Strakka Racing Ready for the Streets of Monaco
After a successful point-scoring outing at the first round of the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series, Strakka Racing is set for arguably the most important race of the year on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Being part of the FIA Formula One World Championship support package for the weekend means Strakka Racing’s drivers Tio Ellinas and Gustav Malja will be racing in front of the world’s best teams and drivers as well as having to tackle a slightly different weekend format.
The round at Monaco will feature just one race as opposed to the standard FR3.5 weekends double header format. The new for 215 aero rules are not in force this weekend meaning the teams will be able to choose their own setup for the single race.
Tio Ellinas will be hoping to use his previous experience from GP3 at the legendary circuit to help secure the crucial strong qualifying result needed on his top-four finish in race-two in the challenging conditions at Aragon.
“I’ve driven at Monaco GP2 last season and GP3 back in 2013,” says Ellinas. “It’s obvious but qualifying is crucial and I’m hoping my experience means I can be on the pace from the start of the weekend. I had two top-10 finishes in 2013, so there’s no reason I can’t improve on that record this weekend.”
Strakka Racing’s second driver Gustav Malja on the other hand is new to Monaco, but has undertaken some crucial preparation. Malja competed in the Formula 3 European Championship on the streets of Pau in France last weekend to become acclimatised to competing on a street circuit.
“Before racing at Pau I had no experience racing on street tracks,” Malja explains. “It’s extremely challenging because the margin for error is so small, but by the end of the weekend in Pau I was far more confident with my ability and feel as prepared as I can be. I’ve also driven Monaco on the Strakka simulator and studied clips from previous years. I think I can be competitive, especially among the other Monte rookies.
“I really can’t wait to get out on track and see what it’s like in reality.”
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Nick Bailey
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About Strakka Racing
From early domestic campaigns with BMWs and Aston Martins, Strakka Racing has evolved to become one of the most respected and successful privateer teams in the World Endurance Championship. In 2010 the Silverstone-based team achieved a class win, five circuit records and fifth overall in the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours. In 2013, it secured a second Le Mans win in the LMP1 Privateers’ class. Ever developing, in 2013 Strakka Racing entered the Formula Renault 3.5 World Series single-seater championship, regarded as one of the best training grounds for F1. In 2014 Strakka Racing joined forces with esteemed Japanese chassis manufacturer DOME to develop, market and race the Strakka DOME S103 chassis. 2014 also saw Strakka Racing create the Zanardi Strakka Kart racing team, winning both prestigious FIA KF and KZ titles in 2014.
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