P1 SCORE POINTS IN PORTUGAL 01/08/09

P1 Motorsport ended the weekend with both drivers in the points, after an eventful race which saw James Walker and Daniil Move make up a combined 14 places from start to finish.

The second race from the Autodromo do Algarve got underway, with Move making a superb start from 23rd on the grid to get to the first corner in 15th spot. Team mate Walker slipped back a few places from his ninth position starting place, and settled into 11th position.

At the halfway point, Move had climbed up the order by an impressive ten places, and was sitting in 13th position just two spots behind Walker. An incident on lap 16 saw Jon Lancaster (Comtec Racing) and Anton Nebylitsky (SG Formula) collide, bringing out the safety car in the closing stages of the race. On the re-start, Walker and Move were tenth and 11th respectively with just a couple of laps to go.

On the final lap of the race, Dani Clos (Epsilon Euskadi) and Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorpsort) tangled, and the P1 duo again sailed up the order. Walker took the chequered flag in eighth position, with Move grabbing the final points position with a tenth place finish.

Speaking about the weekend, Walker said: “We managed to salvage quite a lot after our qualifying result. In reality we started from the back so I’m pleased to have outscored two of my main championship rivals. Baguette is a different story as he has pulled out a very healthy lead now. We still have four races to go though and we go to the Nürburgring next which has always been a good track for me.”

Move commented: “I knew it would be important to make up as many places as possible in the first few laps, so I concentrated on this and was able to gain quite a few positions.

To finish in the top ten was a good result for us, considering were we started from. I’m now focused on doing the best job I can in the remaining two events, to help P1 in the championship.”

WALKER CLIMBS UP THROUGH THE FIELD 01/08/09

P1 Motorsport’s James Walker put in an impressive performance in Portugal to make his way from 14th on the grid to a sixth place finish in the first race from Portimao. The result saw him take a deserved five points towards his championship challenge. Team mate Daniil Move also drove a fantastic race but was unfortunate to be involved in a mid-race collision, thereby ending what would have been a points-finishing position for the Russian.

The Algarve’s bright and sunny weather was again present on Saturday morning, with a scorching 35°C air temperature and 50°C track temperature. The blistering heat caused race organisers to cut the duration of the race from 44 minutes to 35 minutes plus one lap, in a bid to ease reliability concerns after Friday's spate of heat-induced engine problems.

Walker got a good start from 14th position, but it was Move who managed to make a superb gain off the line, exiting the first corner in 10th place. Walker held position through the majority of the lap, before making a move on Dani Clos (Epsilon Euskadi) in the last corner to end lap one in 13th position. On lap three the safety car was deployed while they cleared the stricken car of Daniel Ricciardo (Tech 1 Racing), and on the re-start Walker again made a sensation move and overtook Sten Pentus (Mofaz Foretc Motorsport) for 12th place.

On lap seven Move dived down the inside of Carlin’s Oliver Turvey, taking ninth place from the British driver, and after a spin by Ultimate Motorsport’s Miguel Molina, the young Russian was in a credible eighth place. Having gained seven places from his grid position, Move unfortunately retired on lap 14. The P1 driver made a move down the inside of Pasquale Di Sabatino (RC Motorsport) but was left no room by the Italian, who turned in on Move. Having sustained too much damage to continue, it was a disappointing end to the race for Move, but did not detract from his thrilling performance.

A pragmatic Move said: “We were very quick around here and made a lot of progression during the race. It’s disappointing what happened but that’s racing! Di Sabatino did come and apologise after the race, so I appreciate that. We will have a lot of track position to make up in the second race, but I’ll do my best.”

Walker meanwhile was up to seventh position when racing resumed following his team mate’s retirement, and as the cars powered down the main straight, Walker was tucked behind the rearwing of Marco Barba (International Draco Racing). The Jersey driver took the inside line and made the pass, putting him in a fantastic sixth position, where he finished.

Results from Race One will see Walker start the second race from ninth position, with team mate Daniil Move back in 23rd place.

P1 MOTORSPORT TO START ON ROWS SEVEN AND EIGHT 31/07/09

P1 Motorsport’s duo of James Walker and Daniil Move will start 14th and 15th respectively in the first race from the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. Supporting the Le Mans Series, the Formula Renault 3.5 cars made their debut at the circuit, and practice times had shown just how close qualifying would be.

Due to this not being a World Series by Renault event, the race weekend’s regular format was altered, seeing qualifying take place on Friday, and both races scheduled for Saturday afternoon. There would be no SuperPole session; instead, the field would be split into two groups to qualify separately. After these sessions, the fastest overall time out of both groups would take pole, fastest from the other group would take second position, and the remaining positions would following accordingly.

Walker was out first in Group A, to qualify for P1 Motorsport in the blistering Portuguese heat. With air and track temperatures of 31°C and 45°C respectively, it was hard work for the British driver, on what was an already demanding and physical circuit. Less than a second separated the top nine drivers in group, and at the end of session, Walker found himself in seventh position.

Move was next out in Group B, and the competition was no less tough for the young Russian. Despite being new to the circuit, Move put in a solid effort to take eighth position in what turned out to be the quicker of the two sessions.

Walker will start Race One from 14th position, with team mate Move just behind him in15th place.

Speaking about the circuit, Walker said: “I spent a lot of time in the simulator in preparation for this race, but even so, the first laps were surprising, as everything is narrower than on the simulator and everything happens much, much quicker! This circuit is really exciting with its climbs, its drops and several changes of pace. It’s great to drive here, and we’ll just need to be aggressive and attack as hard as possible to make up
some places.”

Move commented on their performance: “It’s a strange result, as both James and I were quick during practice and we were expecting to be right up there in qualifying. The field is very close, and the extreme heat sometimes has an effect on the circuit, but we’re certainly surprised to be starting from mid-field. However, we still think we’ve got the speed around here, so will be pushing hard in the race.”

P1 MOTORSPORT SCORE POINTS IN LE MANS 19/07/09

After a difficult race weekend for P1 Motorsport, the British team made a comeback in the second race from Le Mans to score a couple of points, with James Walker rounding off his toughest event of the year so far with a top ten finish. Team mate Daniil Move however retired from eleventh position, with a suspected brake failure.

