Aug 2006
Report from Brands Hatch, Rounds 15 & 16
QUALIFYING (ROUND 15):
At Brands Hatch in Kent this weekend, Performance
Racing was running with two instead of the normal
three drivers. Regulars Juho Annala and Rodolfo Avila
were present to compete in the British F3
International Series National Class, but Ricardo
Teixeira had returned home to Angola temporarily. To
say the remaining pair had mixed fortunes would be
something of an understatement. The Brands Hatch
Grand Prix circuit is notoriously tough, with one
corner, Westfield, proving particularly difficult
throughout the meeting.
Juho waited out the first few laps of the session, hoping that the other drivers would clean up the track for him. It was a gamble and one that came close to rebounding on him. The session was only 7 minutes old when it was stopped by the officials after Rodolfo had some difficulty getting through the notoriously difficult Westfield. Trying to take it in a higher gear than he had in testing the day before, the Macanese youngster got onto the grass, and in the damp and slippery conditions found he had no traction at all. The car went straight off into the barriers, scattering bits of bodywork everywhere. Rodolfo was lucky to walk away from the wreck, shaken but otherwise unscathed. The car was a mess. After the debris was cleared the drivers were let out again, Juho waiting a little longer before venturing out. However, just as he completed his out lap, the session was stopped again, after one of the Championship Class runners fell off at Westfield. Finally, with around 11 minutes left to run, the Finn finally got to set a competitive time. And what a time it was! It was good enough to net him his first pole position of the year, ahead of series leader Rodolfo Gonzalez (T-Sport). Rodolfo was fortunate to be 5th after his violent exit from the session. As the dust settled the Performance Racing boys settled in for a desperate race to rebuild Rodolfo’s car in time for qualifying for Round 16.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 15): Juho Annala: “Yesterday was really good. The last session I got in the pace and we made the car a little bit better for me as well and now today I knew I can do it, basically, and I just went for it. Two red flags didn't really help it and I thought that, well, this is it now, but when I went out for the last time I just really, really pushed hard right in the beginning. I waited for a couple of minutes and I'm so afraid that it starts to rain here. It actually rained in my fastest lap and that really surprised me that I could still do it! I had a good temperature in the tyres, and I pushed really hard and that was it then. It all came really easy together and now I just need to go for another one.”
Rodolfo Avila: “Yesterday I was taking the - I don’t know the name of the corner - but I was taking that corner in 4th and today we decided to go in 5th and I was not very confident but still I managed to go two times over there in fifth and the car felt OK but on the third time the car just went a bit out of shape and I just had two wheels on the grass. That was basically it. I had two wheels on the grass and the grass was wet and the car just spun. There was nothing I could do to stop it so I hit the barriers quite hard and now we're trying to repair the car for the second qualifying. I think they can, even if we don't get the setup quite right. I can do the three laps to qualify and be in the race. I'm a bit bruised and I think it affects your confidence too.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 16): To the surprise of many Rodolfo was able to take part in the second qualifying session of the day, though he wouldn’t make it out onto the track until mid-way through the half hour session. When he did, the car looked like a parcel, vast quantities of white sticky tape holding together the broken bits of bodywork. It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t set up properly, but given that it had been a pile of component parts about an hour and a half previously, it was a miracle that it could even turn a wheel. The youngster didn’t get to run for long either, but he did at least manage to run the three laps needed to qualify for Sunday’s race. He was last but he’d made it. Juho, in contrast, was having a good run, again qualifying on pole for his class. That said, he did crash out of the session and cause a red flag stoppage, but would claim that he’d done it to make sure no one could go faster.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 16): Juho Annala: “First I thought when I got a little bit stuck in the traffic and it started raining a bit I was really, really scared that this was it now and I was in 5th position or something really stupid like that. Then the red flag came in and I was sure that this is it, but then we went out and the grip was there. It was good; I just did my lap. I think I did two laps or something, two good laps, and then I put it in the wall just to be sure and brought the red flags out again. I went off at Graham Hill, just in the exit, just lost it a little bit. It wasn't really a big one; I just went in the grass and brushed the wall a little bit. Then there were some really interesting ten minutes for me to sit in the car and see if anyone was doing better but they weren't even close.”
Rodolfo Avila: “It was pretty good. I'm really happy with my team. They did a great job and the car was driveable so I qualified and that was the important thing. The car was not set up right but I qualified so I'm quite happy. Tomorrow we'll do our best and see what happens tomorrow.”
RACE (ROUND 15): Race day was sunny in direct contrast to the qualifying sessions. Hopefully that meant that everyone would be sensible, after all the red flags on Saturday. Actually, they were probably too sensible, because the race really wasn’t especially exciting, with a couple of overtaking moves, but people mostly staying where they started out. Juho was unlucky at the start, losing a place to Gonzalez within the first two corners, but then settled in behind the Venezuelan to collect another podium position and 15 very useful points. Rodolfo started out well too, catching up on Cristiano Morgado (Fluid Motorsport), but then found the car’s handling starting to go off as the race wore on. He would eventually lose ground badly as the tyres got warmer and warmer, and finished the race a rather distant and disappointed 4th. Considering the state of the car, he was probably fortunate to manage to finish that well.
RACE (ROUND 16): In the second race of the day, Juho again lost out on the second corner, this time to Morgado. However, what followed was probably the most exciting battle of the day. Immediately behind Juho was Gonzalez, and he wanted to come through. Juho wasn’t about to let him, and anyway he was also busy trying to find a way back past Morgado. The three of them, along with Alex Waters, ran most of the race nose-to-tail, like a high speed train. Waters would eventually drop back, his lack of experience telling on him, but the other three simply kept right on battling it out all the way to the flag. There were some very sideways moments out there, the tension only letting up when the officials had to scramble the Safety Car after Keiko Ihara (Carlin Motorsport) went off. Meanwhile, Rodolfo was attempting to catch Waters with intent to relieve him of 4th place, when it all started to go wrong. Once again, as the tyres warmed up, the car’s performance started to deteriorate. The Safety Car allowed him to let the tyres cool off a little, but at the restart it all fell apart. He got on the kerbs and found his out-of-control car sliding towards the tyre wall. The impact was a large one, and the car was once again heavily damaged. In fact the accident led to the race being brought to a premature end with a red-flag, the results being declared one lap back.
RACE QUOTES (ROUNDS 15 & 16): Juho Annala: “Both starts I was super-unlucky in the second corner. I choose the wrong line in both ones and it just didn't go anywhere and first the outside was good and then in the other one the inside line was good and I was in the middle so it was a bit unfortunate! I was really confident. I had pace – I noticed that straight away – and I could do a good result in the second one, but obviously I was a little bit slower than Cristiano in a couple of places and it was the wrong place, because I couldn't get in the slipstream for the straight or anything like that. And I had to work really, really hard in the second one. I saw Gonzalez was all over the place behind me. The first one was disappointing because I was really disappointed with the car. It was working yesterday so good, the best ever, but this morning it's not working at all... but now I think the conditions are more or less the same now as what it was in the qualifying. The car was good; I could push, I could do the job I needed but this time it was not good enough. I think I've shown now to everyone that I can be quick in qualifying, in races.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning was a big problem as well. The car was quite good in the beginning, and I was super quick. I was catching up to Morgado this morning, but as the tyres got warmer and soft the car started handling really bad and there was nothing much I could do on that race. The car felt a bit different as well, and we missed a bit of testing, qualifying as well. This afternoon was even worse. I started really badly, and I couldn't catch up. I was pushing hard and as my tyres got hotter they got even worse. Behind the Safety Car things started to get better. I let my tyres cool down and I decided to push to see if I could not get Waters. I think I pushed a bit too much, because I got a bit up on the kerb which doesn't forgive you. It's too high and the car is too low and I just steered straight into the tyre wall.”
Points after 16 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 283 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 217 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 196 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 119 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 17 & 18, Mugello, Italy, September 15th/17th.
Juho waited out the first few laps of the session, hoping that the other drivers would clean up the track for him. It was a gamble and one that came close to rebounding on him. The session was only 7 minutes old when it was stopped by the officials after Rodolfo had some difficulty getting through the notoriously difficult Westfield. Trying to take it in a higher gear than he had in testing the day before, the Macanese youngster got onto the grass, and in the damp and slippery conditions found he had no traction at all. The car went straight off into the barriers, scattering bits of bodywork everywhere. Rodolfo was lucky to walk away from the wreck, shaken but otherwise unscathed. The car was a mess. After the debris was cleared the drivers were let out again, Juho waiting a little longer before venturing out. However, just as he completed his out lap, the session was stopped again, after one of the Championship Class runners fell off at Westfield. Finally, with around 11 minutes left to run, the Finn finally got to set a competitive time. And what a time it was! It was good enough to net him his first pole position of the year, ahead of series leader Rodolfo Gonzalez (T-Sport). Rodolfo was fortunate to be 5th after his violent exit from the session. As the dust settled the Performance Racing boys settled in for a desperate race to rebuild Rodolfo’s car in time for qualifying for Round 16.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 15): Juho Annala: “Yesterday was really good. The last session I got in the pace and we made the car a little bit better for me as well and now today I knew I can do it, basically, and I just went for it. Two red flags didn't really help it and I thought that, well, this is it now, but when I went out for the last time I just really, really pushed hard right in the beginning. I waited for a couple of minutes and I'm so afraid that it starts to rain here. It actually rained in my fastest lap and that really surprised me that I could still do it! I had a good temperature in the tyres, and I pushed really hard and that was it then. It all came really easy together and now I just need to go for another one.”
Rodolfo Avila: “Yesterday I was taking the - I don’t know the name of the corner - but I was taking that corner in 4th and today we decided to go in 5th and I was not very confident but still I managed to go two times over there in fifth and the car felt OK but on the third time the car just went a bit out of shape and I just had two wheels on the grass. That was basically it. I had two wheels on the grass and the grass was wet and the car just spun. There was nothing I could do to stop it so I hit the barriers quite hard and now we're trying to repair the car for the second qualifying. I think they can, even if we don't get the setup quite right. I can do the three laps to qualify and be in the race. I'm a bit bruised and I think it affects your confidence too.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 16): To the surprise of many Rodolfo was able to take part in the second qualifying session of the day, though he wouldn’t make it out onto the track until mid-way through the half hour session. When he did, the car looked like a parcel, vast quantities of white sticky tape holding together the broken bits of bodywork. It wasn’t pretty, and it certainly wasn’t set up properly, but given that it had been a pile of component parts about an hour and a half previously, it was a miracle that it could even turn a wheel. The youngster didn’t get to run for long either, but he did at least manage to run the three laps needed to qualify for Sunday’s race. He was last but he’d made it. Juho, in contrast, was having a good run, again qualifying on pole for his class. That said, he did crash out of the session and cause a red flag stoppage, but would claim that he’d done it to make sure no one could go faster.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 16): Juho Annala: “First I thought when I got a little bit stuck in the traffic and it started raining a bit I was really, really scared that this was it now and I was in 5th position or something really stupid like that. Then the red flag came in and I was sure that this is it, but then we went out and the grip was there. It was good; I just did my lap. I think I did two laps or something, two good laps, and then I put it in the wall just to be sure and brought the red flags out again. I went off at Graham Hill, just in the exit, just lost it a little bit. It wasn't really a big one; I just went in the grass and brushed the wall a little bit. Then there were some really interesting ten minutes for me to sit in the car and see if anyone was doing better but they weren't even close.”
Rodolfo Avila: “It was pretty good. I'm really happy with my team. They did a great job and the car was driveable so I qualified and that was the important thing. The car was not set up right but I qualified so I'm quite happy. Tomorrow we'll do our best and see what happens tomorrow.”
RACE (ROUND 15): Race day was sunny in direct contrast to the qualifying sessions. Hopefully that meant that everyone would be sensible, after all the red flags on Saturday. Actually, they were probably too sensible, because the race really wasn’t especially exciting, with a couple of overtaking moves, but people mostly staying where they started out. Juho was unlucky at the start, losing a place to Gonzalez within the first two corners, but then settled in behind the Venezuelan to collect another podium position and 15 very useful points. Rodolfo started out well too, catching up on Cristiano Morgado (Fluid Motorsport), but then found the car’s handling starting to go off as the race wore on. He would eventually lose ground badly as the tyres got warmer and warmer, and finished the race a rather distant and disappointed 4th. Considering the state of the car, he was probably fortunate to manage to finish that well.
RACE (ROUND 16): In the second race of the day, Juho again lost out on the second corner, this time to Morgado. However, what followed was probably the most exciting battle of the day. Immediately behind Juho was Gonzalez, and he wanted to come through. Juho wasn’t about to let him, and anyway he was also busy trying to find a way back past Morgado. The three of them, along with Alex Waters, ran most of the race nose-to-tail, like a high speed train. Waters would eventually drop back, his lack of experience telling on him, but the other three simply kept right on battling it out all the way to the flag. There were some very sideways moments out there, the tension only letting up when the officials had to scramble the Safety Car after Keiko Ihara (Carlin Motorsport) went off. Meanwhile, Rodolfo was attempting to catch Waters with intent to relieve him of 4th place, when it all started to go wrong. Once again, as the tyres warmed up, the car’s performance started to deteriorate. The Safety Car allowed him to let the tyres cool off a little, but at the restart it all fell apart. He got on the kerbs and found his out-of-control car sliding towards the tyre wall. The impact was a large one, and the car was once again heavily damaged. In fact the accident led to the race being brought to a premature end with a red-flag, the results being declared one lap back.
RACE QUOTES (ROUNDS 15 & 16): Juho Annala: “Both starts I was super-unlucky in the second corner. I choose the wrong line in both ones and it just didn't go anywhere and first the outside was good and then in the other one the inside line was good and I was in the middle so it was a bit unfortunate! I was really confident. I had pace – I noticed that straight away – and I could do a good result in the second one, but obviously I was a little bit slower than Cristiano in a couple of places and it was the wrong place, because I couldn't get in the slipstream for the straight or anything like that. And I had to work really, really hard in the second one. I saw Gonzalez was all over the place behind me. The first one was disappointing because I was really disappointed with the car. It was working yesterday so good, the best ever, but this morning it's not working at all... but now I think the conditions are more or less the same now as what it was in the qualifying. The car was good; I could push, I could do the job I needed but this time it was not good enough. I think I've shown now to everyone that I can be quick in qualifying, in races.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning was a big problem as well. The car was quite good in the beginning, and I was super quick. I was catching up to Morgado this morning, but as the tyres got warmer and soft the car started handling really bad and there was nothing much I could do on that race. The car felt a bit different as well, and we missed a bit of testing, qualifying as well. This afternoon was even worse. I started really badly, and I couldn't catch up. I was pushing hard and as my tyres got hotter they got even worse. Behind the Safety Car things started to get better. I let my tyres cool down and I decided to push to see if I could not get Waters. I think I pushed a bit too much, because I got a bit up on the kerb which doesn't forgive you. It's too high and the car is too low and I just steered straight into the tyre wall.”
Points after 16 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 283 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 217 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 196 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 119 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 17 & 18, Mugello, Italy, September 15th/17th.
Report from Silverstone, Rounds 13 & 14
QUALIFYING (ROUND 13):
At Silverstone this weekend, the British F3
International Series latest rounds saw Performance
Racing’s three drivers, Juho Annala, Rodolfo
Avila and Ricardo Teixeira, in action again. On a
track made slippery by the Grand Prix Masters cars
which were dropping oil and leaving rubber all over
the place, practice was never going to be easy. No
one was helped by the fact that the session started
early on Saturday morning, the F3 runners being sent
out so the old fellows in the GPM cars (Emerson
Fittipaldi, Stefan Johansson, Nigel Mansell and the
like) didn’t have to get up too early. It was
made even more complicated by a tyre problem that
plagued the whole field. The Avon rubber everyone
must use was not performing in its normal manner.
Instead of taking several laps to reach its optimum
stickiness, giving the drivers a lap or two after
that to set a competitive time, the tyres were going
off after 3 or 4 laps and starting to grain and wear
horribly. Sure enough, the times that stuck were the
ones set in the first four laps, and then, when most
drivers would have expected to be able to push on and
go faster, nothing much happened. In fact, most
drivers figured this out very early and returned to
the pits, sitting out the greater part of the session
in an attempt to preserve their tyres as much as
possible for use in Sunday’s race.
Juho was fast in the very early stages, holding provisional pole, while series leader Rodolfo Gonzalez (T-Sport) struggled with the cold, windy weather, and tyres that were less than pristine after a grassy moment. Sadly for Juho it didn't stay like that, and as he too found his tyres losing effectiveness, Gonzalez moved ahead of the Finn, as did Cristiano Morgado (Fluid Motorsport). Luck was clearly on Morgado's side, as he actually managed to squeeze one more flying lap from his tyres, taking Class pole before retreating to the pits. Rodolfo was looking confident despite the worn tyres, and was just shy of Juho's pace to claim 4th. Ricardo, in contrast, was having difficulties getting to grips with the situation after an off-track excursion at Priory. He came in to swap the tyres round, and then stayed out till the end of the session. It was no use; the tyres were too far gone and he could only manage to qualify 6th. He wasn't too happy.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 13): Juho Annala: “The first session I felt like I wasn't really quick, to be honest, and that was the case. Then I noticed that I think everyone had some problems with the tyres. The fronts are graining quite a bit and I think the first was not too much of a problem.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning was much better. I started much more aggressive and I fixed some of the line problems that I had since yesterday and the last two days, and we've been working more on the car, correcting all our mistakes and pushing a bit more every time. Since yesterday I just got one second and a half so it's really good. The first days I was really struggling here and I'm just getting on pace and it seems like now I'm getting closer to everyone and 1 second is enough for us all to race together. I think tomorrow will be quite interesting...”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The first qualifying I tried to push too early, the first few laps, and then I got a little bit of understeer through the end, and my fast lap I screwed up really, through Priory and went to the grass and then after that the tyres were gone and I came in and we swapped the tyres but that was it.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 14): Anyone who had been paying attention in the morning session knew there was no point in circulating gently for a handful of laps trying warm up your tyres before going for a quick lap. If you tried that, you'd be out of luck, because the tyres would be long gone. It was a case of going out on your out lap, then, provided you were happy with the car and didn't need any last minute tweaks, you had to put the hammer down and go. The only trouble with that plan was that Alex Khateeb (Promatecme F3) wasn’t playing the game. The Lebanese had lost it and was off in the gravel, causing much waving of yellow flags and a general need to slow down on the part of the rest of the drivers. It didn’t slow Juho down, because he’d pitted anyway straight after his out lap, thus missing all the excitement. It didn’t seem to have slowed Morgado down either, because early on he was on class pole, and 4th overall (which was pretty unusual).
As the Championship Class runners all put in times, he slipped back down the order and fell within reach of the others. Rodolfo was running well, and was 2nd, ahead of Gonzalez, but that would all change in the rash of improvements that started to come thick and fast. Martin Kudzak (Fluid Motorsport) was now 3rd in class, ahead of Gonzalez, and Ricardo was next, while Juho was an unaccustomed 6th. A further round of changes saw Gonzalez move into 2nd, and a lap later claim class pole, while Juho put in a good time for 3rd. Meanwhile, there was no more to be got from the tyres, and there was no point in continuing to flog round to no effect, wearing out your rubber before the race. Everyone returned to the pits and again waited for the chequered flag.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 14): Juho Annala: “Second session I think was better. I was lots closer and the car worked OK. The only thing is I don't know how to qualify and do the lap in the first three laps... so I'm a little bit disappointed in that but the tyres – I got my best lap in my second lap and after that I notice that I can push more, but for the third lap it was too late and the fourth lap I made my second best time and just found something in the lines. I should have done that in the second lap. It was a trouble free run in that way (there were no yellows). I think now it all levels out a little bit. Tyres are OK; the second set is really, really good. I was really trying to be gentle and save them.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This afternoon I think I was not quite very lucky because when I came out there was yellow flags so I had to slow down so my laps were not that quick, but still I saved my tyres and I didn't want to push anymore because the tyre time was already gone. It’s such a big circuit, the tyres just fly away. I think I did a good choice, just come in and the time is good and tomorrow I have good tyres and if everything goes right for the race it could be really good. The week didn't start very well, but now we worked quite hard to get there and I think we're there.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The second session I went with massive understeer as well and I think the first lap I didn't warm up the tyres not at all and I just went straight to it. I think the set up was wrong and even though we swapped round I damaged the front left tyre, so it's like a lottery.”
