Bruno's Blog

So this is it, the final round of the GP2 Series and my last chance to win the title from under the nose of Giorgio Pantano. I go into Monza this weekend 11 points behind, but it could have been so much better after a Spa weekend that just didn't go my way.

I'm going to Monza with a clear mind, focused on winning the title. I am determined to bounce back again, just as I tried to do in Spa, which was going perfectly until the pitstop problem in Saturday's feature race.

At Monza, I've got to score 11 points more than Giorgio. If we tie, I have to win both races to beat him. It's going to be a challenge, but at the end of the day it's do-able and that is what I am focused on. It's not impossible, but it's going to be very hard and I will have to have a perfect weekend.

We will focus on getting pole again, like we did in Spa, and going there to win this Saturday. I trust the guys at iSport International very much, I know we'll have a competitive car. I'm sure we will be quick in Monza, and I'll just have to hope that Giorgio makes mistakes and makes his life more difficult, because mine can't be much more difficult than it is right now!

Although I have always been at the front or making up loads of places in the reverse grid races, we haven't often been in a position to take advantage either through running out of fuel, surprise drive-thru penalties or whatever.

Going back to Spa last weekend, I was leading from pole, but then I got a drive-thru penalty that I don't think I deserved. It was for "an unsafe release" from my pitstop. A team mistake if anyone was at fault, but it cost the driver the race!

If you recall two weeks earlier in Valencia, Felipe Massa was in a more-or-less identical situation but was allowed to race on. His team were found to be at fault but the FIA didn't want to penalise the driver because in a pitstop you are in the hands of the team. You go when they say go! Ferrari got a fine, and that's it, so I don't really understand the logic behind my penalty.

We spoke to [the stewards] about it and they said it was a completely different situation because Ferrari was in the last box in Valencia while the pit lane at Spa was narrower, so it was less unsafe... They said I was more risk to the mechanics which is why I was penalised.

My point of view is that since I didn't hit anyone or anything, didn't run into anyone else's pit space and didn't force any cars to slow down as I was released - not to mention the fact that it was wet which makes everything even more difficult to control - I shouldn't have been penalised and that the rules should be consistent from one circuit to the next.

That's it. I don't agree with it and never will, and it turned what was shaping up to be the perfect weekend into a complete disaster but what's done is done and I don't have time to dwell on it.

In fact, I try to do everything I can that is in my control and, once past that stage, I will focus on the next challenge. Monza!

On Sunday in Spa, I had to start almost last on the grid but was immediately overtaking car after car. My car felt really good and was working well. I was pushing hard (I had to) and it was going nicely. Sebastian Buemi and Romain Grosjean were fighting for position very hard. Grosjean tried a completely crazy move at Blanchimont and he put himself in a very dangerous situation. I got a tow on both of them, and passed Grosjean because he had to lift, and then Buemi, who also had to lift and was defending the inside, suddenly moved to the outside (where I was, not even trying to pass him) and braked.

What could I do? It was wet, I went as far to the outside as I could to miss him, onto the damp kerbs. I think I did a good job not to crash into him properly, and make a big mess, but my front wing and tyre were damaged and I had to retire.

There is a clear rule: you cannot move twice to defend your position. He was defending on the inside, then he move again to the outside which was a bit irresponsible considering the speeds we do there.

You accept a certain standard from drivers and I did not get that in the sprint race. It's very disappointing to end the weekend like that, to have such problems when you're trying to win a title. I try to be as fair as I can when I'm fighting for position; hard but fair. I like to think that I race with my head and not just my heart but that doesn't seem to apply to everyone else.

When you look back over the season, we've lost so many points because of things that were completely out of our control. You can say the same about Giorgio and many other people, but we've easily had the most damage from outside influences. We're still there and we're still fighting, but luck hasn't seemed to come our way too often. Yet.

I'm just going to have to hope some luck goes my way at last this weekend. I know I can score heavily and I know I'll be quick. All I can do is drive my own race and try to win both of them.

My approach hasn't changed all season. I work hard with my team to come up with the best possible setups, push as much as possible to qualify well and make sure I have a strong race from the front on Saturday. The reverse grid format of GP2's Sunday race is a great challenge and I have always managed to make up a lot of places and this combination is what sorts out the good drivers from the bad.

F1 could be around the corner and there is a lot of interest now. I won't let it distract me from the job I have to do in Monza though. I will stick to my routine this weekend and give it everything I have. I want to win this GP2 championship and with the team I have behind me I believe I still can.