Walker got a stunning start off the line and led into the first corner, holding a steady lead until lap six when the P1 Motorsport team brought him in for his mandatory pitstop. It was a troubled stop for the P1 crew, after an issue with one of the wheel guns set them back a number of seconds. Walker re-joined but had lost track position, and when the field had worked itself out, he was lying in fifth place. Four laps before the chequered flag, Walker lost control of the no.5 car, resulting in a spin, however he was able to recover and finish in a credible ninth position.

Walker spoke about the race: “We actually got the perfect start, took the lead cleanly into the first corner and we had control of the race. When we pitted for tyres I think one of the wheel guns got stuck and we dropped back down to fifth position. I also lost concentration towards the end of the race and had a spin, so all things considered, we did well to pick up some points. I didn’t think on Thursday that I would be able to race here this weekend, after health issues leading up to the race. To qualify on the front row and score some points in light of the circumstances is better that I would have expected, and I look forward to the next race when I should be back to full-health.”

Move said, “Again I had a good race, we were fighting hard for track position and I was just outside the points. The brakes didn’t feel right, and the pedal was becoming softer and softer – eventually I braked for a corner and just went straight on. The team will have to look over the car to determine the cause but we were out. It’s been a pretty bad weekend for us, so we’re just looking forward to Portugal in a couple of weeks time.”

P1 Motorsport will be back in action at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve on 1st – 2nd August for the next round of the World Series by Renault 2009 season.

A DISAPPOINTING AFTERNOON FOR P1 MOTORSPORT 19/07/09

P1 Motorsport had a disappointing first race from Le Mans, after they were unable to score any points to add to their championship challenge. Walker unfortunately retired from the race after a coming together with Edoardo Mortara (Tech 1 Racing), while team mate Daniil Move finished just outside the points in eleventh place.

Walker lost some time at the start and found himself outside of the top ten and out of position. The Jersey driver fought his way back into the points and was up to a solid ninth place by lap 20, however he was still quicker than the cars ahead and desperately searching for a way past the Tech 1 Racing car of Mortara. On lap 25, the P1 driver dived down the inside of Mortara but the two made contact, and both were forced to
retire from the race.

Move had made a fantastic start from 16th position and at the end of lap one was in a credible 12th place. He pushed hard for the entire race, demonstrating both consistency and speed, managing to hold position against the Epsilon Euskadi car of Dani Clos.

However on the final lap, the two drivers were fighting hard for that last points position, and Move just missed his braking point. Clos took tenth place from the Russian driver, who at the end of a hard-fought race had to settle for eleventh.

Speaking about the afternoon, Walker said: “We got caught out at the start and this left me with some ground to make up. Mortara was slow and holding up a line of cars, so I looked down the inside and we should have been able to hold the pass. However he just turned in on me and with both ended up off the circuit, so it was a disappointing end to the race.”

Move commented on the race, “I had a good battle and think we did a great job to get back into the points after starting towards the back of the field. I braked too late trying to stay ahead of Clos on the last lap, and of course I’m disappointed to have lost that place so near to the end of the race. However, I’m pleased we have a better grid position for tomorrow.”

Walker will start Race Two from second position, with Move starting from 12th on the grid.

ANOTHER FRONT ROW FOR JAMES WALKER AND P1 18/07/09

P1 Motorsport and James Walker took their fifth front row start of the year at Le Mans this weekend, when the Jersey driver secured a consistent second position start for the French round of the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship.

Despite missing out on Friday’s testing due to illness, Walker was able to put in a strong performance during Group B’s qualifying session, to secure himself a place in the SuperPole showdown.

Team mate Daniil Move took to the track with the rest of Group A, and on the first set of tyres was looking set to also take his place in Superpole. However on his second run, the young Russian was unable to improve on his earlier time, and the P1 driver was nudged out of the top six in group, leaving him to start Race One from 16th position.

SuperPole began, and with just under ten minutes to go, Walker was lying in seventh position after his first run. However there was plenty more to come from the no.5 car, and in the closing minutes of the session, Walker completed a sensational lap to claim provisional pole. Fellow Briton Jon Lancaster (Comtec Racing) managed to go a couple of hundredths quicker as the session ended, unfortunately snatching pole away by the closest of margins. However Walker claimed yet another front row start in what has been an undeniably consistent qualifying effort so far this season.

Walker said, “Yesterday, after being ill, we didn’t know if I’d be able to drive today. I’m alright, and this result is going to spur me on for this afternoon. Without having driven in testing, this is a good result for us and shows what we’re capable of.”

Move said: “Starting from 16th position will make this weekend quite difficult for us, but not impossible. We’ll aim to get a good start this afternoon, and hopefully if we push hard enough, we might be able to pick up some points.”

Reverse grid regulations will see the Walker start Race One from seventh position.

P1 ON THE PODIUM 05/07/09

P1 Motorsport’s James Walker drove an excellent race at Silverstone to take a deserved second place in the feature race. Despite an early pitstop and a strong performance, Walker could not get past pole-sitter Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing), but nevertheless claimed a valuable podium position in front of his home fans.

Just losing out to Brendon Hartley (Tech 1 Racing) at the first corner, Walker moved down to third position, with team mate Daniil Move in seventh place at the end of lap one. The P1 pair held their ground until lap five when the team elected to bring Walker in for an early pitstop. The P1 crew sent Walker back out onto the track where he rejoined in 15th position.

As the rest of the field slowly began to peel into the pitlane for their mandatory stops, Walker moved back up the order, while Move was up to second position before the Russian then pitted on lap 12. Leader Pic came into the pitlane; P1 hoping their strategy would see Walker sail past the Frenchman as he exited the pits. It was close but Pic managed to re-join in fifth position, with Walker just behind him in sixth place.

When everyone had pitted, Pic was still leading the race, with Walker in second, Carlin Motorsport’s Oliver Turvey pushing hard in third place, and P1 driver Move in eighth position.

