Comunicati Stampa - Juan Barnard 'amazed' with quality of Chevy car

When Juan Barnard signed for Chevrolet Motorsports at the start of Season 68, his main objective (and that of the Pegaso Driver Development Programme) was to gain experience with a team that was being rebuilt. However, with the first four races of Season 69 of the Formula 1 World Series now behind them, it certainly doesn't look as though this pairing is still finding their feet after their first few hundred kilometres together. 

In the first race at Sakhir, Barnard made mistakes in qualifying and started in eleventh place. However, a bold four-stop strategy enabled him to finish in fifth place, overtaking Pegaso's World Champion, John Cannon, on the final lap and setting the fastest lap of the race.

In Jeddah, Barnard surprised everyone and himself by qualifying on the front row with the fifth-best car on the grid, just one tenth behind pole-sitter Vidmar. However, this achievement had already been overshadowed when Barnard took the lead at the start and held it for 15 of the first 25 laps, after which a scheduled pit stop just before a Safety Car period spoiled his plans, dropping him to fourth place. Another mistake following his final pit stop saw him drop to eleventh place, although he managed to fight his way back up to eighth. So close, yet so far.

In Melbourne, although his performance was more modest –including a mistake in qualifying– it did not prevent the Spaniard from finishing ahead of one of the Senna cars and both Pegaso cars, recovering from tenth to sixth place during the race.

But Barnard's first major race result came in Suzuka. Having qualified third, less than a tenth off pole position and just ahead of the two Pegaso cars of Raveel and Cannon, the race took place in monsoon conditions, where getting the setup spot on is crucial for good performance. On a two-stop strategy, the Spaniard started the race by losing a position to Cannon, only to regain it immediately after his first pit stop. After his second pit stop, Barnard was chasing both Red Bulls, overtaking the champion Saint-Germain on lap 42 and closing in dangerously on Reckziegel. However, a mistake in the S-bends of the first sector saw him drop back to third place, where he finished, more than 7 seconds ahead of fourth-placed driver Prevodnik.

"I am amazed at how easy this car is to drive. I feel like I can do anything in it, and I get on really well with the team, the mechanics, the engineers and my teammate. I hope my folks at Pegaso don't hold it against me for next season!" - were the Spanish 32-year-old driver's words in the paddock of the Japanese Grand Prix, where he has scored his first podium of the season.

"In Jeddah, I thought (Barnard) had it won and this happened today. Chevy can win, and we just needed a good driver pair and a powerful engine to show it" - said President TerryWilson in the Chinese Grand Prix pre-race press conference. 

Chevrolet is astonishing everyone, sitting in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship, two points ahead of Pegaso and just ten behind Senna.