Monza - 22/04/2001   Race Report Lavaggi & Vann Win From Nowhere   My qualifying report ended with the Conrero team's hopes to hit the track despite not having run in the Qualifying session. Unfortunately for them but they didn’t get the permission to do the warm up and, obviously, the race. With last year’s regulations, they would have been allowed to start from the back of the grid, but this year this series is an FIA Championship, and as everybody knows, when a series runs under FIA rules, it is compulsory to respect the rules. During the warm up, the Pescarolo team demonstrated toevery body what role they wanted to play during the race, topping the times with a 1:41, slower by less than one second in comparison with their qualifying time. The second best time, into the 1:43s, for Lammers, who, after a stunning qualifying effort, continued to show how good this car can go, even with the base setup. The third, Christian Pescatori, and all the others, were within the 1:44 bracket or over. Nothing so far to suggest the drama to come. The flying start saw Bourdais escape right from the green light, hounded by Lammers, Lupberger and Nielsen. The other driver on the first row, Smithson, opted for a completely different strategy, allowing the three cars to overtake him. During the first laps, the two BMS Ferrari were passed by all the SR1 cars behind them, and then decided to follow the last of their opponents. Smithson continued to maintain a relaxed pace, being passed also by the Baldi R&S. In SR2 Monti passed Oberto without being able to build an advantage bigger than one second, while the rest of the field, which first was Tonetti with the unpainted Lucchini, could not stay in sight of them. The most aggressive pilot on the circuit seemed to be Lavaggi, trying to gain as many positions as possible from the back of the grid. On lap four the “disaster” happened: while passing Smithson, Lavaggi approached the first chicane with the throttle pedal stuck and he finished in the gravel. That seemed to be the worst end of a ugly weekend for the GLV team. Lavaggi lost four laps while being towed out of the gravel and coming into the pits. Bourdais shot a few quick laps to gain a 10 second advantage on the two battling cars of Lammers and Lupberger, and then started to manage this advantage, because both Lammers and Lupberger seemed not interested in forcing their pace and the same for the fourth placed man behind them, John Nielsen. You have to consider that Pescarolo, Nielsen and Lammers are all former winners of this race. On the lap 10 Baldi entered the pits for the first time, for technical problems, losing two laps. The Bourdais pace was indeed quick enough to pass all the SR2 cars before the end of the first half hour of race, which finished with Bouillon (18 laps) leading with 11 seconds on Lammers and Lupberger, 25 on Nielsen, 52 on Smithson, De Radigues and Zadra and 1:11 on Lilian Bryner, who was keeping the most conservative pace among SR1 cars, declining to stay in sight with Zadra. After the first round of pit stops the top four positions remained the same, while Smithson lost a lap for a puncture on a rear tyre. However, while the Courage was restarting from the stop, the mechanic who cleaned the car’s fuel intake had his leg catch fire and another mechanic who tried to help him found himself with flames on his gloves. Fortunately this incident finished without serious problems to either of the mechanics. For the Pescarolo team the surprises weren’t finished there. Thanks to a quicker pit stop, Zadra gained a position, re-entering fifth ahead of De Radigues, but some laps later re-entered the pits for engine problems. After trying a repair, the BMS Ferrari managed to re-start from the pit but after a few laps their race finishes. So the team decide to give Marco Zadra a drive in the second car to help him in battling for the drivers championship. Pescatori will miss some races, so he's not a realistic contender. On lap 25 Lupberger had the speed to pass Lammers and then build a little advantage on him. Lupberger also managed to lap faster than before he passed the Dome but Bourdais had no problem in responding and keeping a 10-12 seconds lead. Lavaggi was involved in a furious recovery and at the end of the first hour was already in 20th position, five laps behind the Courage, while thanks to the problems of the other cars the #2 Ferrari climbed to the sixth position, one lap down to the leader. The first hour finishes with the Pscarolo team (35 laps) leading by nine seconds over Lupberger, while Lammers, third with a 22 seconds gap is now chased by Nielsen. Fifth and last car on the same lap of the leader is the Kremer Lola, a 1:15 seconds behind the Courage. The BM Autosport Tampolli was still leading from the SRTS Lola in SR2 while third in class is the works Lucchini of Denny Zardo, one lap behind. Thanks to their reliability the Seikel GT3RS and the Grassi-Muenz GT2 are 11th and 12th, three laps behind the leader. On about the 40th lap came the second problem for the Pescarolo team. Bourdais lost a front tyre while navigating the first chicane and managed to return slowly into the pits. When it rejoined the race it was fourth, behind the Ascari and the two Domes. A marshal then radioed that the car had lost something, probably a wheelnut!!! Fortunately for them it was a false alarm and the green car returned to lap consistently trying to regain the top position. It was time for Lammers to give the Dutch Dome car to Hillebrand who re-joined the race in fourth position, behind the Courage. The Nielsen Dome was now second behind the Ascari which lead with an advantage of about 20 seconds. The leading Tampolli entered the pits and the battle for the leadership in this class finished at this moment, with the