Despite Turvey putting Walker under pressure in the closing laps of the race, the positions remained unchanged. Walker was able to score 12 championship points, closing the gap to Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) and moving himself into second place in the standings. Move also picked up some valuable points to add to P1 Motorsport’s tally.

Commenting on the afternoon, Walker said: “After qualifying I was disappointed not to be on pole position, but in the end I’m very pleased today. This is a good weekend, I go second in the overall standings, that’s perfect. The end of the race was difficult because Oliver Turvey came back really strong. I managed to hold him off.”

The World Series by Renault now moves to France, where the next round of the Formula Renault 3.5 Championship will be held at Le Mans on 18th and 19th July.

JAMES WALKER AND P1 ON THE FRONT ROW AT SILVERSTONE 04/07/09

P1 Motorsport and James Walker took their fourth front row start of the year at Silverstone, when the young Brit qualified in second position for the UK round of the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship. Russia’s Daniil Move also put in a solid performance at the English circuit, to claim sixth place in qualifying – his third top ten start of the year.

Saturday morning saw Walker head out onto the track with the rest of Group A, and like Friday’s collective testing session, the Jersey driver was quick from the offset. Despite challenges from the Carlin Motorsport duo of Oliver Turvey and Jamie Alguersuari, Walker remained in control of the session - securing himself a place in the SuperPole showdown, as the fastest qualifier from Group A.

Move was looking to equal his teammate’s performance, and the Russian driver did not disappoint. Ending Group B’s session having posted the second fastest time, Move also guaranteed himself a shot at pole position, seeing both P1 cars advance to SuperPole.

Walker was first to set the pace in the 15-minute SuperPole session to determine grid positions for the top 12 qualifiers. Following stunning laps from both the P1 drivers, Walker was in provisional pole position, with Move just behind him in second place. However there were still five minutes of the session remaining, and the competition was tough.

Just minutes before the end of the session, Carlin Motorsport’s Oliver Turvey split the two P1 cars, as did Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing). Everyone embarked on their last attempt to take the pole position, and Pic was just able to snatch the fastest time from Walker.

The Jersey driver dropped down to second place, however he remained on the front row, with team mate Move taking a strong sixth position, rounding off an impressive qualifying for P1 Motorsport at their home race.

Walker said: “It’s easy to be disappointed but overall it’s very positive for us today. We won’t be under any pressure for this afternoon’s race, and we’ll just hope to make up a few places and score some points. Tomorrow I think we have a good chance to win – we have a good race pace and start on the front row, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Move said: “If I keep working well with the team to improve, I know that it will be a natural progression and the results will follow. Today we had an okay qualifying session in group and SuperPole, and I’m happy with sixth position. Starting third in today’s race will hopefully enable us to score some points, so I’ll be looking to get a good start off the line.”

Reverse grid regulations will see the Russian driver start Race One from third position, with Walker starting from seventh on the grid.

JAMES WALKER AND P1 ON THE FRONT ROW AT SILVERSTONE 04/07/09

P1 Motorsport and James Walker took their fourth front row start of the year at Silverstone, when the young Brit qualified in second position for the UK round of the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship. Russia’s Daniil Move also put in a solid performance at the English circuit, to claim sixth place in qualifying – his third top ten start of the year.

Saturday morning saw Walker head out onto the track with the rest of Group A, and like Friday’s collective testing session, the Jersey driver was quick from the offset. Despite challenges from the Carlin Motorsport duo of Oliver Turvey and Jamie Alguersuari, Walker remained in control of the session - securing himself a place in the SuperPole showdown, as the fastest qualifier from Group A.

Move was looking to equal his teammate’s performance, and the Russian driver did not disappoint. Ending Group B’s session having posted the second fastest time, Move also guaranteed himself a shot at pole position, seeing both P1 cars advance to SuperPole.

Walker was first to set the pace in the 15-minute SuperPole session to determine grid positions for the top 12 qualifiers. Following stunning laps from both the P1 drivers, Walker was in provisional pole position, with Move just behind him in second place. However there were still five minutes of the session remaining, and the competition was tough.

Just minutes before the end of the session, Carlin Motorsport’s Oliver Turvey split the two P1 cars, as did Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing). Everyone embarked on their last attempt to take the pole position, and Pic was just able to snatch the fastest time from Walker.

The Jersey driver dropped down to second place, however he remained on the front row, with team mate Move taking a strong sixth position, rounding off an impressive qualifying for P1 Motorsport at their home race.
Walker said: “It’s easy to be disappointed but overall it’s very positive for us today. We won’t be under any pressure for this afternoon’s race, and we’ll just hope to make up a few places and score some points. Tomorrow I think we have a good chance to win – we have a good race pace and start on the front row, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Move said: “If I keep working well with the team to improve, I know that it will be a natural progression and the results will follow. Today we had an okay qualifying session in group and SuperPole, and I’m happy with sixth position. Starting third in today’s race will hopefully enable us to score some points, so I’ll be looking to get a good start off the line.”

Reverse grid regulations will see the Russian driver start Race One from third position, withWalker starting from seventh on the grid.

P1 MOTORSPORT MOVE UP THEIR POINTS TALLY 14/06/09

P1 Motorsport scored yet more points this weekend in Budapest, when Russian driver Daniil Move brought the car home in ninth place after an eventful feature race at the Hungaroring.

James Walker lined up in third position with Move placed 13th on the grid, and both P1 drivers again managed to get a good start off the line. Heading down to the first corner, the field was close as they jostled for position and after the first lap, Walker was in fifth position with Move up to an impressive tenth place.

An incident behind the P1 duo brought out the safety car, and on the re-start Walker was in a comfortable fourth position and chasing down Tech 1 Racing’s Charles Pic for third place. The team elected to bring Walker in for his mandatory pitstop early on in the race, but unfortunately while pushing hard to gain as much advantage as possible on his in-lap, the British driver spun and retired from the race.

A disappointed Walker said: “I overcooked it. I was pushing hard, got a bit of oversteer and that was that. I’m massively disappointed but I have to stay positive and focus now on Silverstone. We have a fantastic chance of winning there and I will do everything I can to make sure that’s what happens.”

