• Sam Bird's GP2 column

'It will come, whether it's at Monza or at Abu Dhabi'

Sam reflects on another opportunity lost © Sutton Images

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• Championship:
• GP2 Series

• Drivers:
• Sam Bird

During a race season you can probably expect at least one DNF due to someone crashing into you or a first corner collision and that's part and parcel of racing. But after all the mechanical failures I've had so far it was really, really disappointing again that I was forced to retire in race 1 in Belgium.

With the intermittent rain, the conditions were very tricky at Spa Francorchamps. Qualifying was wet and drying, so you really needed to be amongst the last to take the chequered flag to maximise. Unfortunately I was the first and the drivers that crossed the line ahead of me were able to get another lap in so I ended up 9th on the grid.

At the start of race 1, I had already turned into the first corner at La Source when DAMS driver Romain Grosjean hit the rear of my car which sent me into Michael Herck, breaking my steering arm. One wheel was up in the air, the suspension was broken and the steering arm was bent. There was nowhere for Dani Clos to go and he also hit me but my race was effectively already over so it was not his fault. I hope Dani has a speedy recovery and is back for Monza because he injured his back slightly and had to go to hospital afterwards.

Race 2 was challenging because I hadn't had any track time in the dry around Spa like everybody else and there were a couple of corners which were damp but we were still on slicks. It was a hectic race with three re-starts so it was not easy to get into a rhythm but the speed of the car was good and my pace was good. I had the fastest lap for quite a lot of the race but I got into a lot of traffic with the backmarkers so I couldn't go as quickly as I wanted to because I was forced into lapping at their pace. With a few damp patches off line, overtaking was very tricky indeed.

Overall I was happy with the car but it was always going to be difficult to score points starting from last on the grid. But I gave it my best shot and finished 12th, which is all I could do really. So another pointless weekend but it was still a huge buzz driving at Spa again and the first time flat through Eau Rouge in a GP2 car was mega. When you're doing about 280kmh it is quite awesome.

So despite another disappointing weekend, I'm keeping positive because I know, and I have shown several times, that I have the speed to compete at the front and I'm sure it will come, whether it's at the next race at Monza or at Abu Dhabi. I hope it's at Monza!

Spa has cost me in the championship standings but with the points still really close, I think we can bounce back up the table in the two remaining rounds so let's keep our fingers crossed. Monza has been good to me and I had a second and a third there in British Formula 3 so I am hoping to go a couple better this time! Until then, it's a question of keeping fit and preparing both mentally and physically. Roll on Italy.

www.sambird.com

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