The last test at Ricard was really good for me and Richard. We had been pulling our hair out (Richard more than me!) with really irritating things in the first two tests, but finally we were able to have a problem-free, productive couple of days and actually test different set-ups. The team and I worked hard to fix the problems we had, so that was a big relief. It was the first time I really started to get confidence in the new car, and to be first and fourth on the two days of the test was a good way to end the winter programme. I always believed that I would be on the pace once we had ironed out our teething problems, and I finally got to prove it.
Richard and I worked through a good programme which gave us a better understanding of the new car for the main series. We got through a great amount of work, including some qualifying and race simulations as well as some pit-stop practices, and the two days put us in a better position ahead of the season-opener in Barcelona.
The 2008 GP2 Series is going to be the biggest challenge of my career. The aim is to have podiums, win races and finish in the top six in the championship. There are some very quick guys here including Romain, Luca Filippi, Adrian Valles, Andy Soucek and of course my team-mate Bruno. It looks like there’s no one really who’s head-and-shoulders above the rest. In every session the sharp end has a new look about it, with at least 15 drivers getting themselves into the top five at some stage during the six days. This really looks like being the most competitive year yet in GP2, where it’s not just five or six drivers who can win but 15.
It’s going to be a long and busy season with a total of 31 races plus all the testing in-between. I’m optimistic that there will be more
F1 testing with
Red Bull Racing later in the year as well, which will certainly make things very, very hectic.
![GP2 front-runner Karun Chandhok chats to iSport International team-mate Bruno Senna [pic credit: Karun Chandhok]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/429657.jpg)