Team mate Move continued with a solid run, taking his pitstop comparatively late on lap 15. The P1 crew executed the tyre change with precision and Move re-joined the race in ninth position, where he finished after a good and consistent drive by the young Russian.

Scoring a valuable two points for the championship challenge, Move is now 14th in the standings, with Walker still within reach of the title in third position. Just ten points separate the top three drivers, so it will be all to play for as the World Series by Renault heads to Silverstone in three weeks time. P1 Motorsport is second in the team’s championship, just behind International Draco Racing and ahead of Carlin Motorsport.

P1 MOTORSPORT IN THE POINTS 13/06/09

P1 Motorsport added yet more points to their championship tally on Saturday, with British driver James Walker coming across the line to take a solid fourth position in Hungary. Team mate Daniil Move also had an impressive drive in the No. 6 car, after coming up through the field from 15th position to finish just outside the points.

As the lights went out for Race One, both P1 drivers wasted no time getting off the grid and down to the first corner. Walker managed to elevate himself from sixth on the grid to fourth position as he exited the first corner, and Move had a sensational start – getting off the line from 15th position to make up four spots by the time he arrived at turn one. At the end of the first lap, Walker was in a strong fourth position behind Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing), with Move up to eleventh place.

Move was forced to embark on the closest on-track battle of the race, with Tech 1 Racing’s Charles Pic who was just behind the young Russian in 12th place. Move had the measure of Pic – the Frenchman unable to get past the P1 car, until Move ran slightly wide exiting a corner, allowing Pic just enough space to get ahead.

The safety car was deployed for Filip Salaquarda’s (Prema Powerteam) spin into the gravel, and when the race resumed with ten laps to go, Walker was still in fourth place, and Move in 14th.

Walker had the speed to challenge for third position, but the Hungaroring is notorious for being a difficult circuit to overtake on, and the Jerseyman could not get close enough to Baguette to make a convincing move without risking a good fourth place result. The British driver just missed out on a podium position but earned a deserved seven championship points. Speaking about the race, Walker said: “At this stage in the season
it’s important to score points, and that’s exactly what we did here today. The car felt great and our pace was good – it’s just tricky to get past on this circuit and I didn’t want to compromise the fourth position as it’s a solid result for us. Tomorrow we’re starting in third position and we’ll be looking for another good start and hopefully to jump a few places in the pit stops, and just take away as many points as possible.”

Move had an excellent last lap of the race, managing to get back up to 12th position. While he may have narrowly missed out on some championship points, the 23 year-old Russian guaranteed himself a better grid position with his solid Race One finish, and Move will be starting from 13th place for Race Two. Move commented: “The Hungaroring is not necessarily my favourite circuit, but I got a good start and made up some places in the first lap which was great. The team has been working very hard with me to improve on various parts of our joint performance, and I think it was a good learning day for me. I hope tomorrow I can be quick in the car, and earn some points for myself and the team.”

JAMES WALKER TAKES THIRD FOR P1 MOTORSPORT IN QUALIFYING 13/06/09

James Walker and P1 Motorsport have demonstrated their consistency with yet another impressive qualifying effort. The British driver made it through the first qualifying session to participate in SuperPole, where he secured third position at the Hungaroring. This result comes off the back of an impressive run of front row starts for Walker – who has qualified in the top three at every race so far this season.

Walker and team mate Daniil Move were both placed in qualifying Group A, and headed out onto the track immediately after Group B had completed their session. However, minutes in the red flag came out for RC Motorsport’s Mihai Marinescu, thereby delaying the session. Despite the interruption, on the re-start Walker went fastest straight away, with Move down in eighth place.

With just one minute to go in the session, Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) inched ahead of Walker’s time, pushing the P1 car into second position, although Walker had done enough to go through to SuperPole.

Move unfortunately just narrowly missed out and was forced to settle for eighth place in group, which will see the young Russian start Race One from 15th position.

Walker’s P1 car was first out of the pitlane for SuperPole, and set the early pace for the session. Martinez and Fairuz Fauzy (Mofaz Fortec Motorsport) then jumped ahead of the P1 car, but with four minutes to go, Walker put together a sensational lap to go quickest - also posting the fastest second and third sectors overall.

With just a few minutes to go, Martinez and Miguel Molina (Ultimate Motorsport) managed to go quicker still, pushing Walker down to third position. The young Brit responded by going fastest in sector one, on a lap which looked hopeful of securing him pole. But unfortunately Walker was unable to go quicker, and the positions remained unchanged. Martinez took pole position, with Molina alongside him and Walker in a solid third position for P1 Motorsport.

Walker spoke about the result: “I’m pretty happy with third but I think we could have been on the front row here. On one of my hot laps I made a slight mistake in the last corner and that just cost me. The car feels great and we’ll see how many points we can score over the rest of the weekend.”

Reverse grid regulations will see Walker start Race One from sixth position and for Sunday’s feature race, the P1 driver will take his place on the second row.

WALKER SCORES IN MONACO WITH PODIUM FINISH 24/05/09

James Walker finished this morning’s Formula Renault 3.5 race at Monaco in third place, taking a fantastic podium finish in the most prestigious of the World Series by Renault events.

He started the race from second on the grid, the side that has less grip than the pole position side.  Slipping behind Oliver Turvey on pole and third placed Adrian Zaugg, James set off around the streets of Monte Carlo in pursuit of the leaders. 

James chased Zaugg and Turvey hard for the entire race but it is practically impossible to pass at Monaco unless the driver in front makes a mistake and the circuit is unforgiving if you go off the racing line.  His third place finish has earned him more valuable points on a day when Championship-leader, Marcos Martinez, failed to finish.

“I am absolutely delighted to have finished on the podium at Monaco,” said James. “When you are chasing a championship every point counts so if you can’t get the win a podium is a good substitute.  After winning at Spa and then getting a good result here we’re getting used to success and that’s a great feeling.  I felt proud to be from Jersey today as I have had great support from the island for this race, with Jersey people here to witness the result. We’ve also had some good F1 meetings too. My target remains to be Jersey’s first F1 driver.”

James will be back behind the wheel of the P1 Motorsport car in just two weeks’ time at the Hungaroring in Budapest.

