Archiv des Monats: September 2009

Formel Rennwagen selbst fahren bei der GU-RACING School auf Mallorca.

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formel-3-training

Einen Formel Rennwagen mal selbst zu fahren, davon muss man nicht träumen, bei der GU-RACING School auf Mallorca ist dies möglich.

Freunde von mir haben es gemacht. Wir hatten uns für den vergangenen Freitag den 25.09.09 verabredet und ich glaube es hat allen viel Spass gemacht.

Berichte und 1000 Bilder unter:

http://peterpanch.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/25-09-2009-mallorca-formel-3-training-auf-dem-racetrack/

http://peterpanch.wordpress.com/2009/09/30/30-09-2009-mallorca-formel-3-schnupperkurs-bilder-online/

http://stalzerobele.vasercontrol.com/index.php/2009/09/29/racing-mallorca-auf-den-speed-kommt-es-an/

Pantano eyeing late championship challenge at Monza

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The fifth round of this year’s Superleague Formula by Sonangol campaign comes from Monza this weekend (October 2/3/4) where Liverpool’s Adrian Valles will be hoping to establish an unassailable lead at the top of the championship.
The Spaniard heads to Italy with a 58 point advantage over the chasing pack, headed by Tottenham’s Craig Dolby, who leapfrogged Max Wissel’s FC Basel entry last time out in Portugal after the German suffered gearbox trouble in the opening race.

There is a third driver who Valles will be perhaps keeping the closest eye on in Italy however. A home favourite in more ways than one, Giorgio Pantano has every intention of making that title scrap a four way battle going into the final round at Jarama this November. The AC Milan driver has put together a consistent season so far to sit fourth in the standings, just 11 points shy of Wissel. But on home ground at Monza, a venue where he previously won in both GP2 and F3000, there’s every chance that a second Superleague Formula victory of the season could be on the cards.
“I hope to be fighting for victory this weekend,” confirmed Pantano, who won race two at Magny-Cours. “Normally I go quite well there in whatever car I’ve got so hopefully that will also be the case in Superleague. My experience from those other championships should also help because as you get to know the circuit, and all the little lines, it all adds up to make you go faster.
“A good result will also help with the championship fight, although that depends on what Liverpool do at Monza. I don’t really care about just settling for points because I need to close the gap to Adrian (Valles) if I’m going to have any chance of winning the title. If I win both races, or win one and get a podium in the other, then that’s obviously a good result. I’ll be giving the maximum I can so we can go to Spain in contention.
“Monza has a lot of long straights, where you can use the push-to-pass, followed by heavy breaking areas so it’s easier to overtake there than at some other circuits. It’s a place where, if you feel good with the car and it’s going well but you’re at the back of the reverse grid, there’s still a chance you can come through to the front.”
With the Monza circuit set in parkland to the north of the Italian capital, Pantano is also expecting a good turnout of the passionate Rossoneri.
“The team haven’t had such a great start to the season in Serie A so hopefully we can give them something to cheer about with a good result on the track!” he added.
Joining Pantano at Monza will be series debutant and Formula 2 race winner Julien Jousse who takes over from Frank Perera at Milan’s Serie A rivals AS Roma. Tristan Gommendy will return to the FC Porto cockpit hoping to build on Alvaro Parente’s victory for the Portuguese giants in Estoril last time out, while Jonathan Kennard will count on his previous Superleague experience when he deputises for Enrique Bernoldi at Brazilian side Flamengo.
As well as a host of driver transfers, the Monza round sees the adoption of a 39-minute +1 lap race format for each of the two races thanks to a packed support bill headed by International GT and F3 Open championships. For the same reason, there will be no Super Final in Italy, the five lap shootout instead returning for the final event at Jarama.
There will also be an extra special treat for AC Milan and Italian football fans on Saturday when 1982 World Cup winner Daniele Massaro pays a visit to the Superleague paddock. The two time UEFA Champions League winner, who scored twice in the 1994 4-0 final thrashing of Barcelona, will be on hand to sign autographs and cheer home the AC Milan car.