RACE (ROUND 13): Perhaps it was just as well for all concerned, but race day dawned very grey and more importantly wet. No one would have to run on worn out slicks. Instead wet weather tyres were mounted on all the cars, and the first F3 race of the day started in a massive cloud of spray. In the resulting mayhem, both Gonzalez and Morgado lost a massive amount of ground, while Kudzak shot into the class lead, ahead of Juho. Ricardo didn’t survive the first lap, getting taken out when Basil Shaaban (Comtec) ran into him, breaking the Dallara’s rear wing. A corner later, and he was out of the race for good, the car refusing to turn as a result of the damage. Rodolfo wasn’t faring a lot better, getting T-boned by Keiko Ihara (Carlin Motorsport). She was out on the spot, but Rodolfo managed to continue. Meanwhile, in 2nd place in class, Juho was having an interesting morning. He was now behind Karl Reindler (Alan Docking Racing), the Australian’s cart now handling dreadfully. Juho was well aware that behind him, Gonzalez was staging a recovery, and was getting ever closer. Juho went on the attack, trying to pass Reindler. He got ahead at Abbey then got into a spin, and accidentally wiped out the unfortunate Reindler. Juho now had a hole in the nose of his car and there were bits falling off the wings. However, wasn’t about to quit just because of a bit of damage! It did let Gonzalez through into 2nd, the Venezuelan going on to pass Kudzak as well, only to tangle with a Championship Class runner on the final lap, thus letting Juho back up to 2nd, despite the Finn having another moment at Abbey when he simply ran out of road! Rodolfo Avila was 4th in the end, after Morgado had also come back from his early spin.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 13): Juho Annala: “There was loads of action there for sure and my start was not brilliant and then I got a little bit caught up in some traffic in the second and third corner. Then I was just pretty much trying to catch up Kudzak. He made a really good start and then didn't get caught up in the traffic. I think like in the second lap he was loads in front and I though what he hell is he doing up there! He did a good race and I couldn't catch him up, though after the Safety Car I was really close. But yeah, how we ended up in the Safety Car, that's another story! I was catching up Reindler really quick. His car was absolutely terrible - it didn't work at all. I caught him up in Club, and got inside him, dived in, he was alright, the move was done then I went a little bit wide, so I had to cut the kerb for the next corner, and it just unsettled the car, and it was really slippery and I spun. I tried to keep the throttle down to make a 360, but I only managed 270 when he hit me. Obviously he had nowhere to go, and it's unfortunate really to hit him. The front was a little bit damaged, and I thought that I can continue and I notice that the grip level in the front just went away but I still tried my best and luckily the Safety Car came in. It helped me a little bit and then all the rest of the guys did mistakes and this is how I end up second! I'm still pretty impressed with myself, you know, because the speed I have in the last two laps was pretty good I think. I think it was awesome! I just felt all this chips of carbon fibre flying into my mouth, and air coming under it so I thought there must be a hole in my car somewhere! I'm really pleased to finish second after an eventful race, and hopefully the next one is a little bit more normal.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning it was quite tough and it was a hard race for me. I made a really good start but I had some problems with a Japanese driver, and she took me off. We continued - I survived and she didn't. It was not a very lucky race. After the Safety Car I got hit from behind (by Shaaban) and we both spun, and after that it was hard because I was a bit behind and luck was definitely not on my side one more time.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The start was OK but I couldn't see anything so I thought I'd go cautious for the first corner and then start to get into the race. And actually was lucky me because I just went and got to the corner when a few cars was spinning around there. Was completely chaos and then when I sort myself out it was good and I get to Priory after the Bridge I was trying to overtake the Lebanese man and I think I got to touch on my back because the rear wing was gone and when I touched the brakes at Priory the car just snapped. I barely had time to control it and change gear down and it went. Finished.”