FRONT ROW START IN MONACO FOR WALKER 23/05/09

James Walker will start tomorrow’s Formula Renault 3.5 race at Monaco from the front row of the grid. The Jersey racer was the fastest in his qualifying group so earned a coveted front row slot for the race that supports the Monaco Grand Prix.

“I’m over the moon with the result today,” said James. “We were very happy to be fastest overall in the practice session so to carry that over to qualifying is great.  My qualifying group was the first on track this morning when the circuit still needs cleaning up so there was no way I could go for pole. I got the best result I could and I’m delighted to be on the front row.  Tomorrow I have to do everything I can to make the perfect start and then go for it.  A podium at Monaco would be a dream come true. They always say qualifying is the hard part; we’ve done that now and I can’t wait for the race to begin!”

The race gets underway tomorrow morning before the Monaco Grand Prix. It is scheduled to be shown on Eurosport in the UK at 2130hrs on Sunday.

JAMES WALKER CLAIMS PLACE ON FRONT ROW IN MONACO 23/05/09

P1 Motorsport’s James Walker put in a sterling performance during qualifying at Monaco, to claim yet another front row grid position for himself and the team. Walker grabbed second place, just behind fellow countryman Oliver Turvey (Carlin Motorsport) to complete the all-British front row line-up.

As usual, the field was split into two groups, with Walker in Group A and team mate Daniil Move in Group B. The Group A drivers got the morning's qualifying underway, with Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing) setting the pace early on, ahead of Walker and Adrian Valles (Epsilon Euskadi). Timing screens showed constantly changing positions in the first few laps, with Martinez and Walker taking turns on provisional pole. However, the P1 driver was dominant throughout the session, and seemed to have an answer for his rivals. When two separate incidents around the circuit brought out the red flag, just minutes before the end of the session, it was Walker at the top of the timing sheets, and on provisional pole.

Group B headed out onto the circuit, with the benchmark of Walker’s 1’27”495 having already been set. With no SuperPole session, pole position would go to the fastest driver overall, and second place to the fastest driver of the other group. Unfortunately for P1 Motorsport, Turvey just managed to inch ahead of Walker’s time to take pole position. Meanwhile, P1 team mate Move had struggled down in 12th place in group, leaving the young Russian to start the race from 23rd position.

Walker commented on yet another strong qualifying: “Everything went very well. I warmed my tyres up gradually, so the car would be in good shape at the end of the session. The track was better for the second group, so we had to be quick to get on the front row. Of course, we need points on the board for the championship, but after all the best way to get points is to win!”

The race will take place on Sunday morning around the streets of Monte Carlo, ahead of the 2009 Monaco Grand Prix, later that day.

WALKER HOPING TO SHINE AT MONACO 20/05/09

James Walker heads to Monte Carlo this weekend as the World Series by Renault’s most recent race-winner. After a fantastic result at Spa, James is fired up for the race in Monaco, which takes place ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix.

The World Series by Renault is recognised as a feeder series for Formula One so it is important for James to deliver results in 2009. After his victory at Spa he is now third place in the championship and the leading British driver. Monaco is a daunting and unforgiving track but James has gone well there in the past and is eager to get out there and challenge for the win at such a prestigious event.

“Monaco is such a special event so the team and I will be giving it everything we’ve got to be on the front row of the grid,” said James. “ The Monte Carlo track is one of the ultimate challenges any driver faces in his career. I've now driven it in the dry and the wet so I'm well prepared for anything that will be thrown at me this weekend. The first time through Casino Square and the Tunnel is a great feeling. The added pressure of performing in front of the Formula One teams has to be put out of your mind as 100% concentration is needed whilst driving here. Everyone wants to do well at Monaco and I think I have as good a chance as anyone to win on Sunday, although being on the podium at Monaco is one of the personal goals I set myself at the beginning of the season.”

There is just one race at Monaco so the drivers will be split into two groups for qualifying and the fastest driver from the two groups will start from pole position. The race is scheduled to be shown on Eurosport in the UK at 2130hrs on Sunday 24 May but if you can’t wait until then you can see the live timing at http://intranetwsr.alkamelsystems.com/.

P1 MOTORSPORT CLAIM IMPRESSIVE VICTORY AT SPA 03/05/09

P1 Motorsport took to the top step of the podium in Spa after claiming their first victory of the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 season, after British driver James Walker drove a superb race to take the win at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.

Lining up on the front row, Walker was chasing some points after a disappointing first race from Spa. Unable to get the jump on pole sitter Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing) and on the outside of the track, Walker conceded second and third positions at the start and tucked in behind Ultimate Signature’s Miguel Molina and Tech 1 Racing’s Charles Pic, with team mate Daniil Move behind him in fourth.

By lap two, Walker had made it back up to second, passing Pic and Molina as they went wide battling for position. An incident behind the leaders saw the safety car deployed and on the restart, Roly Vincini elected to bring Walker in for his mandatory tyre change, ahead of their rivals. The P1 crew executed the perfect stop and quickly got the No. 5 car back onto the circuit. Leader Baguette was yet to stop, so Walker had to push hard to gain as much track position as possible so that when the cars ahead peeled off into the pitlane, he would be in a position to challenge for the lead. With about ten laps to go, Baguette finally came in for his pit stop, and as he exited the pitlane, Walker was pulling out of the first turn. With momentum on his side, Walker pulled past the Belgian driver and sailed into the lead.

Walker kept his cool, despite the threatening clouds and rain that began to fall over the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, and actually began to pull away from Baguette at a fair pace – finally crossing the line to take a deserved victory – their first of the season.

Speaking about the win, Walker said: “On the grid we really didn’t have a fixed strategy. After the safety car we were in second and took the decision to come in early and re-join the circuit on our own. I had about six or seven laps before I caught up to the field so we were able to gain some time here which was really valuable. When Baguette exited the pitlane I could see we had the speed and just drove past him. I’m really pleased with the result – it’s great for both the team’s and driver’s championships and I think everyone at P1 did a great job here this afternoon.”

