Create account | Log in as member
http://www.gpvwc.com/media/layout/login_arrow.png
Formula Sprint 2
Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka International Racing Course
Tuesday 2nd of April 2024 19:00:00
More
March 21, 2010
Published on tags: Superleague
Only four days to go to the start of the season, and we're reaching halfway in the 2010 GPVWC Superleague Season Preview. As we proceed down the pit lane, the two next teams we encounter are Constant Racing and ST Racing.



Constant Racing

2009 was a rollercoaster year for the St.Helens-based team as it faced its first season (albeit not a full one) in the GPVWC: the outfit started with a bang, with top-10 qualifying positions and points in the first race (courtesy of co-owner Mark Stanton), found a skilled driver in Richard Bayes, but suffered from a slight slump in performance after the midway point, with new stand-in William Ponissi collecting a handful of good positions in the latter stages of the season. With Stanton, Ponissi and, crucially, the powerful Renault engine still onboard in 2010, the team took a path of stability that hopefully will reward them, particularly in the first half of the season, when other newer teams could still be finding their feet in the Superleague. The testing season has been a relatively humbling time for the boys in red - but consistency in race pace is what these drivers have got us used to. If the team get their development strategy right, they should be in for a good season.

Drivers:

Mark Stanton: seemingly destined for great things when he debuted, onboard an Evans Blue Racing, in the Australian Grand Prix of 2009, Mark Stanton has developed a reputation for clean, skilful racing - even though he cannot boast the raw pace of the leading front runners. Nonetheless, he is a consistent driver who manages to take the best out of every package, as he has shown by being the fastest Constant in all the pre-season tests he took part in. 2010 should see him prevail against many of the mid-packers and end up in point-scoring positions in several occasions.

William Ponissi: for the second most-experienced driver in the GPVWC (only Kieran Ryan has started more races than him), Ponissi has little to show besides a reputation of being a honest, clean journeyman of simracing. The second half of 2009, however, saw a distinct improvement in the Italian driver, who scored points in 5 of the last 8 races and went agonisingly close to equalling his best result of the season, 5th, in Monza. Keeping out of trouble at the start and away from the walls during the races might be the right strategy, if not to add to his maiden (and only) victory in 2008, to end on the scoreboard a few times.

Ben Warren: hired after good showings in the Megane Trophy, Warren joins Constant Racing with the certainty of a Supercup seat and the perspective of standing in for Ponissi or Stanton when needed. Despite limited amount of time spent testing, he has often been on the levels of the Italian, a good indication of the levels of performances he'd display when called into action. The consistency shown in the Meganes can bring him to points.

OVERALL TEAM ASSESSMENT

Pros:

One of the most solid and best managed teams in the Championship Performing Renault engines and R&D expertise Drivers gelled together in 2009 and getting along well for 2010 Cons:

Reduced testing brought fewer R&D points than expected Ponissi not up to the pace to bring points consistently Reported big expenses to clinch last-minute Renault deal

ST Racing

Born on the ashes of the fairly successful Fusion Racing, STR seems able to fill the high mid-pack position its predecessor occupied: and while an unfortunate engine deal might have restricted the possible reach of this lightweigth, well-run team, the driving talent behind the wheel is more than capable of delivering results. Mark Fuller and Tom Parker have shown promise in the winter testing period, beating the times of opponents in faster cars - Fuller's 12th place in the timesheets in South Africa the clear proof points are on the cards for the English team. The plunge into team management can prove difficult for Fuller who, despite his massive experience as a driver, is at his first attempt at owning a team. But in their short existence so far, ST Racing have shaped up as a relatively solid prospect for the future, provided they do something - quickly - to address the gap they have with their direct rivals.

Drivers:

Mark Fuller: years of experience in the GPVWC have shaped this good driver into a fixture of the league, first with Woods, where he formed a partnership with Mark Wicks, and later with Fusion Racing. Results have always exceeded expectations, especially considering that Fuller never had, unlike other lesser drivers, a chance with a top end car and often had to make what he could with the material available. Sadly for the Englishman, this seems to be the case in this season too, although being the man in charge of development could be a factor to step up the improvements of ST.

Tom Parker: another driver poached due to his good results in the Megane Trophy, Tom Parker has been doing hundreds of miles in testing, alternating some promising performances to some off-standard ones. Melbourne can provide a first, accurate indication on whether he'll be fighting for points on a regular basis or if he'll rather be at the lower ends of the timesheet, but pundits are expecting Parker to at least match his more experienced team mate as the season progresses.

Zac Rainey: ST Racing's designated test driver has done relatively little driving in the pre-season sessions. However, his presence has been pivotal in establishing STR as one of the best-organised teams among the newcomers. Rainey has recently signed a contract with Tom Parker's team in the Supercup, further strengthening the bonds within ST Racing, and this could be a decisive factor in creating the team spirit that can turn things around in the GPVWC.

OVERALL TEAM ASSESSMENT

Pros:

Mark Fuller's wealth of driving and development experience Strongly built, spirited team with a professional outlook Two drivers with similar potential will help and push each other Cons:

New team with absolute no experience in management Poor engine will lower expectations Poor attendance will limit R&D possibilities