RACE (ROUND 14): The second race of the day was run in dry conditions, which meant everyone was back on the grained, worn out slicks that had got them through qualifying. This was going to make life difficult for everybody. The situation favoured the more experienced drivers, like Juho, rather than Rodolfo, but even the Finn would struggle. The race duly started, and Gonzalez shot into the lead in the normal way of things. Behind him, Morgado had a spin, while Juho and Rodolfo squabbled over 3rd place. Juho got the better of Rodolfo in the end, though it was by no means easy. While the Championship Class runners were tripping over each other at the front, Gonzalez was on his way to yet another victory, and Rodolfo was dropping back as the tyres on his Dallara deteriorated to the point where the car was becoming undriveable. He wasn’t the only one in trouble, which allowed him to fight with Kudzak for the rest of the race, until the Swede lost ground on the last lap. As if he hadn’t had enough of the Performance drivers, he was then left to battle with Ricardo, who just lost out at the end because his car was oversteering so badly. Juho was unable to get on terms with Morgado when he too found his tyres wouldn’t work properly any longer. He made a mistake, and that let Ihara back through. After that all Juho could do was concentrate on making sure no one else came past him. He came home for another podium placing, but would have preferred to get in terms with Morgado.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 14): Juho Annala: “I was stuck behind Avila. I got past him and then he just came back past me in the next corner. I don't really understand why because we could have caught them I think together. And we lost precious time there and then I was just trying to catch up and I was pushing more and more, the car just started to understeer more and more. Well, obviously it was a problem for everybody today because there's absolutely no rubber at all. The tyres are wrecked. Then I was trying to push still to the end. I thought if Cristiano does a mistake or something I would still be pretty close, but I was the one who made the mistake, when I ran wide in Beckets and then Keiko got past me and I thought, well, that's it. Then I was just controlling that no one is coming there from behind.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This afternoon things started out pretty well and I had a really good car on the first four laps. But after that my tyres were just gone and I just had loads of understeer and I was losing a lot in the fast parts and I would lose all the way down the straight so I couldn't keep the opposition behind me. I pushed right back and I never gave up and I gave 100% all my race. It was good fun racing against Kudzak. It's better.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “Well, I done a good start and overtake Kudzak, Shaaban and Keiko from the outside on the first corner but then I went to the grass. When I'm coming back in Buurman, I think the engine blows up in front of me. I had to brake and then I lose through all the straight to the other guys, more than half the straight, and when I was trying to push the car wasn't there, it was like I was understeering like a madman. The tyres were really bad. They were pretty bad at the end of the qualifying. It was difficult and I don't think I have the experience to try to go faster in bad conditions. I did a mistake trying to overtake him (Kudzak) at the end too. He had the same problem I think, understeering. I saw his car was all over, but mine as well when I tried to overtake him. I couldn't because the steering was completely full lock turning and it was going straight.“
Points after 12 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 250 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 184 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 166 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 109 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 15 & 16, Brands Hatch, Kent, August 26th/27th.
Juho was fast in the very early stages, holding provisional pole, while series leader Rodolfo Gonzalez (T-Sport) struggled with the cold, windy weather, and tyres that were less than pristine after a grassy moment. Sadly for Juho it didn't stay like that, and as he too found his tyres losing effectiveness, Gonzalez moved ahead of the Finn, as did Cristiano Morgado (Fluid Motorsport). Luck was clearly on Morgado's side, as he actually managed to squeeze one more flying lap from his tyres, taking Class pole before retreating to the pits. Rodolfo was looking confident despite the worn tyres, and was just shy of Juho's pace to claim 4th. Ricardo, in contrast, was having difficulties getting to grips with the situation after an off-track excursion at Priory. He came in to swap the tyres round, and then stayed out till the end of the session. It was no use; the tyres were too far gone and he could only manage to qualify 6th. He wasn't too happy.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 13): Juho Annala: “The first session I felt like I wasn't really quick, to be honest, and that was the case. Then I noticed that I think everyone had some problems with the tyres. The fronts are graining quite a bit and I think the first was not too much of a problem.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning was much better. I started much more aggressive and I fixed some of the line problems that I had since yesterday and the last two days, and we've been working more on the car, correcting all our mistakes and pushing a bit more every time. Since yesterday I just got one second and a half so it's really good. The first days I was really struggling here and I'm just getting on pace and it seems like now I'm getting closer to everyone and 1 second is enough for us all to race together. I think tomorrow will be quite interesting...”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The first qualifying I tried to push too early, the first few laps, and then I got a little bit of understeer through the end, and my fast lap I screwed up really, through Priory and went to the grass and then after that the tyres were gone and I came in and we swapped the tyres but that was it.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 14): Anyone who had been paying attention in the morning session knew there was no point in circulating gently for a handful of laps trying warm up your tyres before going for a quick lap. If you tried that, you'd be out of luck, because the tyres would be long gone. It was a case of going out on your out lap, then, provided you were happy with the car and didn't need any last minute tweaks, you had to put the hammer down and go. The only trouble with that plan was that Alex Khateeb (Promatecme F3) wasn’t playing the game. The Lebanese had lost it and was off in the gravel, causing much waving of yellow flags and a general need to slow down on the part of the rest of the drivers. It didn’t slow Juho down, because he’d pitted anyway straight after his out lap, thus missing all the excitement. It didn’t seem to have slowed Morgado down either, because early on he was on class pole, and 4th overall (which was pretty unusual).