Move was also upbeat after scoring yet more championship points for himself and the team, as he claimed a solid fourth position: “I got another good start and managed to make up one place before the first corner. I was able to maintain my fourth position after Pic dropped back and we were running on our own for much of the race. The whole team has worked really hard and we’re leaving Spa having scored some decent championship points which is great. We’ll continue to work on the car and I’m gaining more and more race experience all the time, so I hope we’ll be even stronger at the next round.”

MIXED FORTUNES FOR P1 MOTORSPORT 02/05/09

P1 Motorsport suffered mixed fortunes in the first race from Spa-Francorchamps, with Daniil Move scoring some valuable points with a fifth position finish, while James Walker however retired from the race after losing control on lap 15.

The race got underway without drama with all cars making it through the sharp first corner and down towards Eau Rouge. Move had a great start from third on the grid to slot in behind race leader Marcos Martinez (Pons Racing). Team mate Walker was lying in seventh position at the end of the first lap, tucked in behind Ultimate Signature’s Miguel Molina.

Move settled into a good pace but was having to defend heavily from Baguette to maintain his second place. Struggling to stay ahead of the Belgian, the P1 driver elected not to lose time fighting over track position and when Baguette made a move, he did not challenge it, dropping down to third place.

Meanwhile Walker was still down in seventh position, unable to make any progress through the field and pass some of the slower cars ahead of him. On lap 15, the young Brit was pushing hard and made a mistake coming into the downhill hairpin, locking up and going wide. Walker’s car drifted into the gravel putting an end to his race.

Move continued in third place, but Molina was closing in on the Russian, intent on grabbing that last podium position. The two had a good battle in the second half of the race, but on lap 20 Move missed his braking point and went wide onto the gravel. This gave Molina the opening he needed, and Move dropped back to fourth place, now under threat from Tech 1’s Charles Pic. On the final lap, Pic managed to pass the P1 car and Move was forced to settle for a fifth position finish and six championship points.

Move said: “We had a good race – I got a great start and the pace was okay. I wasn’t as quick when following people, and struggled to keep up with them. I made a mistake which cost me a podium position, but I just have to learn from these errors and improve with each race, and we’ll certainly make any necessary changes to the car for tomorrow.”

Speaking about his retirement from the race, Walker said: “I had difficulty when following people – in clear air the car’s working great, but I just couldn’t get the pace out of it in traffic this afternoon. I made a mistake and almost managed to catch it, but the car just drifted onto the outside of the circuit and on the dirty track with no grip, the car just headed straight for the gravel. It’s unfortunate because we’ve got a great car and good pace – however I’m confident that starting from the front row tomorrow will bring us a good result.”

P1 MOTORSPORT NARROWLY MISS OUT ON POLE 02/05/09

P1 Motorsport have had yet another successful qualifying session, this time for the second event on the World Series by Renault 2009 calendar, at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Both drivers put in a solid performance during the group qualifying sessions to make it through to SuperPole, with James Walker managing to take his second consecutive front row position, and team mate Daniil Move claiming a deserved sixth position grid slot.

All 12 drivers who qualified for the SuperPole session went out for their first run with very little separating them. With just five minutes to go, Walker had completed a stunning lap that had placed him fastest, with Move in fourth position. The P1 duo then prepared for their final attempt at pole position, as did their competitors.

Walker took the lead for just a few seconds, as Miguel Molina (Ultimate Signature) battled his way to provisional pole and Bertrand Baguette (International Draco Racing) moved up to second. The Belgian continued to push hard and on the following lap and made it to the top of the timing screens to take pole in the closing seconds. Walker just missed out to take a strong second position, with Move in sixth place.

Therefore Walker will start from seventh in the first race and then take his guaranteed front row position in Sunday’s feature race. Commenting on the result, Walker said: “The session was hotly contested but I’m pleased with result. I need points this weekend after a tough time in Barcelona, so at least one podium in Spa would be good!”

Reverse grid regulations will see Move line up third in Race One, while in Sunday’s race Move will drop back to sixth on the grid.

P1 MOTORSPORT DISAPPOINTMENT AFTER RAIN IN SPAIN 19/04/09

P1 Motorsport suffered a disappointing afternoon at the Circuit de Catalunya when they failed to take home any points in the FR 3.5 feature race from Barcelona. Drivers James Walker and Daniil Move had looked in a strong position, lining up second and third on the grid respectively, however damage to the car for Walker and another tough race for Move saw the team walk away with no more than a DNF and 12th place finish.

Both P1 cars had a good start off the line and were side by side entering the first corner but the young Russian just got the upper hand over his British team mate, as Walker on the dirty side of the track opted to drop in behind Move. They exited the first turn in second and third positions, trailing Charles Pic (Tech 1 Racing) who began to pull away from the P1 duo.

On lap three, Walker caught a glimpse of second place and attempted to get ahead of Move - the two made light contact, with Walker bearing the brunt of the damage. He unfortunately retired from the race with damage to the steering.

Move, now pursued by Jaime Alguersuari (Carlin Motorsport), was under pressure to maintain his second position and on lap four lost out to the Spaniard, conceding the place. The P1 crew elected to bring their driver in for the mandatory pitstop, which was executed with precision and the 23 year-old Russian re-joined in 14th position.

At the halfway point the rain began to fall over the Spanish circuit, and those drivers that were yet to make their mandatory pitstop were suddenly looking in a stronger position. The entire field opted to change onto wet tyres, so P1 Motorsport made their second stop of the race, leaving Move down in 15th position.

Despite a late charge to make up some places in the closing stages of the race, Move was forced to settle for 12th position - speaking about the afternoon, he said: “The weather didn’t help us at all today. We got a good start and I got the better line approaching the first corner. James was behind me and a couple of laps in we got close and brushed wheels. Then Jaime Alguersuari caught and passed me, but I believed our strategy would make up for this. However as soon as it started raining, we had to make that second stop and just lost too much time and track position. I think we had a neutral weekend – both positive and negative but I think we can be competitive at the next round and I’m looking forward to it.”

