Hungagoring

On the heels of his Nürburgring performance, where he brought home his first GP3 Series win, Valtteri Bottas doubled down in Hungary, winning the first race from the pole position, from start to finish. The young Finnish driver thus became the first driver in the series to win two races in 2011. On Sunday, Valtteri made a demonstration of alternate lines on a wet track. His comeback took him from 8th position to 2nd.

James Calado might have shared the same fate as his teammate if he hadn't been victim to a rival's exuberance during the start of the first race. Forced to dismount after being hit by a competitor, although he had taken a good start from the front row beside his teammate, James kept a cool head and a heavy foot, to make a fast and sure comeback from 25th position to 3rd in Sunday's race.

Qualifying on the outside of the 5th row in the first race, Pedro Henrique Nunes took the chequered flag in both Hungarian races, finishing in 18th and 14th place.

In the championship, Valtteri moved up five places and Lotus ART moved up one. The Finnish driver and the team are leading their respective championships. James is in 4th, ten points behind Valtteri.



Valtteri Bottas:

"The first practice was a bit difficult for several reasons, but it was important to keep our heads down and the second practice as well as qualifying proved us right. I owe my first GP3 pole position to the team because we worked hard from the very first day we received our car last winter. The learning curve was genuinely crucial and it is paying back now. We have a better understanding of the car and its set-up, and of the way the tyres work. I knew the turning point of the first race was to have a good start because it is difficult to overtake on the Hungaroring. Mine was decent and I could push in the early stage of the race to open a gap. The car Lotus ART prepared for their drivers was just awesome and I was 100% comfortable, I could push without destroying the tyres. From then on, I made sure to put everything together and I backed off a bit to keep the tyres in good shape. On Sunday, the tag was to score as much points as possible; go from 8^th to 2^nd place was hard work and I enjoyed it very much. I think the win was a realistic target but it was not worth the risk at this stage of the championship and I wanted to capitalise on our good form after so many ups and downs at the beginning of the season. Now we have to stay focus and take the races one at a time. Being the leader of the championship is a great source of motivation. Pressure? Yes, only the good kind!"

James Calado:

"First of all, a big thank you to the team because what could have been a nightmare due to bad luck turned out to be a decent weekend thanks to Lotus ART and the collective effort without which we would never a podium after being hit by a rival at the start of the first race. We had our share of difficult times throughout the start of the season and the all Lotus ART front row was a fantastic result for the team, and for Valtteri and I. For the first time this season I feel in total control of the car and I was adamant to show that in race. Unfortunately it lasted a few meters… The next day, I basically had nothing to lose and I enjoyed myself a lot. I made a very good start on a damp track but could not see much coming into the first corner! I took a few risks and went for different lines. I could not believe I overtook 14 cars by the end of the first lap! As it turned out, the more aggressive you were, the more the tyres kept in the right temperature window and I was able to get past two or three drivers in the last few laps, and even in the last corner to take this third podium of the season. It is a bit frustrating because of the first race because I feel I did nothing wrong, but all the same I'm tied for fourth, just 3 points shy of 2nd and 10 points behind Valtteri. Everything is yet to be played."

Pedro Nunes:

"I did my best qualifying of the season and was really happy and optimistic to start from the top 10 in the first race. Unfortunately, track conditions were really tough and changing, especially on Sunday. For whatever reason, I could not make the best use of my top 10 in the first race and I ended up 18th which was where I started on Sunday. I gained 4 positions despite extremely difficult conditions but it was not enough to aim for a points finish."

Frederic Vasseur:

"Valtteri has secured as many points as Esteban Gutierrez (GP3 2010 Champion) did it in a single GP3 Series weekend, and that was at Silverstone last year. Valtteri was fast and solid behind the wheel under sometimes hellish conditions, and showed great maturity by attacking when necessary, and by saving his package when he had to as well. A special mention goes out to James who, if he hadn't been hit by a competitor in the start of the first race, could have obtained a raw result similar to Valtteri's. His second race is without a doubt a high point in the championship. Lotus ART can be proud of having provided its drivers with the best conditions for obtaining the results they deserve and which enable the entire team to take a bit of rest before the champion resumes next month in Belgium."