www.superleagueformula.com

Buen resultado de Pedro Roca en el Open CM de circuito

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El piloto mallorquín Pedro Roca ha participado este fin de semana en la quinta prueba del Open de España de CM, disputada en el recién inaugurado circuito Motorland Aragón, situado en Alcañiz. Tras obtener el título en montaña, el equipo Silver-Car decidió dar la oportunidad a Pedro para afrontar este nuevo reto en circuito. Pese a tener un fin de semana algo complicado, ha resultado ser muy positivo, y anima al equipo de cara a posteriores participaciones.
El inicio fue bastante complicado, en la primera tanda de entrenos libres el mallorquín sufrió un pequeño toque con otro vehículo que sólo le permitió completar tres vueltas al circuito, en la segunda un problema con el diferencial sólo le dejaba dar una vuelta más, con los que las clasificatorias se presentaban algo complicadas. Con todo, el piloto de Silver-Car logró marcar el segundo mejor tiempo, por detrás del actual líder del certamen Xavier Doménech.
El domingo, con dos carreras por disputar, se presentaba muy emocionante. En la primera carrera Pedro se situaría rápidamente en la primera posición tras la salida, sin embargo la rotura de la cadena le dejaba sin opciones de conseguir un buen resultado, teniendo que abandonar. Ya en la segunda, con los problemas solventados y saliendo desde la 11ª posición de la parrilla, Pedro protagonizó una espectacular remontada, que le llevaría hasta la primera posición, ganando la carrera y obteniendo así una merecida recompensa.
Pedro comentaba después de la carrera: “Ha sido una gran experiencia, me ha gustado mucho poder correr en este circuito, y a pesar de los problemas sufridos no podemos quejarnos de resultado”.


http://www.pedro-roca.com
Departamento de prensa
email: prensa@pedro-roca.com
Telf.: 971-430810 / 666-071995

Audi Tradition mit Walter Röhrl auf der Eifel Classic

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HI090528_large

29. September 2009 – Als Hauptsponsor beteiligt sich Audi Tradition an der erstmalig ausgetragenen Eifel Classic vom 1. bis 3. Oktober. Start wird im historischen Fahrerlager des Nürburgrings sein und natürlich durchfahren die Teilnehmer auch die legendäre Nordschleife. Ziel nach über 640 Kilometern Gleichmäßigkeitsrallye ist Luxemburg. Für Audi Tradition startet das „Traumduo“ der deutschen Rallye-Geschichte Walter Röhrl/Christian Geistdörfer im Audi Sport quattro Rallye mit der Startnummer eins.

Die Eifel Classic hat für Audi Tradition hat einen besonderen Stellenwert. Nach dem ersten Rallye-Tag wird auf dem Nürburgring, beim Fahrerlager der Grand Prix Strecke, eine Skulptur anlässlich des 100.Geburtstages von Bernd Rosemeyer enthüllt. Der Star-Pilot der Auto Union schrieb in den 1930er Jahren auf dem Nürburgring Geschichte. In seiner kurzen und glorreichen Karriere gewann er auf Deutschlands berühmtester Rennstrecke 1936 und 1937 das Eifelrennen  und 1936 auch den Großen Preis von Deutschland, ehe er im Januar 1938 bei einem Geschwindigkeits-Weltrekordversuch zu Tode kommen sollte.

Der Sohn der Rennfahrer-Legende, Professor Dr. Bernd Rosemeyer, wird die feierliche Enthüllung der Skulptur seines Vaters begleiten. Bernd Rosemeyer junior fährt auch in einem der fünf Fahrzeuge von Audi Tradition, einem Audi Urquattro. Die Automobile werden von der Eifel nach Luxemburg noch zwei andere Rennstrecken in Angriff nehmen: Am 2. Oktober die Dunlop-Teststrecke bei Wittlich wie am 3. Oktober die Goodyear-Teststrecke bei Colmar-Berg.

Am Start darüber hinaus für Audi Tradition ist ein Audi Sport quattro, gelenkt vom zweimaligen Deutschen Rallyemeister Harald Demuth, ein Audi 100 Coupé S, ein Audi 50 und das wohl herausragendste Fahrzeug der Veranstaltung, ein original Audi Sport quattro Rallye aus der Weltmeisterschafts-Saison 1984. Besetzt ist der Wagen mit den zweifachen Rallyeweltmeistern Walter Röhrl und Christian Geistdörfer, die im Nummer eins Auto dem Feld voran fahren werden.

www.audi.com

FIA WTCC AND ASIAN LE MANS JOIN FORCES at Okayama, on November 1st

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For the first time ever the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and the Asian Le Mans will feature together in the same race meeting: the WTCC Race of Japan that will take place at the Okayama International Circuit from Friday, October 30th to Sunday, November 1st.
This combination of the short and breathtaking WTCC races and Asian Le Mans‘ long distance runs with the excitement of pit-stops is set to offer a unique show to the Japanese fans.
The WTCC-Asia Le Mans meeting in Okayama has all the ingredients to be rated as one of the highlights of the international motor sport season.
The event was launched today during a press conference at the French Embassy in Tokyo.