retirement of the car. The second place was inherited by the Rostan Debora, two laps down, because of the problems of most of the SR2 cars. Owen, while occupying the sixth position, spun at the first chicane, so the surviving BMS car could return in sixth position. The BMS car is keeping a very conservative pace, just to make the finish. On lap 59 the Nielsen Dome stopped after the second Lesmo corner. Nielsen tried for six laps to restart the engine before surrendering and abandoning the car. Some meters after, braking for the Variante Ascari, Hillebrand spun and finished in the gravel. He was towed out of the gravel and continued, losing three laps. Thanks to all of these troubles to their rivals the BMS #2 Ferrari is now third, two laps behind the leading Ascari. Bourdais was in hot pursuit of Lupberger and the gap was only 25 seconds, when, thanks to a better pit stop, Redon took the lead in the Courage again, ahead of Collins. At the end of the second hour Redon (69 laps) had a 53s advantage on Collins. Third is the Zadra Ferrari, two laps down. Fourth is Hillebrand, ahead of Owen and the incredible Giovanni Lavaggi. All of these three were three laps down to Redon's Courage. Capelli was in seventh, four laps down, ahead of the regular SRTS Lola, which continued to have no challengers, since the Zardo Lucchini, now second, was two laps down. Lavaggi was incredibly fast and soon started to recover other positions. His first victim was Owen, losing his fifth position. The surviving BMS car started to smoke and after an entire smoking lap, came to the pits and was retired. Lavaggi was already up to fourth. After a few more laps and Lavaggi can dream of second place, thanks to a 4 laps long stop for the Ascari, which had a brake disc changed. The Ascari was still second but four laps down, ahead of Hillebrand and Vann, who were one more lap down. Because of a stop and go for pit lane speeding, the Redman Bright Reynard lost its fifth place, being passed by Capelli, but took not many laps to re-pass him after a two lap long battle. Smith is now in pursuit of Vann. The Kremer car was retired with the roll-hoop (bar?) broken. At the end of the third hour Redon (102 laps) was still in the lead with four laps advantage on Collins and Lammers. One more lap down there were Vann, Smith and Baldi. Oberto (94 laps), seventh overall, leads ahead of Prospero by three laps, while in the GT, the battle between the Grassi-Muenz GT2 and the Seikel GT3R continues. The Reynard passes Vann (in for the pits) and the slowing Dutch Dome, regaining the third place. When the race seemed decided - an eventful but secure Courage win - the C60 came in and was retired with an oil pump failure. A car which should be an improvement on the C52 which survived a 24 h long chase of the Audis didn’t survived three hours of full throttle on the Autodromo. A very good high speed test for Le Mans though. Now the top four were all close (within two laps) and the final battle started with Collins leading by 1:14 seconds from Guy Smith. The R&M car has some problems and could not lap as fast as the leaders and was fifth, two laps down. By the end of the fourth hour the position were Collins, Smith (133 laps) and Lammers, Vann (132 laps). The Zardo-Prospero Lucchini was five laps down to the leading Lola. Without the Courage, the winner could potentiually come from any of the top four. Lavaggi was forcing along still and managed to pass Hillebrand, taking third position. A good result considering their accident, but the luck this time was going to help him. Smith had a long pit stop and re-enters a lap down, only six seconds ahead of Lavaggi. An exciting battle starts, Lavaggi tried to pass wherever is possible but Smith was very aggressive passing the backmakers while Lavaggi lost contact in among the backmarkers. Hillebrand was only 12 seconds behind them. The Ascari pitted and re-entered in the lead, but now the top four were on the same lap. At last, the top group have come together for the finale. The battle continued and the advantage of the Ascari on this pair (Lavaggi / Smith) decreases lap by lap. Lavaggi and Smith came into the pits together. Thrilling stuff, not the usual end to a race of over five hours Smith restarted, while Lavaggi was still stopped, fighting to fire it up again. The Ferrari Judd lost 12 seconds. Lupberger too had a long pit stop and re-entered in second, between Smith and Lavaggi. Lavaggi attacked - what else? - and passed him on lap 161. Smith had to pit again (a brake disc) and lost a lap, while Lupberger took enormous risks on every kerb to stay in touch with Lavaggi. There are still a lot of back makers to pass but now Lavaggi was in a fury. Smith was lapping slowly and Hillebrand passed him before the end. All the acrobatic skills of Lupberger cannot give him back the top position and after 5 hours, 17 minutes and 8 seconds, Lavaggi completes the 173rd lap, 5 seconds ahead from Lupberger. Hillebrand is third with the Dutch Dome, while one more lap down the Reynard. Fifth overall the Oberto / Bjork Lola, fifth laps behind was the Lucchini of Zardo-Prospero. Third in class and 9th overall was the Mazza / Barberio Lucchini, gaining the best Siliprandi team result in the FIA SCC. It was certainly a Judd weekend (victory at Phoenix too), could have been a Courage victory, might have been a first for Ascari, could have been a first in sportscars for Reynard - could even have been a Dome win second time out - but it was a Ferrari that still took the flag first. Powered by Judd. Their V10 won here last year over a shorter distance, so Judds seem to like Monza. A 1 - 2 - 3 - 4. Now match that in the sprints, FIA SCC. 1000 km was an inspired choice, wasn't it? Franco Tedeschi Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport