Jeddah Corniche Circuit

SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX

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February 08, 2011
Published on tags: Superleague
Nordsjoen Racing’s lead driver Joe Consiglio declared himself “satisfied” with the performance of the new NR004 after the first pre-season test in Jerez. The Maltese driver was quick from the off in the new car, finishing the day in second position, just two tenths shy of rival Lee Morris.

“The initial signs look positive. The new car is doing everything it’s supposed to do and the overall balance feels good. We managed to dial the car in pretty quickly and looking at the data we’re performing well in both high speed and low speed corners.”

With so much expectation and focus on the quality of the 2011 field, Consiglio was pleased his team had managed to hit the ground running. “I think we’ve adapted to the new mod quickly and that’s important. The relief is we’re in the right ball park. We’ve already learnt a lot about the car, its characteristics and how it responds to setup changes. We’re lucky because I noticed some other big teams really struggling for pace in Jerez.”

When asked to comment on Morris’ impressive pace, Consiglio was quick to reply. “Even before Jerez we knew Lee (Morris) was going to be a real title contender this year, we’re definitely hoping to be snapping at his heels though. So far the times suggest this could very well turn out to be the case but it’s still quite early to judge. There are a lot of capable drivers out there and I don’t think everyone has shown their true hand yet.”

The 2009 World Champion was somewhat cautious when asked if his Mercedes powered Nordsjoen would be the class of 2011. “I doubt we’ll enjoy the same advantage we had in 2010, especially in the engine department. This years Mercedes is showing decent performance at high rpm’s but we’ve noticed a bit of a drop off when operating in the low rev range.”

“However, what you saw at Jerez is only our basic aero package, we have the funds and resources in place to really development this car. I believe by mid season at the latest we should have one of the strongest chassis’ on the grid, this should help us overcome any engine weaknesses.”