WTCC’S PENULTIMATE EVENT
The WTCC – one of the three FIA World Championships alongside Formula One and WRC – returns to Okayama for the second consecutive year, for its penultimate event of the season, before the Grand Finale at Macau, on November 22nd.
During its fifth season, the WTCC has continued its steady growth in terms of global popularity and exposure.
During the current season the WTCC is broadcast on more than 75 TV networks across 160 countries, including live extensive broadcasts on Eurosport, the n°1 pan-European TV channel.
This unique coverage includes high-quality and innovative Live TV production, as the series has become this year the first FIA World Championship produced in native High Definition.
And these efforts are paying off as is highlighted by the recent intermediary study released by German independent Institute IFM. The study showed that after 7 out of the 12 events, a global audience of 313 million viewers watched the WTCC races, against a total audience of 350 million for the entire 2008 season.
Now the series is about land in Japan for rounds 21 and 22 after visiting ten countries in three continents – America, Africa and Europe – with a strong field of 27 cars that includes some of the Japanese fans‘ favourits like Alex Zanardi, Tom Coronel, Rickard Rydell, João Paulo Lima de Oliveira and local heroes Seiji Ara, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Masaki Kano.
The meeting in Okayama will mark the championship’s second visit to the land of the Rising Sun after an extremely successful maiden appearance in 2008 that resulted in two exciting races that – in spite of very wet weather – were attended by a crowd of 28,000.

"We are very honoured and proud to come back to Japan. Last year’s first visit to Okayama represented an important landmark for WTCC, as we finally managed to reach one of the main goals we had set since 2005: bringing the FIA touring cars to the land where many of the major car manufacturers are based," campionship promoter Marcello Lotti explained.
And he added: "The 2008 race meeting was blessed by a success that even exceeded our expectations in terms of attendance at the track and media coverage. This year we aim to go even further. With the addition of the Asian Le Mans and – hopefully – milder weather, we are confident that the 2009 WTCC Race of Japan may definitely plant the seed of touring car fever in Japan!"


The WTCC Race of Japan was launched today in a press conference at Tokyo

2009 FIA WTCC Race of Japan – 31st October / 1st November, in Okayama

www.fiawtcc.com

Miguel Socías en la cuarta prueba de la Copa Vallés Primoti

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El Circuito de Oliva se convierte en una prueba talismán para el piloto balear
TRABAJADA VICTORIA DE MIGUEL SOCÍAS

LQ8M5388
Circuito de Oliva, (Valencia, España), domingo 27 de septiembre de 2009.
Este fin de semana en la cuarta cita de la Copa Vallés que se disputaba en el Circuito
de Oliva Miguel Socías ha conseguido un gran premio a tantas horas de trabajo y
esfuerzo, y es que el joven piloto ya lograba en este mismo trazado subirse en el
podio en una prueba del Campeonato del Mediterráneo, no obstante hoy ha alcanzado
el puesto más alto en la segunda carrera.
Siguiendo en su línea habitual de ir aprendiendo y perfeccionando tanto el nivel de
pilotaje, como el de reglajes el equipo empezaba con muy buen pie su aventura en
el Circuito de Oliva. Afortunadamente los mecánicos ya tenían referencias del
trazado valenciano al haber competido anteriormente en él. De esta manera partían
con parte del trabajo hecho al correr con asfalto seco y con una ligera brisa. En los
entrenamientos cronometrados Miguel Socías ya mostraba claramente sus intenciones
al marcar el mejor registro sobre los catorce participantes de la categoría Alevín.
En la tanda de cronometrados oficiales el piloto de la Escudería Mallorca Competició
era superado únicamente por Sergio Martínez que lograba la mejor vuelta, no
obstante el balear sumaba importantes puntos del segundo puesto.
En la primera carrera, donde se invierte el orden de salida, Socías partía en penúltimo
lugar haciendo una excelente salida donde lograba superar a varios rivales,
lamentablemente era tocado en la parte de atrás trompeando y saliéndose a la hierba,
por fortuna las ganas del alevín eran mayúsculas, de ahí que consiguiera salir, dar
alcance al pelotón e ir superando a sus contrincantes hasta alcanzar una meritoria
quinta posición.
El percance de la primera carrera le servía de experiencia de cara a la salida de la
segunda carrera que esta vez se declaraba sobre suelo mojado, una vez más el piloto
de MS Motorsport partía de la zona mala, pero rápidamente ponía pies en polvorosa
y se hacía con la cabeza de la carrera, la contienda no fue nada fácil ya que tras él
llevaba al líder del certamen que no estaba dispuesto a dar su brazo a torcer, pero
el ímpetu del mallorquín se impuso al pilotaje del alicantino que terminó por tirar
la toalla y dar por bueno un segundo puesto que le mantiene líder del certamen. Por
su parte Miguel sube dos puestos y se coloca en el tercer lugar de la provisional de
la Copa Vallés.
Al concluir la carrera Miguel Socías no cabía en sí y nos apuntaba que:
"Este primer triunfo es la consecuencia y el fruto de lo que he ido aprendiendo
durante esta temporada, en primer lugar debo agradecérselo a mi padre y a mi familia
que me han apoyado en todo momento, asimismo hay que brindarlo a los
patrocinadores, ellos han sido los que han puesto los medios, de la misma manera
tampoco quiero olvidarme de mis mecánicos quienes han trabajado duro por conseguir
esta primera victoria."FERBISPRESS

