Silverstone, Inggris, 13th April 2014 - Year two in Europe is about to get under way for Indonesia’s Sean Gelael, whose second attack on the FIA Formula 3 European Championship begins in the coming days at Silverstone.
Sean and the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team have completed their preparations and testing programme, with some very encouraging results in the recent tests at the Hungaroring and the Red Bull Ring.
Now 17-year-old Gelael is ready to attack the fast sweeps of the legendary Silverstone circuit, which has been home to the British Grand Prix since 1948. Free practice and qualifying take place on Friday 18th April, with the first two races on Saturday 19th April and the third on Sunday 20th April.
Silverstone is a circuit that has been kind to Sean in the past. In last year’s FIA F3 European Championship round he made a rocket start to go from 22nd to 12th in slippery conditions before dropping back a little as the other, more-experienced drivers found their rhythm. One month later, on the same circuit he put in a stunning performance to take two podium finishes in the opening round of the British F3 International Series.
Little wonder that Gelael counts Silverstone as a favourite – and it is also the home event for the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team, which is based just over an hour’s drive away from the circuit.
“It is a British team and this is the British round,” says Sean, “and I have great memories of Silverstone from last year, so it should be good! My target is to score points and I will just try to do the best I can to improve throughout the weekend.”
Gelael has bonded well with his race engineer at the Jagonya Ayam with Carlin team, Spaniard Jose Manuel Garcia. This is a crucial part of the process in preparing for a season, as Garcia’s job is to interpret everything that Sean is telling him with the sole aim of making their Dallara-Volkswagen racing car set faster and faster lap times.
“Sean obviously was last year doing his learning,” says Garcia. “But now, since we have been working together, he is very focused, very professional and his driving has improved.
“Every time we look at the data from the car and find ways to go faster, he hits the track and his driving is better. He is a really hard worker, very serious and understands very well what is going on in the car. And because he is feeling confident with his team and his team-mates, that is why we are seeing him in a higher position.
“Being fast is hard work,” continues Garcia. “It does not happen by magic! Sean is doing a fantastic job.”
Silverstone represents only part of such hard work, with the FIA F3 European Championship taking in 11 rounds over the course of the season, and then the Macau Grand Prix to act as the finale in November. There is a long, hard season ahead for Sean and all his fellow competitors in the world’s toughest and most competitive championship for aspiring Formula 1 drivers. (ms/arl)
