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Brno 2002

FIA European Touring Car Championship

19/05/2002

Race 1- Report

The European Touring Car Championship is fast becoming the most exciting saloon car championship in the world. The new FIA Super 2000 regulations that were turned down flat by Toca for the British championship, are already providing the superior racing with three very closely matched manufacturers competing at the top.

Following a tremendous battle in practice and qualifying, with less than one second separating third to thirteenth, this on a lap of over two minutes, the race was always going to be tightly contested. Sure enough the Czech crowd were not disappointed.

Pole position man, Fabrizio Giovanardi, got away badly in his all conquering Alfa 156 and was quickly passed by the fast starting Dirk Muller in the BMW 320 and the ever improving Volvo S60 of Rickard Rydell. By the second corner Rydell had passed Muller and Giovanardi had his Alfa perfectly placed behind the BMW to exit the corner and power past the helpless Muller down the straight.

Game on! The Alfa and Volvo drivers had been swapping positions at the top of the time sheets all weekend and there was no way either of them were going to back down now. Giovanardi, still up set from losing the lead at the start, charged after the Prodrive Volvo S60, eventually catching the Swede two thirds of the way round the Circuit. The two cars entered the chicane side by side, separated by the proverbial midge’s knackers, and attempted to exit the corner together. Unfortunately for Rydell, two into one was never going to work and for once a Volvo came out second best in an accident, leaving the Swede beached firmly in the gravel.

Giovanardi, no doubt muttering something very Italian under his breath whilst looking for a horn to thump enthusiastically, left the door ajar for Muller and Alfa team mate, Larini, who gratefully darted through sending the championship leader back down to third.

Fabrizio, a person who does not like finishing as the second loser, re-attached the red mist and set about the not so effective Alfa (again) of Larini. Once past his team mate the red mist turned to milder shade of crimson, until tranquillity finally returned to the lead Alfa on lap 5 when Giovanardi eventually regained the lead from the under powered BMW.

Dirk Muller drove the rubber off the BMW to retain second place from the Alfa of Larini, with the other Muller, Jorg, finishing fifth. Rydell’s young pretender, James Hanson, enjoyed a great race with Jorg Muller and the Alfa of Luis Villamil, eventually netting fourth. Only ten seconds separated the first six cars to cross the line, not that Fabrizio Giovanardi will care, he is just glad that he crossed if first.