Javi Villa and Giorgio Pantano got their first look at the new GP2 Series Dallara this week as Racing Engineering took delivery of its first car at its Sanlucar de Barrameda base.
Introduced for the fourth season of the
F1 feeder series, the new machine shows improvements at all levels, with a general concept closer to the grand prix cars its pilots hope to aspire to. Starting from a completely clean sheet of paper, however, means some intense work for the teams as they attempt to learn the car's secrets as soon as possible.
The team was the only GP2 Series regular not to join the inaugural Asian series offshoot, run with the ageing Dallara that has served the series for the past three seasons, effectively giving it extra time to ready for 2008. However, with the new car only being delivered recently, there has still been a race against time to be ready for the first test with the new cars later this week [28-29 February] at Paul Ricard.
This was the target for the past few days, with both Villa and new recruit Pantano, as well as the engineers and mechanics, working hard at the factory to ensure the team is as well prepared as possible.
Villa remains with the team for a third straight year and, having broken through with victories in sprint events in 2007, is expected to be a title challenger this season. His new team-mate, meanwhile, brings one of the most complete F3000 and GP2 resumes to Racing Engineering, lacking only the title that would confirm his as an F1 driver-in-waiting.
"I think we've got the best technical team in the series this year," team boss Alfonso d'Orleans Borbón commented, "With these two drivers, there are no doubts that we are going for the championship, not only for the drivers, but also for the team title. This week, we have had some very productive days with Javi and Giorgio."
It was not all work and no play, however, as both drivers had some free time to enjoy their Andalusian surroundings and play the odd round of golf at the Costa Ballena resort.
![Racing Engineering's 2008 pairing of Javi Villa and Giorgio Pantano look pleased with progress ahead of the first test with the 2008 Dallara [pic credit: Racing Engineering]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/410271.jpg)
