After UNI-Virtuosi Racing are targeting a return to form in the upcoming Barcelona Formula 2 rounds, where the Norfolk-based squad showed spectacular pace in pre-season testing.
Last weekend in Baku the team suffered a turbulent weekend in what is always a frenetic pair of races in the capital of Azerbaijan.
Luca Ghiotto lost the points lead after he was unable to avoid a slowing driver in front on a safety car restart. He finished ninth after a penalty, and was then caught in another unavoidable incident in the Sunday sprint race.
Ghiotto remains third and well within the championship race after four of a total 24 races.
Chinese driver Guan Yu Zhou, a junior of the Renault Formula 1 team, retired from the Saturday feature race as he couldn’t avoid a slower car in the braking zone for the difficult Turn 1, approached at over 170mph.
The team worked tirelessly to repair Zhou's car in rapid fashion to ensure that he was ready for the next race.
He recovered brilliantly from the back of the grid to take 10th in the Sunday sprint race.
Both drivers showed fantastic race and qualifying pace in pre-season testing in Barcelona, where the series heads in less than two-week’s time. It will be the first track Zhou has driven previously having been new to Bahrain and Baku.
Luca Ghiotto:
It was a disappointing weekend after showing good pace on Friday, It went wrong for me in race one after a troubled start then safety cars. Race two we had really good pace and we were looking good for a podium finish but I made a mistake and ended the race in the wall. I'm looking forward to Barcelona where we can hopefully have a good race without all the safety cars.
Guan Yu Zhou:
Didn’t have the pace this weekend, we struggled a lot in the races. We will be analysing everything and coming back strong in Barcelona. We were quick in the test there so we will reset and show our true potential. maiden podium soon.