As the Championship Class runners all put in times, he slipped back down the order and fell within reach of the others. Rodolfo was running well, and was 2nd, ahead of Gonzalez, but that would all change in the rash of improvements that started to come thick and fast. Martin Kudzak (Fluid Motorsport) was now 3rd in class, ahead of Gonzalez, and Ricardo was next, while Juho was an unaccustomed 6th. A further round of changes saw Gonzalez move into 2nd, and a lap later claim class pole, while Juho put in a good time for 3rd. Meanwhile, there was no more to be got from the tyres, and there was no point in continuing to flog round to no effect, wearing out your rubber before the race. Everyone returned to the pits and again waited for the chequered flag.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 14): Juho Annala: “Second session I think was better. I was lots closer and the car worked OK. The only thing is I don't know how to qualify and do the lap in the first three laps... so I'm a little bit disappointed in that but the tyres – I got my best lap in my second lap and after that I notice that I can push more, but for the third lap it was too late and the fourth lap I made my second best time and just found something in the lines. I should have done that in the second lap. It was a trouble free run in that way (there were no yellows). I think now it all levels out a little bit. Tyres are OK; the second set is really, really good. I was really trying to be gentle and save them.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This afternoon I think I was not quite very lucky because when I came out there was yellow flags so I had to slow down so my laps were not that quick, but still I saved my tyres and I didn't want to push anymore because the tyre time was already gone. It’s such a big circuit, the tyres just fly away. I think I did a good choice, just come in and the time is good and tomorrow I have good tyres and if everything goes right for the race it could be really good. The week didn't start very well, but now we worked quite hard to get there and I think we're there.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The second session I went with massive understeer as well and I think the first lap I didn't warm up the tyres not at all and I just went straight to it. I think the set up was wrong and even though we swapped round I damaged the front left tyre, so it's like a lottery.”
RACE (ROUND 13): Perhaps it was just as well for all concerned, but race day dawned very grey and more importantly wet. No one would have to run on worn out slicks. Instead wet weather tyres were mounted on all the cars, and the first F3 race of the day started in a massive cloud of spray. In the resulting mayhem, both Gonzalez and Morgado lost a massive amount of ground, while Kudzak shot into the class lead, ahead of Juho. Ricardo didn’t survive the first lap, getting taken out when Basil Shaaban (Comtec) ran into him, breaking the Dallara’s rear wing. A corner later, and he was out of the race for good, the car refusing to turn as a result of the damage. Rodolfo wasn’t faring a lot better, getting T-boned by Keiko Ihara (Carlin Motorsport). She was out on the spot, but Rodolfo managed to continue. Meanwhile, in 2nd place in class, Juho was having an interesting morning. He was now behind Karl Reindler (Alan Docking Racing), the Australian’s cart now handling dreadfully. Juho was well aware that behind him, Gonzalez was staging a recovery, and was getting ever closer. Juho went on the attack, trying to pass Reindler. He got ahead at Abbey then got into a spin, and accidentally wiped out the unfortunate Reindler. Juho now had a hole in the nose of his car and there were bits falling off the wings. However, wasn’t about to quit just because of a bit of damage! It did let Gonzalez through into 2nd, the Venezuelan going on to pass Kudzak as well, only to tangle with a Championship Class runner on the final lap, thus letting Juho back up to 2nd, despite the Finn having another moment at Abbey when he simply ran out of road! Rodolfo Avila was 4th in the end, after Morgado had also come back from his early spin.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 13): Juho Annala: “There was loads of action there for sure and my start was not brilliant and then I got a little bit caught up in some traffic in the second and third corner. Then I was just pretty much trying to catch up Kudzak. He made a really good start and then didn't get caught up in the traffic. I think like in the second lap he was loads in front and I though what he hell is he doing up there! He did a good race and I couldn't catch him up, though after the Safety Car I was really close. But yeah, how we ended up in the Safety Car, that's another story! I was catching up Reindler really quick. His car was absolutely terrible - it didn't work at all. I caught him up in Club, and got inside him, dived in, he was alright, the move was done then I went a little bit wide, so I had to cut the kerb for the next corner, and it just unsettled the car, and it was really slippery and I spun. I tried to keep the throttle down to make a 360, but I only managed 270 when he hit me. Obviously he had nowhere to go, and it's unfortunate really to hit him. The front was a little bit damaged, and I thought that I can continue and I notice that the grip level in the front just went away but I still tried my best and luckily the Safety Car came in. It helped me a little bit and then all the rest of the guys did mistakes and this is how I end up second! I'm still pretty impressed with myself, you know, because the speed I have in the last two laps was pretty good I think. I think it was awesome! I just felt all this chips of carbon fibre flying into my mouth, and air coming under it so I thought there must be a hole in my car somewhere! I'm really pleased to finish second after an eventful race, and hopefully the next one is a little bit more normal.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This morning it was quite tough and it was a hard race for me. I made a really good start but I had some problems with a Japanese driver, and she took me off. We continued - I survived and she didn't. It was not a very lucky race. After the Safety Car I got hit from behind (by Shaaban) and we both spun, and after that it was hard because I was a bit behind and luck was definitely not on my side one more time.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “The start was OK but I couldn't see anything so I thought I'd go cautious for the first corner and then start to get into the race. And actually was lucky me because I just went and got to the corner when a few cars was spinning around there. Was completely chaos and then when I sort myself out it was good and I get to Priory after the Bridge I was trying to overtake the Lebanese man and I think I got to touch on my back because the rear wing was gone and when I touched the brakes at Priory the car just snapped. I barely had time to control it and change gear down and it went. Finished.”