Miguel Ferrer Tel. + 34 619.674.644  mferrer@ferbispress.com

Der Traum von der Formel 1

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885

Der Ukrainer Sergey Chukanov hat sich am Sachsenring bei der vorletzten Saisonveranstaltung frühzeitig den Titel in der ATS Formel-3-Trophy gesichert. Nach seiner Saison 2008 in der Cup-Wertung mit einem aktuellen Fahrzeug, ging er 2009 für STROMOS-ARTLINE an den Start. Das russische Team setzte den eigen entwickelten und konstruierten Attech F24 OPC-Challenge in der Wertung der Vorjahresfahrzeuge ein. Bis auf zwei Rennen platzierte sich Chukanov immer auf dem Podium. Mehrmals schaffte er sogar den Sprung in die Punkteränge der Cup-Wertung. Im Interview berichtet der 21-Jährige über eine Saison voller Arbeit seine weiteren Ziele.
Wie wichtig ist dir der Sieg in der ATS Formel-3-Trophy?
Sehr wichtig, wir sind mit dem Ziel, den Titel zu holen in die Saison gestartet. Wir sind am Anfang vier Sekunden langsamer gewesen als der Rest des Feldes. Aber wir haben sehr viel am Fahrzeug verändert. Der Arttech F24 ist schließlich schon ein älterer Bolide und dafür haben wir einen sehr guten Job gemacht. Zur Hälfte der Saison hatten wir den Anschluss gefunden. Wir konnten gute Ergebnisse einfahren und uns auch in den Top Ten der Cup-Wertung platzieren. Schon deswegen bin ich mit dem Verlauf der Saison zufrieden.
Du hast bisher 13 Siege auf deinem Konto. Wie hart war es wirklich den Titel einzufahren?
Das Team hat gute und harte Arbeit geleistet. Jedes Rennen haben wir neue Teile ausprobiert und am Setup gearbeitet. Wir konnten uns und das Auto stark weiterentwickeln. So konnten wir uns stetig steigern.
War es für dich eine große Umstellung vom Dallara Chassis auf den Arttech?
Zu Beginn war es hart, doch dann wurde es einfacher. Der Wagen wurde bisher nie auf den großen europäischen Rennstrecken eingesetzt. Deswegen waren noch keine Daten und kein gutes Setup vorhanden. Aber jetzt hat er sich auch auf den hiesigen Strecken bewährt. Kommende Saison wird man mit einem neuen Fahrzeug weiterarbeiten. Das Team hat dafür nun genug Erfahrung sammeln können. In dem Team habe nur ich als Fahrer kontinuierlich an dem Auto mitgearbeitet. Wir sind das einzige Team, das mit dem Arttech an den Start geht. Das ist eine besondere Ehre.
Wirst du mit dem Team auch in der kommenden Saison weiterarbeiten?
Das kommt wie immer auf die Sponsoren an. Aber ich persönlich würde sehr gerne bei STROMOS ARTLINE bleiben. Das Fahrzeug interessiert mich, gerade weil man weiterhin sehr viel entwickeln muss.
Welche Rolle spielt Motorsport in deinem Leben?
Ich würde sagen, die Hauptrolle. Ich betreibe Motorsport nun seit elf oder zwölf Jahren – praktisch mein halbes Leben. Ich mache alles, um immer schneller und besser zu werden. Nach der Schule hatte ich angefangen zu studieren. Doch damit habe ich aufgehört, um mehr zu trainieren. Zwischendurch helfe ich meinem Vater. Er hat ein Geschäft für Autozubehör und Tuning. Mein Ziel ist es, irgendwann mit dem Motorsport mein Geld zu verdienen.
Wie groß ist das Interesse am Motorsport in der Ukraine?
Leider nicht sehr groß, schon gar wenn es um Sponsoring geht. Es ist sehr schwer Sponsoren zu finden. Zwischenzeitlich hatte ich das Glück ins Sportprogramm von Lukoil Ukraine aufgenommen zu werden. Aber die haben sämtliche Sponsoraktivitäten eingestellt. Die Motorsportszene selbst ist in der Ukraine nicht sehr ausgeprägt. Es gibt ein paar Tourenwagenserien, aber nur auf einem niedrigen Niveau.
Was sind deine Ziele für die Zukunft?
Jeder Formel-Fahrer will in die Formel 1. Das ist auch mein Traum. Ich bin der Meinung: alles ist möglich und deswegen gebe ich diesen Traum nicht auf.

www.formel3.de

ALBACETE SE RESISTE A KIKE FERRER

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Este fin de semana se ha disputado la cuarta prueba puntuable para el Campeonato de España de Velocidad donde participa el piloto mallorquín Kike Ferrer dentro del equipo Neu Grip.
La "maldición" del trazado de Albacete comenzaba la pasada semana cuando el equipo se desplazaba a la prueba del Campeonato Mediterráneo de Velocidad , al igual que otros muchos equipos, para poder realizar un entrenamiento previo a la prueba del nacional ya que se celebraba en el mismo circuito de Albacere.
En los entrenamientos libres Kike lograba el mejor tiempo en la categoría Supersport con gran autoridad, al igual que en los dos entrenamientos cronometrados, Kike lograba la pole position y se colocaba primero en la clasificación.
Una vez marcado el mejor crono, la Yamaha de Kike fallaba y el equipo técnico tomaba la decisión de no participar en la carrera para no arriesgar en una prueba que no tenia otra finalidad que el propio entrenamiento.
Tras los problemas de la semana pasada, el equipo Neu Grip se presentaba en la prueba del CEV con los deberes hechos, con la moto a punto y el objetivo de conseguir un buen resultado.
Con un tiempo de 1:34.4 en los entrenamientos libres, Kike Ferrer se mostraba optimista y con ánimos de mejorar la puesta a punto de cara a los cronometrados.
Ferrer lograba rebajar un segundo su tiempo y realizaba los cronometrados en un 1:33.3 de cara a la carrera se colocaba como el tercer mejor piloto privado.
Tras la salida y una vez completada la primera vuelta, la moto de Kike se paraba y volvía a dejar al piloto mallorquín sin poder demostrar en la pista la evolución que está demostrando en los entrenamientos oficiales.
El ánimo del joven piloto no está en su mejor momento pero su optimismo y energía le devolverán la ilusión de cara a la próxima prueba del CEV que se disputará el próximo día 11 de octubre en el Circuit de Catalunya.

Kike Ferrer
Piloto del Campeonato de España Supersport
16 de Julio, 34
07009 Palma de Mallorca
Tel. 971 291 321
M. 616 99 26 87
prensa@kikeferrer.com
http://www.duesrodes.com

Bridgestone Motorsport Singapore F1 GP

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SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX F1/2009 - SINGAPORE 27/09/2009

Lewis Hamilton (Vodafone McLaren Mercedes) used a soft – soft – super soft Bridgestone tyre strategy to slingshot away from his rivals in a scintillating and gruelling Singapore Grand Prix. Hamilton won Formula One’s only night race from pole by just under ten seconds from Panasonic Toyota Racing driver Timo Glock with Renault F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso finishing third. Most drivers used the same tyre strategy as Hamilton.
Hiroshi Yasukawa – Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, says
“What a fantastic Grand Prix! We appreciate the great organisation required to put on such a race in this wonderful venue. Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for their second win of the season. Timo Glock will be very pleased with his second place, equalling Toyota’s best-ever result, and it is good to see strong performance from them heading to the Japanese Grand Prix. Renault and Fernando Alonso have also done very well to achieve a podium finish in such difficult circumstances.”

Hirohide Hamashima – Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development, says
“This was a long and gruelling race, only four minutes short of two hours duration. Over this time the circuit became cleaner and cleaner and more rubber was laid meaning a better track surface. This meant that degradation was better than seen earlier in the week. Indeed, brake degradation was a bigger concern for some competitors. Most drivers used the same tyre strategy; however with the information we have after the race, two stints using the super soft was a realistic option. Driver style and car set-up and characteristics defined the tyre performance on this difficult track. Nico Rosberg completed nearly half race distance on the super soft showing that it had solid durability today.”
Stats of the Day

Tyres used: Soft / Super soft

www.bridgestonemotorsport.com

Sanremo victory crowns champion year for Meeke

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Kris Meeke has claimed the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge title in fine style, with victory on this weekend’s Rallye Sanremo.
The Peugeot UK driver fought back from fourth place overnight to take the lead on the final morning in the mountains on the Italian Riviera. Despite the pounding given to his brakes on the twisting asphalt stages, he prevailed for his fourth win of the season to become the first British driver to win the IRC.
“We never could have expected this to happen,” said a slightly disbelieving Meeke as he crossed the line. “There’s so many people I have to thank for the opportunity, I’m only one link in the chain and there’s a long chain of people who helped make it happen and without any one of the them the chain would have been broken.”
The rally began with Meeke just one point ahead of Czech ace Jan Kopecky in the works Skoda Fabia S2000. Kopecky got off to a flying start to win the first stage, but then crashed in the middle of the second stage and suffered irreparable suspension damage.
This left the way clear for a major battle for honours between two Italian drivers – the works Abarth Grande Punto S2000 of Luca Rossetti and the Peugeot 207 S2000 of Paolo Andreucci – while Meeke suffered from overheating brakes in fourth place.
At the overnight halt Andreucci held a slender advantage while Rossetti was unable to get the car handling how he wanted it to. At the start of the final day, however, Rossetti was far happier in his car while Andreucci’s Pirelli tyres – unique among the front-runners – struggled for grip and left him fighting a defensive battle for the rest of the rally.
Meeke, meanwhile, had started the second day in a champion’s style, winning the first stage by 10 seconds and the second stage by a further 8.3 seconds. On the final stage of the morning he lost 10 seconds after more brake trouble and a nervous time was had at the service halt.
“The opening night’s stages were interesting to say the least, then it all just clicked and I got a rhythm,” Meeke said. “The pacenotes were inch-perfect and I honestly couldn’t believe the times!
“I had a few troubles with the brakes on the second stage this morning,” he explained. “I was able to drain it while driving to the next stage, but I couldn’t put all the fluid back because of a defective pipe so we had next to no brakes at all – but fortunately it was short and up-hill!”
While Rossetti was able to regain ground on Meeke through the short stage, last year’s IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz was unable to capitalise in his Peugeot Benelux-entered 207 S2000. A puncture on the first stage of the day cost him time that blunted his challenge for victory, and passed the initiative to team-mate Freddy Loix in their battle for third place in the overall points.
Both Vouilloz and Meeke recovered their earlier pace on the penultimate stage, however. Meeke extended his lead once again and Vouilloz reclaimed third position from the struggling Andreucci, but then lost ground to local man Roberto Travaglia who just edged him into fourth place at the finish by 0.4 seconds.
In a dramatic twist, Travaglia then incurred a 30 second time penalty on the road, dropping him to sixth and promoting Vouilloz back to the podium=

www.rally-irc.com

Andy Soucek Q&A

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Soucek leads the field in Imola

A third place finish in race one at Imola last Saturday (19 September) secured the FIA Formula Two Championship title for Andy Soucek, and the Spaniard went on to celebrate his achievement in style by storming to his fifth victory of the season in race two. Speaking to www.formulatwo.com, the newly crowned champion reflects on a fantastic campaign in F2 and talks about his burning Formula One ambition…

You’ve had a few days to reflect on the weekend; how does it feel to be the 2009 FIA Formula Two Champion?

It feels great! It has been a very special season, the best of my career. I not only won the championship, but I won with a good margin, and I have to be proud of everything I achieved. Hopefully it will open new doors for me: already a lot of people in the world of Formula One know me better than before, and the news has travelled around the world. No-one will ever be able to take away my title in Formula Two, and I will be able to look back on this for the rest of my career.

What are your hopes for F1?

I’m very positive that my dream can become true. I just feel like I’m at the right moment – I’m in the right place and with the right people, and this is my big chance, my dream. It doesn’t mean that I will get my chance for sure, but for me this is the right moment.

Things have changed quite a lot since F2 last ran in 1984, but F2 is still a category where young drivers can get themselves into Formula One. I know back then every champion progressed into F1, so I’m hoping to continue the trend as the first winner of the new series. I had a great championship, scored a lot of points, and brought the car home in almost every race. I think F1 teams look not only at the winner of every championship but also at the most complete driver. That’s why I think I’m in the right moment and I’ve showed it this year. It was not only the number of races I won, it was my consistency at the front that made it such a great year for me, and I think I can have similar success in F1 as well.

How did you feel about the video message you received from Sir Frank Williams and Patrick Head congratulating you on your success?

It was incredibly emotional. I’m a realistic and humble person, and I really never expected to have a Formula One team boss – let alone such an important one, because he is one of the most successful ever – like Sir Frank Williams or Patrick Head giving me a message saying that they hope I can achieve my dreams of going into Formula One. It really was like a dream seeing that; it was very emotional, and something I will never forget. Hopefully they are right in what they said!

What will you do to prepare for your test with Williams later this year?

I’m very well prepared now. I started to train my neck as soon as I got back from Imola, because I think that is the one part of my body where the g-forces are different in F1. They have steering assistance, so there won’t be too much force on my arms, but you need a strong neck for sure. I hope to be in peak physical condition for the test, but I have never stopped training and I am fitter than ever so I don’t see it being an issue.

Have you had any contact with other F1 teams?

Whilst we are not currently in negotiations with any other teams in F1, we are in contact with a few and I think that will probably intensify in the next few weeks. First we have to digest winning the F2 title, and then we will have to make a plan of which teams will be good for me and for my career, if they are interested, and work these things out. I know Adrian (Campos) from a lot of years ago and for sure I would be very happy to race for them, a Spanish team, but we are looking at other options as well.

How does this season compare to the rest of your career?

I think this was the best season, because now I am much more complete as a driver. I remember other great seasons like Spanish Formula 3, when I won the championship, and also World Series by Renault when I was challenging for the championship in the final weekend. I think I became a better driver when I moved into GP2 because I gained maturity and experience, but this year I think I have come on even more – everything just clicked and I feel very confident in myself.

Was there a weekend when it all came together this season, or was it a gradual process?

I think I was a bit unlucky in the first weekend in Valencia, but I think I was also a bit over motivated and was expecting to win at my home race, especially after running so well in testing. To be honest perhaps it was a bit of a surprise to have Robert Wickens in such good shape for that weekend – I really expected more and it was kind of a bad weekend for me. For the rest of the season though, really starting from the second race in Brno, everything has been pretty much perfect.

Does winning the championship vindicate your decision to race in Formula Two this year?

Absolutely. It was a group decision I made with my manager and my father to move into Formula Two. It wasn’t just the relatively low cost of competing, but the backing of the FIA, the prize of a test drive with Williams – the combination of all of these things made it a great championship to join. At the start we imagined the best scenario would be to win, but I haven’t just done that, I won it by distinction and that has made it very special. We also really believed in Jonathan Palmer and had heard a lot of good things about him. At the end of the day Formula Two has given me the opportunity to prove my potential in Formula One machinery with Williams, so it was exactly the right decision for me to have made.

How does the level of competition in F2 compare to that of a series like GP2?

I have always said that the drivers in F2 improve with every race, so I had to make sure I was doing the same otherwise I would lose ground. In that sense the level of competition is very high, and I had to become better and better in order to stay at the front, which has helped me as a driver. The car is very strong, with paddleshift gears, very good brakes and a powerful engine, so it’s good training. There are some young guys who have really improved recently, so it keeps getting harder.

www.formulatwo.com

Andreucci flies as Kopecky crashes out in Sanremo

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Italian rally stars dominate the top positions at the end of the opening day of the Rallye Sanremo, round 10 of the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge. The classic Italian event, taking place on the mountainous roads around the Riviera town of Sanremo, has become a two-way battle between the privately-entered Peugeot 207 S2000 of Paolo Andreucci and the works Abarth Grande Punto S2000 of Luca Rossetti – separated by just 1.7 seconds at the overnight halt.
“I’m very happy, everything was fine. I didn’t expect to be ahead of everybody before the long stage,” said Andreucci at the overnight halt.
“I’m not so happy with the setup of my car, but it was impossible to change anything and be confident, so we had to leave it,” said Rossetti. “Hopefully tomorrow we can make a good fight with Paolo.”
The first stage was won by Czech hero Jan Kopecky, title challenger in the works Skoda Fabia S2000 and looking for his third consecutive victory in this year’s series. Disaster struck halfway through SS2 however, when he broke a wheel and was eliminated from the event. This passed the initiative to Peugeot UK’s championship leader Kris Meeke, but the British ace has been unable to capitalise so far and trails in fourth place behind the Italian pacesetters and Peugeot Benelux’s defending IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz.
“I learned that Kopeky retired just before the start of SS3 and I lost my concentration and I couldn’t find the right rhythm,” Meeke admitted. “Then I had some brake problems both on SS3 and the long final stage, which is sort of my fault as I settle the car by left-foot braking and over 40km the heat builds up. I have to try to get as many points as possible here, they are going to be very important.”
The second Benelux Peugeot of Belgian veteran Freddy Loix lies fifth and has closed up fast on the points leader during the course of tonight’s fourth stage – the daunting 40km SS4 called Cuori. The rest of the regular contenders have found themselves locked out of the points positions by an armada of Italian talent, with Renato Travaglia (Peugeot), Piero Longhi (Skoda) and Umberto Scandola (Abarth) keeping well ahead of works Skoda driver Juho Hanninen in 11th, the lone Proton of Guy Wilks in 15th and the Ralliart of Franz Wittmann in 25th.
In the IRC 2WD Cup category, Honda teams blasted back into action with a vengeance. Having been left unrepresented in the previous round, the Rally Principe de Asturias in Oviedo, Spain, the rapid Honda Civic Type R machines have shone in the class on the twisting asphalt. Another promising Italian, Sandro Sottile, leads from championship leader, Frenchman Denis Millet, in his turbocharged Peugeot 207.
Overall Positions after 4 out of 9 stages
1 Paolo Andreucci (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – 58m 13.9s
2 Luca Rossetti (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +1.7s
3 Nicolas Vouilloz (F) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +12.3s
4 Kris Meeke (GB) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +22.5s
5 Freddy Loix (B) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +23.8s
6 Renato Travaglia (I) – Peugeot 207 S2000 – +31.9s
7 Piero Longhi (I) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – +38.7s
8 Umberto Scandola (I) – Abarth Grande Punto S2000 – +59.3s
2WD Cup after 4 out of 9 stages
1 Sandro Sottile (I) – Honda Civic R3C – 1hr 2m 34.0s
2 Denis Millet (F) – Peugeot 207 R3T – +3m 44.4s
3 Laszlo Vizin (H) – Honda Civic R3C – +5m 18.2s
Fastest stage times
SS1: Kopecky, SS2-3: Andreucci. SS4: Rossetti
Leading retirements
Jan Kopecky (CZ) – Skoda Fabia S2000 – SS2, accident damage
For further information please visit www.rally-irc.com or www.cronoimperia.it/sanremo09

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Andreucci’s team work on the leading car in Sanremo before the overnight halt

JAPANESE EVENT TO BE LAUNCHED IN TOKYO

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The WTCC Race of Japan, that will take place at Okayama International Circuit on November 1st will be launched next Tuesday, September 29th, at 11.30 am during a press conference at the French Embassy in Tokyo.
This race meeting will mark the return of the FIA World Touring Car Championship to Japan after last year’s successful maiden visit to Okayama, and will also feature for the first time a round of the Asian Le Mans Series within a WTCC event.
The provisional entry list will be unveiled during the press conference that will be attended by Marcello Lotti, General Manager of KSO, WTCC promoter, Daniel Poissenot, advisor to the ACO President and ALMS Race Director, and Yojiro Terada, President of ACO Japan.


WTCC and ALMS will race in the same meeting at Okayama

LADA’S GREAT ITALIAN WEEKEND
Imola marked an historical moment for the LADA Sport team, as James Thompson scored the Russian manufacturers‘ first WTCC points.
In the first race the Briton took advantage of the pile up at the start and defended his sixth position from D’Aste, Hernández, Menu and Porteiro. In the Race 2 he overtook Hernández for fifth – just behind the leading group – before being demoted by Gené to sixth again.
But besides the two results, the pace of his LADA Priora car was stunning. Placed in the middle of the field for the practice and qualifying sessions, Thompson clocked competitive laps throughout the two races. The progress of the Russian car was confirmed by Jaap van Lagen’s performance in Race 1; the Dutchman was lying tenth in Race 1 before rolling of the track after a collision with only three laps to go.
"It’s been a great weekend for Lada on a circuit that I love, and this pair of results definitely shows that we are making progress. The car seems to be getting better and better. We’ve got to be realistic as there is still plenty to do, but this is certainly a sign that we are heading in the right direction," said Thompson.
Team Principal Viktor Shapovalov echoed: "Not only have we scored our first points, in both races, but we have also improved our pace to the point where we can really compete with our rivals. We can be very proud of everything we have achieved so far. I would like to thank our drivers and all our team members for doing such a great job."


James Thompson defends his sixth position during Imola’s first race

MÜLLER AND PRIAULX AT PETIT LE MANS
This weekend Jörg Müller and Andy Priaulx are set to take part in the Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta, at the wheel of two BMW M3 GT2 cars for the Rahal Letterman team.
Priaulx, who makes his first appearance at the Petit Le Mans, shares his car with Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand, while Müller will make shifts with Dirk Müller (his former team-mate in ETCC and WTCC) and Tommy Milner.
The two BMW cars have clocked the fastest times in the GT2 class during today qualifying session. The Müllers and Milner (1:20.393) will start from 13th spot of the overall grid, alongside the sister M3 of Priaulx-Auberlen-Hand (1:20.463) and ahead of a bunch of Ferrari, Corvette and Porsche cars.

TARQUINI WINS GOLF TOURNAMENT
Gabriele Tarquini is in a great shape. Two days after winning the first race in Imola and stretching his WTCC championship lead, the SEAT Sport driver has claimed another success in the second edition of the Green Golf Tour promoted by Eurosport Events.
Just like in 2008 Tarquini emerged as the winner in the 3rd Category of the 36-hole Stableford golf tournament that took place Monday and Tuesday at the San Valentino golf club in Castellarano, Italy.
WTCC chief timekeeper Mike Salmon, of MST, won the 2nd category, WTCC team coordinator Nunzia Corvino claimed victory in the Ladies Trophy, while Glen Valente, marketing director of HSBC Latin America topped the overall classification and was awarded with the WTCC World Amateur Cup.

www.fiawtcc.com