Monza - 22/04/2001   Friday Report   The day started with a covered (overcast) sky after a night of heavy rain. The rain started again at about 11 a.m., but in the morning there were only the practice session of the Kuhmo Euro GT Series and the Lamborghini Supertrophy. Christian Vann (GLV Fudd) explained that they hadn’t tested the car after Barcelona, but the car is really good overall. In Barcelona they had trouble with the gearbox, but the cause has been discovered. Capelli joins Baldi for this race and the deal, by now, is only for this race. For the future is not possible to say. Capelli also said me: “Before today I’ve not driven this car (I drove a Riley & Scott in 1997, but was a previous version). The Barcelona problems have been solved. However, they were electric problems and not mechanical problems.” The car has not been tested since Barcelona. The rain ceased at about 13.00 and the first SR1 session started in the dry. Only five minutes after the start of the session (3 p.m.) and the rain returned. The only car which managed to do a time in the dry was Smithson with the Reynard signing a 1:47.175, six seconds better than the second time (Baldi with the R&M car), and seven seconds better than the third time, signed by Boullion with the Pescarolo Courage. The second and the third time were completed with the track not too wet yet. So this three times remained the best times of the session, even considering the improvements done by all the teams when the rain ceased (16.15). Smithson did most of his stint in heavy rain (using rain tyres) before passing the car to Owen and Smith. Smith told me, before his stint, that he was going only to try the track. Also Giorgio Stirano (chief engineer of R&M team), was not too impressed by the team second time, obtained with the circuit still not too wet. “The car is all OK, apart the small little usual Friday problems. The only problem we had was with the gearbox lever, so Capelli lost some time before starting his stint. The time is not significant because the weather wasn’t already rainy, tomorrow we’ll try to be at the front.” I asked if their new chassis will debut in the next race. Stirano told me that probably it will be necessary to take a little more time and they have also to choose at what level of technical evolution to set-up the car. I’ve also asked if it is a project started from a clean sheet or is a Riley & Scott MKIII evolution. Stirano told me that the starting point has obviously been the MKIII but the car is deeply different. The first “wet” time has been set by the Pescatori / Zadra jr. / Gounon BMS Ferrari. Pescatori: “With the heavy rain (with Marco Zadra at the steering wheel), and later with the drying track (with me), we have been the fastest. We have used always the rain tyres, while the car has usually a little bit more drag than the other cars, so with the rain has a little better handling”. The fifth SR1 time, behind the Pescatori Ferrari has been set by the Kremer Lola-Roush of Formato / Hancock / De Radigues. Formato drove during the monsoon, testing a new engine and a new brakes setup. Hancock continued the testing. Formato was hoping to have the dry tomorrow. The Konrad Lola has been withdrawn like the Tampolli Ferrari, so both the Lola and the Genuine Ferrari (chassis and engine) are present with only one team each. The hybrid Ferrari of GLV team, only managed to exit the pit-lane and then run until the exit of the second Lesmo corner, before stopping with the oil pressure fallen to zero. As Achim Stroth (co-owner of GLV-Brums team) explained to me that they were looking tor an electronic problem, may be a broken oil pressure sensor. Later Lavaggi showed me the Judd engineers trying to discover the source of the problem. The Domes were both in the pits but only the Nielsen one ran, setting the sixth time, behind the Kremer Lola. Katoh, a frequent TMS visitor, explained to me that for him was the first time in Monza, and also he drove in the monsoon. The car is all OK. Also he hopes for a dry Saturday. Only two other cars ran this afternoon, the no.2 BMS Ferrari set the seventh time and the Ascari with the eighth time. The two Conrero cars arrived in the Autodromo only after the end of the session. I was lucky to talk with a shining Lilian Bryner. She explained to me that the car had a set up for the dry and they started with the slicks but were forced by the weather to mount the rains. They had to do some engine testing but they didn’t managed to complete even a single flying lap with the slicks. After this conversation, I left the BMS box but my heart is still there. Every one knows the SRWC paddock can understand what I mean.... The SR2-GT session enjoyed dry weather and a nearly dry track. The teams in the first position are mixed together with some interesting results. The SRTS Lola is only fifth, ahead of the Bruneau Debora. The best time has been set by one of the two works Lucchinis (on the original entry list there were three cars), the Zardo / Prospero one, while the other car experienced a little crash entering the Variante Ascari, without causing big damages. Raimondi, who was at the steering wheel at the moment of the accident, explained me that the car was with the front tyres on the dry and the rear tyres on the wet, so he lost control. The second time has been set by the Swara Racing Pilbeam, here driven by Wiseman, Mallock and McLoughlin. The team decided to come to Monza only Wednesday afternoon, having to recover after the Barcelona accident. They finished to re-assembly the car only five minutes after the start of the SR2 session. Wiseman, the author of the time said: ”The time hasn’t been the best possible because I had to be wary of running on the kerbs (still a bit damp).” Wiseman is also not worried about tomorrow's possible weather conditions because whatever weather occurs, all have to face with it. The third class time was done by the Nobili / Monti Tampolli. Nobili explained to me that the car is a bit softer in the front, so loses a bit in handling, while braking. He hopes to improve, if the team fix this problem. Despite a not bad result for his team, Merzario was pleased more for the class pole in the Kuhmo GT series (where he runs in the Class 3 with a Ferrari 355 GT), than for the sixth SR2 time with the Debora, cause the high gap (three seconds) from the best time. However, the “grandfather” (as he defined himself), was proud to be able to run in two events the same weekend. Is not the first time he does this, and other times he was able to run the same Sunday on two different circuits, even in two different countries (Italy and Germany)!!! Franco Tedeschi Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport