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Formula Sprint 2
Japanese Grand Prix
Suzuka International Racing Course
Tuesday 2nd of April 2024 19:00:00
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May 08, 2011
Published on tags: Superleague
Lee Morris made it 5 out of 5 in South Africa, but the GPVWC Superleague has no time to spend celebrating victories or commiserating defeats yet - the circus arrives in Europe for a quickfire succession of races in Austria, France and Monaco with the addition of an in-season test as the only respite. Nijo Racing test driver Tom Parker leads us through a lap of the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria.

Commentary: Adam Smith

) That looked like a decent lap for you Tom - are you happy with how the lap went?

- The lap felt very smooth. The Nijo seems to be perfectly suited to the track and I look forward to seeing it in action. Was a good lap from me personally and I felt it couldn't be bettered.

Q) Is the A1-Ring a track you enjoy and which parts of the track do you think are most important to get right?

- A1-Ring is personally one of my favourite tracks. It may be a simple layout but I find that relaxing as it gives you time to think during a lap. I think each corner is equally important but Turns 1 and 2 are especially important as a good exit onto the long straights can gain you valuable mph which may be the tiny push you need to get past.

Q) How would you describe your driving style and do you think it has changed much over time?

- I would describe my driving style as a controlled aggression. I would maybe rank myself as one of the more aggressive drivers in the field but it does pay dividends in a battle for position if you are controlling it enough. When I am just driving on my own, I find myself to be quite calm and just try to be as smooth as possible. I like to think about the strategy whilst driving so being in a calmer state of mind helps that. I think over the past year I have become a lot less aggressive in my driving and I have started to pay alot more attention to the strategic side of things.

Q) After the tricky twists and bumps of Kyalami, do you think the A1-Ring will see a return to normal racing or do you expect a few surprises in the race?

- I think A1-Ring will be a nice escape from the demanding nature of Kyalami although there is an annoying bump as you enter S3 which I had to downshift once I hit it to keep momentum up. I'm expecting the same names up front but the Red Archer really is starting to push the Draig car and maybe a return to form for Joe. Also, with Ashley coming back for Nijo, I expect them to be higher up the grid come Austria.