Assen hosts the Superleague

The next round of Superleague Formula will take place this weekend at the Assen circuit in the Netherlands. This round is a novelty for this discipline which will go there for the first time in its history after two years of existence.

Published on 12/05/2010 à 14:12

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After competing in the first round on the Silverstone circuit at the beginning of April, the competitors will meet this weekend in Holland to compete in the second round of the season. Five French people will be present on the starting grid, with Sébastien Bourdais in the colors of Olympique Lyonnais, Franck Montagny who drives for the Girondins de Bordeaux, Tristan Gommendy driving for Galatasaray, Franck Perera, new driver hired by Flamengo, and Julien Jousse who takes the wheel of the car from AS Roma.

Bourdais will be keen to repeat his performance from the second race at Silverstone where he finished on the top step of the podium. The Frenchman already knows the track he took in Champ Car during the European tour. “Assen is a beautiful track, very fast, with several banked turns,” declared the OL driver. “When I raced there in Champ Car, it was diabolical. I had a lot of fun there, in addition to setting pole position and the circuit record. I hope we get lucky with the weather. We are approaching the Assen race in better conditions than that of Silverstone where we arrived without really being ready. As a new team, we were able to test from Silverstone. We found tweaks that work. It’s up to us not to stray too far from it.”

Franck Montagny will therefore have to be even more wary as Gommendy had also obtained good results in Champ Car on this circuit, with a second place in qualifying and a fourth place at the finish. The Bordeaux driver did not have the opportunity to shine in England where he discovered the discipline but seems ready to do battle as the race approaches. “I don’t know the Assen route. But I learn quickly,” said Montagny. “In five laps we should be on pace. The Silverstone race and the test we did at Magny-Cours afterwards allowed me to better understand how the car reacts. We will see in Assen if we have chosen the right directions. But I have confidence in the team.

The Assen track therefore has a good chance of seeing a French driver shine. These drivers will be even more motivated for the next round since it will take place on the Nevers-Magny-Cours circuit on the weekend of May 22.