Archive for category: Championships

Despite the points left behind, Joao Vieira was one of the great protagonists of the second round of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth in the temple of speed, Monza circuit.

The yellow-gold bearer of Antonelli Motorsport inflamed again the public in the stands managing two great comebacks, recovering more than forty positions in total. Right from the beginning, with a grid of 29 cars, Joao had brought his Tatuus F.4 #50 in the top positions, signing, thanks to the fifth and ninth in the overall standings, the two Qualifying session valid for the 28’+ 1 lap races. Unfortunately, the first round, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, ending in the worst way: the Brazilian had to retire after just a few meters from the start, while he was already in third position. The retirement forced him to start from the bottom (29th position) in the sprint race, scheduled for Sunday morning. Without getting caught up in despair, he acted an incredible recovery: 26 positions in about 18′ of race and Brazilian flag waving on the third step of the podium.

Thanks to this incredible comeback, he was back on the grid for the final appointment of the weekend. The lights went off, but something in the starting procedure did not work and Joao is passed, reaching the 26th place. Despite the entry of the safety car for a contact that involved four cars in the early stages, the bearer of Antonelli Motorsport started overtaking again the rivals, up to the fifth position.

“I’m satisfied only halfway. The incident of race-1 affected the outcome of the sprint race, as I was forced to start from the last position. In race-3 instead, I made a mistake at the start. Luckily, two important recoveries that led me to the podium, scoring important points. The lead from the first driver in ranking is important, but we still have a lot of races. Now, I think about Imola“, the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira, says

“This weekend Joao showed all his value, a real fighter with the talent to spare. Unfortunately we have “given” too many points to our opponents that will not be easy to recover, even though we are only at the second race. We roll up our sleeves and try to race until the end, starting to recover with Imola. I thank all the staff of Marco Antonelli for the excellent work done over the weekend”, the manager Giovanni Minardi analyses.

The second round of the Italian Formula 4 Championship has now ended and next appointment will take place in a month, at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola.

The Circus of F.4 Italy is make the appointment at Monza in preparation for the second round, scheduled for May 31st. Workday characterized by the off track as the Ascari in the late morning for Joao Vieira, who was forced to remain stationary in the pits of Antonelli Motorsport until mid-afternoon, to give the opportunity to the staff directed by Marco Antonelli of repair the Tatuus #50.

Back on track only at 4:00pm, the yellow-gold driver managed to go 22 rounds before the arrival of the rain, breaking early the work. A day’s work that certainly does not reflect the technical potential of Joao Viera, who in March had managed to lower more than 6 dec the time of the pole in 2014.

“The incident of the morning has certainly influenced the whole program because I could return to track only mid-afternoon. Anyway before the arrival of the rain I drove 22 laps with tires already lapped. When we were about to mount the new tires, it started to rain. Furthermore once again we had problems with the engine that in the straight gave much to the opponents. Ahead of the weekend of the race I think that we come back to my old engine“, the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira, comments.

“Day conditioned by Ascari’s mistake that forced Joao to remain stationary in the pits until 4:00pm. In the morning he was still able to put together 31 laps. Before the arrival of the rain he has turned old tires along other 22 laps. We will have had fresh tires, but the rain made us change plans. Better to have made the mistake in a test that during the race weekend and I’m sure it will be helpful to Joao to maintain the concentration high“, the manager Giovanni Minardi analyzes.

On the track of Portimao, in Portugal, the spotlights turned on on the European Championship CIK-FIA KF category, the first of three appontiments of the championship that will touch even the boundaries of England and Sweden.

A weekend that did not follow the plans of the Polish driver from Krakow, Karol Basz, who was victim of an accident. The event, which affected significantly the final result, took place during the pre-final, when Jordon Lennox-Lamb, the driver that Karol was trying to overtake, closed the bearer of the Kosmic Racing Team towards the corner. The Polish driver was forced to retirement due to important damages reported. Without getting caught up in despair, the bearer pink-blue Kosmic team put together a good comeback, recovering until the thirteenth final position, after having started from the 29th placement and finishing at 11″ from the winner, racing at 2” from best lap of the race.

“It was an unlucky weekend, conditioned especially by the accident in the pre-final that forced me to start backwards, from the 29th position, in the Final. Unfortunately, the chassis was not 100% OK, but despite this, I was able to recover up to 13th position in the Final, scoring good lap time. There’s still the satisfaction with the seventh place in Qualifying Heats”, the driver of Minardi Management, Karol Basz, comments.

“If we look purely at the result, it was not the weekend we expected. Unfortunately, the incident in the pre-final affected the entire weekend, forcing Karol to start from the bottom in the Final and with not perfect frame. However, I have to congratulate him for the great recovery and the Kosmic Racing team of Olivier Marechal for the excellent work in the development of the material. In this season, tyres will be a very important and they’re showing to have the right balance”, Alberto Tonti analyses.

Thanks to the scored points, Karol greeted Portugal with the tenth place in standings, turning his mind directly to the next challenge: England, International  – on June the 21st. “We are only at the beginning. In England we will start again from the tenth position, with the aim to regain all lost ground here in Portugal, in order to race for the Final victory in Sweden”, Minardi Kart Supervisor concludes.

