circuit has changed it is still incredibly hard to master for the drivers. Set in the Ardennes hills in the east of Belgium, it features dramatic elevation changes – the legendary Eau Rouge corner, for example, is the beginning of a rise of 80 metres up to the following complex of turns at Les Combes.
Much of the seven-kilometre circuit is flat-out, with a top speed at Spa in a GP2 car of 300km/h on the Kemmel straight. In fact, it is estimated that 72 per cent of the track is taken at full throttle of the powerful Dallara-Mecachrome cars – that means five kilometres with the drivers’ right feet nailed to the floor, longer than the entire circuit at some venues such as the Hungaroring, Monaco, Barcelona and the Red Bull Ring!
Sean and his engineer will have to focus on finding the balance between flat-out top speed and a set-up that enables him to go quickly through the long corners in the middle sector of the lap. If you carry more downforce to gain speed through those middle-sector turns, that costs you performance on the long straights. If you lower the downforce for more top speed, that can make the car very difficult to handle in the middle sector and therefore cause degrading of the tyres.
Most importantly, Gelael is looking to build as much experience and confidence as possible in GP2, where as a newcomer he is competing against some drivers who have been in a category for half a decade. A good weekend at Spa will set him up nicely for this hectic period of racing, where he is in action at six events over the next nine weeks.
Thankfully, he has recharged his batteries with a short holiday at the home of his Jagonya Ayam team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi in the south of Italy, and impressed his hosts with his rapid learning of Italian cooking skills!
“I cannot wait for Spa – the same as for any racing driver,” said Sean. “We showed some encouraging signs in my first GP2 race weekend at the Hungaroring, so although Spa is very different I hope to take that forward and progress. My big target is my Carlin team-mate Julian Leal and I was quite close to him in Hungary. He was on the podium at Spa in 2013 so let’s hope he and I can find form together! Whatever happens, gaining experience is the key so the most important thing is to finish every session and race, and learn as much as I can.” (ms/arl)
