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Monza Tests

lineltex

08/03/2001

Monza Test And Media Days

Wednesday

Overcast but dry for the first day of the Monza Test, and the Super Touring and Super Production cars were out at 09.00 then 09.50, for 50 minute sessions each. Cracknell and Brooks arrived just in time for the first GT session – after a 3am start from the UK – but there was a significant incident just a few minutes into this practice period.

Luca Riccitelli in the brand new RWS / Red Bull Porsche GT3RS had a rear suspension failure just before the braking point at the end of the pit straight. “About 290 kph,” reported Rudi Walch. “The car turned left and hit the barrier, then spun around in mid-air.” Rudi couldn’t remember a failure like this happening to a GT3R (or RS) ever before. He was hoping to have the ‘spare’ GT3R chassis out later in the day (with dispensation from the organisers).

Riccitelli was desptached to hospital for a check up. He could be doubtful for Sebring.

At the far end of the pit-lane, driver news centred on the Lister Storm team. Ian McKellar will now become the works driver in the third Lister to be run this year. So who is partnering Jamie Campbell-Walter in the lead car? None other than Tom Coronel. Laurence Pearce is never one to miss a chance to sign a star, so Coronel gives up any chance of a drive with Jan Lammers in the Dome, and forms one of the strongest pairings in the Championship.

Ian McKellar will drive the third car (the 2000 Championship winner) with Phil Hindley and Tom Combrinck (sp?). This one will be entered by J Tech / Lister Storm.

The JC-W / Coronel car was having work done on its gearbox this morning, so the brand new Nicolaus Springer / Philippe Favre car was the only Storm on the track – a few shakedown laps.

The Rafanelli Ferrari had a minor fuel pump problem first thing, but with that fixed, Emanuele Naspetti was straight down to a 1:52 on his first flying lap. “The second car will run at Fiorano next week,” said Gabriele Rafanelli. “It is identical to this car.” What have you changed on the first car during its development? “Everything!”

Christophe Bouchut showed how subtly but significantly the series is changing. He set a few modest laps in the new Larbre Viper before the red flag for Riccitelli’s accident, then went out and was down to a 1:48, almost immediately. Stunning stuff.

Jerome van Goole’s ‘Moton’ company seem to be supplying shock absorbers to most, if not all, of the Vipers.

The post lunchtime teams meeting showed Stéphane Ratel at his confident best. “To date we have 46 cars that have requested an entry for the full season. This is a great result, with great diversity. Nine Vipers, five Ferraris, three Listers…” etc etc. “We told you that the series was going to grow and grow.

“As you know we introduced a limitation on the entries, but we are going to look at it. We’ll look at who paid the entry fee by February 28th. It may be that we have 45 cars that comply.

“I know that some of you are concerned at the way some cars are evolving. You must be certain that we will do everything in our power to stop any drastic evolution of the cars. We need to control the evolution and control the costs.

“We will have six events broadcast live on Eurosport and four events same day delayed. They assure us that we are a priority programme and the schedule will be maintained. Eurosport will be very active in the promotion of the events. They will have as many as seven commentators.

“The Spa 24 Hours is very important to us. A race that is bigger than the others was missing from the FIA GT Championship. Every series needs this. Everybody told me I was mad at the start, but we are going to have a fantastic event. I think we are going to have most of the entrants there.

“There will be three groups of cars. There will be the FIA GT cars, plus the national GT cars, mainly from France, but we hope also to see some British GT entrants. Then there will be the single make series – the Porsche Supercup, the Ferraris and the Lamborghinis.”

The ETCC cars will receive the bulk of the coverage tomorrow.

NB. It seems that the 32 total for the GT entries was based on the fact that paddock space is also needed for the Touring Cars. It appears that the Super Touring Cars will be less in number than originally expected, so it is likely that the GT runners will total approximately 37. Stéphane Ratel pointed out that he doesn’t want to ‘give’ a number of GT entries to the ELMS.