Commenting on his retirement, Walker said: “I got an okay start but was on the dirty part of the track and Daniil got ahead of me at the first corner. I could see Pic driving away from us and I tried to make a pass for second – it didn’t stick and we made contact. The steering on my car was bent and we couldn’t continue. It’s a shame because the way the race turned out I think we would have gone well here. It’s unfortunate but we made some good changes to the car this weekend and some steps forward, so we’re still looking strong.”

A SOLID START FOR P1 MOTORSPORT 18/04/09

P1 Motorsport drivers James Walker and Daniil Move put in a consistent performance in the first race of the season at Barcelona, with Walker taking sixth place and his team mate coming across the line in 14th.

From sixth on the grid, Move got a good initial start off the line but was pushed wide at the corner allowing Walker to exit the turn ahead of the young Russian. Quickly settling into a steady pace, Walker maintained track position over Epsilon Euskadi’s Chris Van der Drift in seventh, ahead of Move in eighth place.

Walker was running at the back of the first group with Carlin’s Motorsport’s Oliver Turvey just ahead of him, until the fellow Brit passed his Carlin team mate Jaime Alguersuari, who dropped back to fifth in front of the P1 car. Despite closing the gap throughout the race, Walker was unable to make any ground on Alguersuari and settled for a deserved sixth place and five championship points.

James Walker: “Because of the reverse grid, this afternoon was just about getting as many points as possible – you can’t win a championship in one weekend, so I’m pleased with the result. Our race pace today was not necessarily representative of where I think we should be – I’m hoping tomorrow if I can get a good start and run in clean air, we should be on for a podium.”

Meanwhile Move had a more eventful race, having to defend heavily around the halfway point from Miguel Molina (Ultimate Signature). On lap 14 Molina dived down the inside of Move, however the Russian P1 driver ducked back behind him as they turned in and pushed the Spaniard onto the outside. Move took the inside for the next corner and re-gained eighth position. However, on the following lap he couldn’t make it stick, and was pushed down to ninth place. With Molina now ahead, the P1 car came under attack from the group that was trailing their battle, and having lost momentum he conceded five places in the remaining laps. Managing to stay ahead of Julian Leal (Prema Powerteam), Move crossed the line in 14th place.

Daniil Move: “I had a good initial start but got pushed out at the first corner. There may have been some contact because the car didn’t feel quite right and we didn’t have as much grip as we had in qualifying. It was a good fight with Molina and I enjoyed the race. Unfortunately because of my spin in qualifying, we’re down a set of tyres but if I can get a good start from third on the grid and maintain position in the early part of the race, I’m hopeful we can achieve a good result tomorrow.”

Walker will start Sunday’s race at the Circuit de Catalunya from the front row in second position, with Move just behind in third place.

James Walker ready for Championship Challenge 13/04/09

The 2009 World Series by Renault roars into action next weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. After running at the front of the pre-season test sessions, James Walker will be gunning for a strong start to his 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 Championship campaign.

The 17-race season kicks off in Barcelona before moving to the much-loved Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium, just two weeks later. The series takes up it’s traditional slot just before the F1 race in Monaco at the end of May, then travels to Budapest, before James returns to the UK for his home race at Silverstone. As a resident of Oxford, the Jersey-born racer will want a great result at Silverstone, not least to reward all the Jersey boys and girls who make the trip over each year to loudly support him.  The series then heads to the Le Mans Bugatti Circuit, then the new Portimao track in the Algarve before reaching the Nürburgring, where James won in F3 a few years ago. For the season finale the series returns to Spain, to Motorland Aragon.

There are a few changes to look out for on the Formula Renault 3.5 cars this year.  They have less downforce now as aerodynamic parts have been removed, in much the same way as in Formula One.  This means that James will reach higher speeds on the straights; especially the very long pit straight at Barcelona, but his car will be more of a handful through the corners.

This will be James' first race with P1 Motorsport and he’s excited about racing for his new team.

"I'm already very much at home at P1," said James. "I think that together we can achieve a great deal this year and that is a very exciting prospect. We're well aware that testing results don’t count towards titles but if we can carry forward the momentum from testing into the races then we are in with a shot.  I like the Catalunya track; it has a little bit of everything, including some fantastic high-speed corners and some tricky slow speed stuff. It's a great challenge and I can’t wait to get stuck in."

James' racing season begins this Saturday afternoon with race two taking place on Sunday lunchtime.

James Walker on Top again in Barcelona 31/03/09

James Walker’s blistering testing pace continued this week at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. The Jersey racer set the fastest time on Monday and Tuesday morning and finished this afternoon’s wet session fourth fastest. This sets him up for a strong start to the new World Series by Renault season which gets underway in just over two weeks’ time.

On Monday morning James put in a 1:32.5s lap during his new tyre run, eclipsing the times of the other runners. In the afternoon the P1 Motorsport team concentrated on heavy fuel runs to make sure they are ready for the first race, which takes place at the Circuit de Catalunya.

After a few runs on old tyres this morning, James went out on fresh rubber and was again the fastest man on the track with a lap of 1:32.4s. During the lunch break the heavens opened and as the rain got heavier the times got slower. James finished the wet afternoon session in fourth place, but fastest overall for the day, and declared himself very content to have another successful test session behind him.

“I really couldn’t have hoped for better preparation for the new season,” said James. “We’re in good shape, having completed all of our homework, and we can go to the first race with a victory as our target. It feels a bit strange to be disappointed with fourth place this afternoon but that just shows how far we’ve come in the last few weeks. If we keep doing what we’re doing then hopefully we will have a lot to smile about when we come back to Barcelona in a couple of weeks.”

JAMES WALKER TOPS THE TIMESHEETS IN VALENCIA 15/03/09

James Walker has upped the ante again with some blistering lap times during Formula Renault 3.5 testing in Valencia this weekend. After a good test in Jerez last week, the Jersey racer has stepped up another gear in Valencia and topped the timesheets on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. 

After working on car set-up on Saturday morning, the P1 Motorsport team bolted a new set of rubber onto James’ car just before the lunch break. He duly went out and set the fastest time of the morning with a 1m22.8s lap. The plan for the afternoon was to conserve tyres and run through the test plan and, even on old tyres, James was running P2 or P3 for much of the session, and finished the day third overall.