Photo: Alex Racebox.

This result is certainly not enough for Joao Vieira and the team of Antonelli Motorsport at Vallelunga circuit, scene of the opening round of the second season of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth.

The first racing weekend started under the best star for the yellow-gold Brazilian driver from Gurupi, leading his Tatuus #50 in the top positions and taking the lead in the second free practice session, prelude to the P3 and P2 won in two rounds of Qualifying, valid for race 1 and race 3. In the opening race Joao signed his first podium, thanks to the second place at the end of 28 ‘+ 1 lap of the race, followed by a good fourth in the sprint-race. With the rule of grid inversion, the driver managed by Minardi Management moved from the ninth position, succeeding in a great comeback in just 13 laps, getting to the foot of the podium and confirming the second place in the drivers’ standings, with 24 points. The biggest regret comes in race 3. The staff of Marco Antonelli is forced to change the Abarth engine, but Tatuus performances are no longer the same. A good battles with David Alexander Beckmann began: the Russian driver tried to overcome several times the Brazilian, until, unfortunately, the contact, which penalized Vieira with a drive-through, closing in twelfth place and out of the score zone.

“The biggest regret is what happened in race 3. I do not find correct the drive-through that has been assigned me. Commissioners saw the video, but there was nothing to do. Unfortunately, it cost me a third / fourth place. Important points in the championship. A real shame. It will be a hard-fought championship, but we have proven to be there for the victory too. Now, I wait for Monza for the speedy redemption. We are only at the first of seven rounds. The season is still long“, Joao Vieira says.

“Up to race 2, the weekend was going in the right way. Joao proved to be among the fastest drivers on track, managing to win the second place in race 1, putting together a good recovery in race 2. Unfortunately, the result of race 3 leaves us a very bad taste in mouth. Between race 2 and race 3, the team had to change Joao’s engine. Being a new unit, it was still to test and therefore not 100%. Unfortunately, there’s been the drive-through that has denied a final fourth place and, consequently, important points for the championship. Honestly, we do not agree with this decision, but we accept it and we remain focused in view of the appointment of Monza “, the manager Giovanni Minardi analyses.

Next round of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth is scheduled in Monza, for the weekend of May 31st.

On the international circuit of Sarno, scene of the fourth and final round of the WSK Super Master Series Championship, Gianni Vigorito improved his feeling with the new material of OK1 Racing Team in the selective KZ2, started in La Conca.

The talented driver from Sturno worked on the basis of future plans, to program after graduation in Human Sciences, but with the mind turned to the World Championship and especially to 2016, whose objective is to be present on track with greater consistency, to face all main commitments. Undeterred, Gianni has struggled with determination, collecting useful information both for him and the team. “It’s been certainly a not easy weekend, full of pitfalls. In Qualifying, I achieved the seventeenth place, after suffering a rupture in the clutch. It was important to race so many laps, collecting useful information in this category, which includes drivers with great experience worldwide“, Gianni Vigorito says.

“Gianni is proving to have a good base on which work. He signed his passage in KZ2 and La Conca and Sarno’s appointment was an opportunity to continue its improvement with new material. We speak of a category in which there are “legends” of karting, with worldwide experience. Together with his team, we will try to program future commitments, considering also the graduation. Gianni is certainly a driver who would need to run constantly to show his value“, Alberto Tonti analyses.

Photo: Alex Racebox

Removed the rust with the appointment in the opening round of WSK Super Master Series at Adria International Raceway in March, after a year of stop, for Riccardo Negro the doors of the CIK-FIA KZ2 European Championship are now opened, waiting for completing the programs for the 2015 season.

On the international circuit of Sarno and at the wheel of a semi-official material of CRG developed by Renda Motorsport team of Antonio Renda, Riccardo completed the first of three events that colour the European championship, before moving to Spain and later in Belgium. Despite the difficulties, in the rows of the Qualifying Heat, he won consistently the top-seven, out of the top-10 only in the third round and closing with the twenty-first position in standings, among 60 participants. In the final, he brought on track all his tenacity, managing to replace more than ten positions, moving in just 16 laps from the 24th position to the final twelfth, winning the first points, leaving behind official drivers.

“It was an important weekend because it gave me the chance to return to lead in a European event, after the opening round of the WSK at Adria. It was a weekend characterized by some difficulties, but nevertheless I managed to recover several positions, especially in the Final. Unfortunately, when you start behind, recovering is more difficult, especially when your pace is virtually identical to that of the former driver. In addition, Sarno track does not facilitate much overtakings, being a fast track“, the driver of Minardi Management, Riccardo Negro, comments.

“I am satisfied with Riccardo’s work, who is back to lead after more than a month of stop. He’s a guy with great quality that brings out also for his technical expertise. He managed to best interpret the combination chassis-LeCont tyres. In Finale won an important twelfth proving to par, if not superior, to many factory riders. Despite the inactivity, I am also impressed by his physical training. The results come out race to race and in Spain he will already make the leap in quality“, Alberto Tonti analyses.

Next appointment in the weekend of May 24th at Zuera, with the second round of the FIA-CIK KZ2 European championship.