| Author |
 Topic Search  Topic Options
|
Peter H 
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2004
Location: Worcestershire/Ost Bayern
Status: Offline
Points: 927
|
 Topic: WTCC Imola
Posted: 29-May-2005 at 16:04 |
Imola Turns Into a Good Track For Andy
Imola was a pretty special weekend for me. I have a second and a third, I am still in touch with Dirk Müller in the championship battle and I have learnt a lot about myself and the team over the past forty eight hours.
We had the lows of free practice. We were trying everything we knew to change the car but didn’t know if any of our solutions were going to work. I had to admit before qualifying that eighth would have been as good as I could expect. Then suddenly, as if someone had knocked a switch, our fortunes changed.
From fifth on the grid I was determined to make the best possible start and even surprised myself a bit when I was lying second into the first corner. I was, however, realistic and knew once Fabrizio Giovanardi got into his stride I was going to need a miracle to keep him behind. The miracle didn’t happen so I had to slot in behind him and then Antonio Garcia, once the Italian took the lead. At that point I had Dirk in my wing mirrors, so this kept me occupied. I was determined he would stay there and so when the flag came out I was still in third.
For race two I was sixth on the grid, but Dirk was in front. I made another good start, but this time had to slot in behind him and Alex Zanardi who led from pole. We both managed to get by Alex and pull away by a few seconds. I did everything I knew to try and get by Dirk, but also had at the back of my mind that a silly manoeuvre would lose me vital points. I did have a big go on the last lap, but my tyres were fairly well worn by then so I slid wide and had to settle for second.
If had been told on Saturday my weekend would finish like this I think I would have been totally dismissive. However, I am still annoyed that I haven’t had my first 2005 win and this makes me even more determined than ever to get to the top step of the podium.
A weekend like this is character building. I can empathise with Bart Mampaey my Team Manager, who afterwards said he was too relieved to be able to smile. Bart, my engineer Sam and all the RBM boys did wonders for me with the car, and we proved that ballsy decisions on set up before qualifying saved the weekend for us.
I can’t believe we now have a four week break until Mexico. I am going to make the most of it by spending time on Guernsey with the family. Jo never complains about how much I am away, but I know she will enjoy having a proper family life for a few weeks. However, it is not all rest as next weekend I am off to Brands Hatch with my Formula BMW UK Championship Chief Instructor hat on. We always have fun at these race meetings and one message I can take to the boys is that however bad things may be you should never give up.
|
|
Das Wolperdinger
AHN-NYUNG-HEE GA-SEH-YO
|
 |
|
Sponsored Links
|
|
|
Peter H
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2004
Location: Worcestershire/Ost Bayern
Status: Offline
Points: 927
|
Posted: 28-May-2005 at 14:35 |
Imola Provides A Challenge - The Team Meets It
28-05-2005
Good Team Work Saves the Day
Imola has been my biggest challenge of 2005 and the nicest thing for me is finishing the qualifying session with a big smile on my face. But I have to be honest and admit I was not feeling full of optimism as I started the session. I had been 14th and 23rd in the two free practice sessions. Not something I am used to!
As I sat down with my boys from RBM before qualifying I was pretty concerned about how we were going to pull ourselves out of this position. However, I didn’t panic and the boys certainly stayed calm and focused. The result was sixth fastest and a fighting chance for the races.
For me the outcome is a sign of good team work. Not all the problem was with the car. I was carrying 40 kilos on a track where this sort of weight can hurt, and I had not had the luxury that many of the others had of testing here since last year’s race. We had to sit down and work out the solution. I detailed the limiting factors of the car, the team jumped on these and came up with a BMW Team UK car to be proud of.
We changed a lot on the car over the morning and when I sat at the head of the queue for the 3.15pm qualifying it felt like my first session of the day. I was not a hundred per cent sure of what I was going to find. I shouldn’t have worried as I found a car I could drive, and so was able to push it to the limits. I reckon I could perhaps have gone a bit faster, but as I didn’t really know the car that well it would have been stupid to risk all the hard work done for me.
I am happy now, especially as I will start fifth on the grid due to Gabriele Tarquini dropping ten places after an incident at Silverstone. I am a fighter
|
|
Das Wolperdinger
AHN-NYUNG-HEE GA-SEH-YO
|
|
Peter H
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2004
Location: Worcestershire/Ost Bayern
Status: Offline
Points: 927
|
Posted: 28-May-2005 at 14:26 |
|
| |
Fabrizio Giovanardi proved the fastest man in Imola, claiming his second consecutive pole position after that in last year’s FIA ETCC. In all the sessions the Alfa Romeo man was half a second faster than the rest of the field, and in qualifying he went to top of the timesheet in the early stages, clocking a time of 1:59.132 and demoting his team-mate Augusto Farfus who had set a provisional pole with a lap in 1:59.577.
He managed to drastically improve his time within the final five minutes to ensure he remained there. His best lap was 1:58.573 – over half a second ahead of Antonio García’s best time for second place.
Jordi Gené looked as though he would begin tomorrow’s first race in second place until the BMW Team Italy-Spain driver, García set a time just 0.158 seconds quicker on his last lap. The qualifying session ended with drivers from three different Manufacturers – Alfa Romeo, BMW and SEAT – at the top.
Andy Priaulx spun at Villeneuve half way into the session but rejoined and jumped from twelfth to sixth on his last lap. Farfus and Gabriele Tarquini occupy fourth and fifth places respectively. However the latter will be dropped by ten places on the grid, due of the penalty for the incident with Terting at Silverstone.
Roberto Colciago continued to impress by qualifying seventh in his JAS Motorsport Honda Accord, while his team-mate Adriano De Micheli was the fastest of both, the Independents Trophy and the Italian Superturismo Championship, as well as qualifying 12th overall.
Alain Menu qualified 17th, the best of the Chevrolet drivers and 1.977 seconds slower than Giovanardi. Ford drivers, Thomas Klenke and Thomas Jäger were 26th and 27th quickest. However, the latter will start from the back of the grid due to an engine change occurred in the morning, between the free practice sessions. | |
|
|
Das Wolperdinger
AHN-NYUNG-HEE GA-SEH-YO
|
|
Peter H
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2004
Location: Worcestershire/Ost Bayern
Status: Offline
Points: 927
|
Posted: 26-May-2005 at 02:56 |
 Derek M5 wrote:
Have a great weekend Peter, can't believe you're complaining about 40kg's of ballast.... I've got 15tons of ballast of it arriving tomorrow, but then I suppose I'll not be trying to lash it around a track, it's the base for my new footpath!
I Know which I'd prefer to be doing!!!
|
Err........ I`m not complaning?  , copy of latest news from AP
|
|
Das Wolperdinger
AHN-NYUNG-HEE GA-SEH-YO
|
|
IamSpartacus
Moderator Group
Joined: 21-November-2002
Location: Singapore
Status: Offline
Points: 3625
|
Posted: 26-May-2005 at 02:19 |
Have a great weekend Peter, can't believe you're complaining about 40kg's of ballast.... I've got 15tons of ballast of it arriving tomorrow, but then I suppose I'll not be trying to lash it around a track, it's the base for my new footpath!
I Know which I'd prefer to be doing!!!
|
|
The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.
|
|
Peter H
Really Senior Member II
Joined: 03-January-2004
Location: Worcestershire/Ost Bayern
Status: Offline
Points: 927
|
Posted: 26-May-2005 at 02:03 |
Andy Looking Forward to the Challenge at Imola
Motor racing is all about challenges and that is one of the things I love about the sport. Mind you driving great cars is another one. I had a challenge a couple of weeks ago at Silverstone. I had 50 kilos of ballast and many of my major rivals not only didn’t have any, but suddenly dropped another 20 kilos off the weight to their cars. Despite this, if it hadn’t been for a puncture I would have had my first win of the WTCC season so I am feeling very optimistic
.
That is now behind me and my challenge is now to go to Imola and do well. Last year we didn’t do well at the circuit as a marque. However, I am now looking forward and hoping things will change. I may have 40 kilos of ballast and, therefore, be the heaviest of all the BMW drivers, but I am determined not to let this stop me. It is a great track and I enjoy racing in Italy. The fans are very enthusiastic and I find that even a British driver in a German car gets some support!
My major concern at the moment is to keep scoring points as I need to keep well up in the championship battle. I am third and on equal points with Jörg Müller. Even though this is only five points behind Dirk Müller at the top of the points’ table, I know how quickly the situation can change with a few good or bad results.
My Imola weekend will actually start on the Thursday as I shall be in the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna for a publicity event. I shall be there with my Team BMW UK car and Alex Zanardi will also be there with his from Team BMW Italy-Spain. There will also be drivers from Alfa Romeo, SEAT, Chevrolet and Ford, but I am certain Alex will be the most popular by far so the rest of us will be able to watch him signing all the autographs. He is an amazing person and a lot of fun. I shall look forward to spending an afternoon with him and am certain it will be very busy.
However, after the BMW Power Festival at Rockingham last weekend I have a feeling Imola will be very quiet. I was hopping from one car to the next with the WilliamsF1 BMW in one garage, the BMW Le Mans winning V12 LMR in another and my BMW 320i in yet another. I was absolutely worn out as I was giving demonstrations and passenger rides. It was fun, but the best thing about the WTCC car demonstration laps was I had a passenger each time so was able to get the feel for lots of ballast. Not wishing to be rude to any of my passengers, they all weighed considerably more than 40 kilos.
Edited by Peter H
|
|
Das Wolperdinger
AHN-NYUNG-HEE GA-SEH-YO
|
|
WTCC Imola