This morning James went out on old tyres but it soon became apparent that the conditions were right for a fast lap time so he pitted for rubber and immediately went P1 with a lap of 1m22.0s, a time that no-one could beat.  This afternoon’s session saw James complete a couple of runs on heavy fuel before the team packed up for the day having completed the job list.

“It’s always good to be P1,” said James. “We had fastest time during both mornings and I’m especially pleased as Valencia is not one of my favourite tracks. I’ve really enjoyed these last two tests; the car is fantastic to drive and we have been able to fully focus on what we need to do to enable us to come out fighting in Barcelona. It’s not going to be easy as it is very tight at the top but we plan to keep on pushing all the way.”

The final pre-season test takes place on 29-31 March at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, the circuit that will host the first race of the year in just five weeks’ time.

JAMES WALKER HAS A STRONG START IN SPAIN 11/03/09

James Walker is in Spain this week gearing up for the new season of Formula Renault 3.5, the top category of the World Series by Renault. He has spent the last two days at Jerez with his new team, P1 Motorsport, preparing for what could be his best year yet.

These test sessions are vital to James’ preparations for a Championship-challenge in 2009. He has settled in quickly with P1 Motorsport and is working hard to make sure he is ready for anything when the lights go green in Barcelona for the first race in April.

During the morning of day one James ran in the top three during new tyre runs and then continued to put in consistently fast laps during longer runs later in the day. Since then he has concentrated on race set-up work, as he explains:

“We don’t actually race at Jerez so we have taken the opportunity to work on balancing the car out on heavy fuel loads, rather than getting it set up for all-out qualifying runs. The 2009 new tyre allocation started yesterday so we are making sure we don’t waste any tyres and have run on old rubber all day today. I’m very pleased with the progress we have made over the last two days; we have steadily worked through our test plan and we know exactly where we are with everything.”

Joining a new team can be tricky but James has settled in straight away at P1 Motorsport and is enjoying driving the 2009 Formula Renault 3.5 car.

“I feel very at home with the P1 guys,” he said. “I’ve been to the workshop a few times and got to know everyone there. It’s great to get the first test out of the way and it’s good to know we are quick! The car has less downforce than last year, which actually makes it a bit less physical to drive. It feels great and I’m certainly feeling very positive about the season ahead.”

The Jersey racer will now move onto Valencia, the host of the second official pre-season test session, which takes place this weekend.  After that the last official test of the year will be held in Barcelona at the end of this month. As this is also the venue for the first race of the year James and P1 will be concentrating on finding the perfect set-up so that he can hit the ground running from race one.

James Walker heading for P1 in 2009 09/01/09

Autosport International, NEC Birmingham, UK – 9 January 2009: James Walker will contest the 2009 World Series by Renault with P1 Motorsport, it was announced today. The 25 year-old British racer is stepping into the team that produced 2008 Driver’s Champion, Giedo van der Garde, which provides James with even more motivation to go all the way in 2009.

“This is going to be the most important year in my racing career so far,” said James. “Opportunities like this don’t come along very often and I intend to make the most of racing for someone as experienced as Roly Vincini.”

Roly Vincini is the founder and team principal of P1 Motorsport. He is known as a hard, but fair, task master who always gets the best out of his drivers.

“Roly works his drivers hard and that is exactly what I want,” continued James. “He pushes all the way to the finish and that is what you have to do to win at this level. I really can’t wait for March to come now so I can get stuck into pre-season testing. This is going to be a great year!”

“The reason we chose James is that we all like him and we think he’ll do well,” said Vincini. “He is more than capable of winning races but, for one reason or another, the regular results haven’t been there. His driving ability is not in any doubt and every time he has driven with us he has been quickest or in the top three. We think we can get a lot more out of James Walker.”

Pre-season testing begins at Jerez on 10 March, before moving onto Valencia and Barcelona. James has some busy times ahead of him as he prepares for the first race of the new season which gets going in Barcelona on 18 April.

P1 Motorsport third in the Teams Championship 19/10/08

P1 Motorsport has ended the 2008 year in third place in the team’s championship, having lost their season-long lead at the penultimate race in Estoril.  With newly crowned champion Giedo van der Garde’s weekend severely compromised by his GP2 Asia commitments, the team was unable to score points in the last race of the year in Barcelona, and subsequently lost out to winners Tech 1 Racing and runners-up Ultimate Signature. 

Nonetheless, in their first year in the World Series by Renault, P1 Motorsport has taken Van der Garde to the driver’s title, claimed two pole positions throughout the year, a dominant five wins, and the Norfolk-based team, led by Roly Vincini, controlled the team’s title race for seven of the nine championship rounds.

Van der Garde returned from Saturday’s GP2 race in China to start from the pitlane in the last race from Barcelona.  The Dutchman had a tough challenge, having failed to turn a wheel at the Circuit de Catalunya prior to his drive out to the grid, and unfortunately for Van der Garde, he lost control on lap one and retired from the race.

The 2008 World Series by Renault Champion said: “It’s been a really fantastic season – I’m very pleased to have worked with the P1 Motorsport team.  They are the best team I have ever worked with and should be extremely proud of what we’ve achieved together this year.  I’d like to thank everyone at P1 - we were by far the strongest team out there, and it’s just been a great year.”

Meanwhile British racer Pippa Mann claimed yet another top 15 finish as she brought her P1 car across the line in 13th position, for the second time at the final round of the WSR 3.5 season in Barcelona.  This signifies the end of her time with Renault, P1 Motorsport, and her European racing career, as she now heads to the U.S. to begin a new chapter with Indy Lights team Panther Racing.

Looking back over the year, the young Briton commented: “It’s been a tough season, and I’ve struggled more in ’08 than I think we did in my debut year in FR 3.5.  I think it is character building and I’ve certainly learnt a lot.  The team has been fantastic to work with and I’ll be sorry to move on having spent two years with P1 and Roly Vincini.  I’m sorry we weren’t able to clinch the team’s championship but very pleased for Giedo (van der Garde) and the driver’s title.  I have no doubt P1 will continue the success they’ve enjoyed this year, and I wish them all the very best.”

See news from 2008