RACE (ROUND 14): The second race of the day was run in dry conditions, which meant everyone was back on the grained, worn out slicks that had got them through qualifying. This was going to make life difficult for everybody. The situation favoured the more experienced drivers, like Juho, rather than Rodolfo, but even the Finn would struggle. The race duly started, and Gonzalez shot into the lead in the normal way of things. Behind him, Morgado had a spin, while Juho and Rodolfo squabbled over 3rd place. Juho got the better of Rodolfo in the end, though it was by no means easy. While the Championship Class runners were tripping over each other at the front, Gonzalez was on his way to yet another victory, and Rodolfo was dropping back as the tyres on his Dallara deteriorated to the point where the car was becoming undriveable. He wasn’t the only one in trouble, which allowed him to fight with Kudzak for the rest of the race, until the Swede lost ground on the last lap. As if he hadn’t had enough of the Performance drivers, he was then left to battle with Ricardo, who just lost out at the end because his car was oversteering so badly. Juho was unable to get on terms with Morgado when he too found his tyres wouldn’t work properly any longer. He made a mistake, and that let Ihara back through. After that all Juho could do was concentrate on making sure no one else came past him. He came home for another podium placing, but would have preferred to get in terms with Morgado.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 14): Juho Annala: “I was stuck behind Avila. I got past him and then he just came back past me in the next corner. I don't really understand why because we could have caught them I think together. And we lost precious time there and then I was just trying to catch up and I was pushing more and more, the car just started to understeer more and more. Well, obviously it was a problem for everybody today because there's absolutely no rubber at all. The tyres are wrecked. Then I was trying to push still to the end. I thought if Cristiano does a mistake or something I would still be pretty close, but I was the one who made the mistake, when I ran wide in Beckets and then Keiko got past me and I thought, well, that's it. Then I was just controlling that no one is coming there from behind.”
Rodolfo Avila: “This afternoon things started out pretty well and I had a really good car on the first four laps. But after that my tyres were just gone and I just had loads of understeer and I was losing a lot in the fast parts and I would lose all the way down the straight so I couldn't keep the opposition behind me. I pushed right back and I never gave up and I gave 100% all my race. It was good fun racing against Kudzak. It's better.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “Well, I done a good start and overtake Kudzak, Shaaban and Keiko from the outside on the first corner but then I went to the grass. When I'm coming back in Buurman, I think the engine blows up in front of me. I had to brake and then I lose through all the straight to the other guys, more than half the straight, and when I was trying to push the car wasn't there, it was like I was understeering like a madman. The tyres were really bad. They were pretty bad at the end of the qualifying. It was difficult and I don't think I have the experience to try to go faster in bad conditions. I did a mistake trying to overtake him (Kudzak) at the end too. He had the same problem I think, understeering. I saw his car was all over, but mine as well when I tried to overtake him. I couldn't because the steering was completely full lock turning and it was going straight.“
Points after 12 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 250 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 184 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 166 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 109 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 15 & 16, Brands Hatch, Kent, August 26th/27th.
Report from Francorchamps, Rounds 11 & 12
QUALIFYING (ROUND 11):
With Belgium sweltering under the Europe-wide
heat-wave, Performance Racing once again took part in
the National Class category of the latest rounds of
the 2006 British F3 International Series. It was a
messy sort of session on Thursday evening, with a red
flag caused by Championship Class front-runner Mike
Conway, who slammed into the barriers at Raidillon
just after setting a flying lap time. When the
session was stopped, Rodolfo Gonzalez (T-Sport) was
almost inevitably on pole, while Cristiano Morgado
(Fluid Motorsport) and Performance’s Juho
Annala fought it out for second. The fastest times
were mostly set in the middle ten minutes of the
session, and the last ten minutes were pretty much a
waste of time, the tyres going right off in the
sweltering heat. Juho was having a bit of trouble
finding clear air to try and set a flying lap, and
was having trouble with his regular bête noir, Keiko
Ihara (Carlin Motorsport), the Japanese lady driver
once again getting in the way of faster cars, but
making no attempt to get out of their way. In fact
Juho wasn’t alone in having trouble getting on
the pace. Both Rodolfo Avila (who has never raced at
Spa before) and Ricardo Teixeira were having
difficulties finding their rhythm on this incredibly
difficult circuit. By the time the flag fell, Juho
was 3rd, while Rodolfo and Ricardo were 5th and 6th
respectively. There would be a lot of work to do in
the race.
QUALIFYING (ROUND 12):.On Friday morning the weather was as close as ever and the session started absurdly early. It didn’t help that because of where the paddock was, you really needed to get out as soon a possible. The F3s were parked an awful long way from the pit lane. The cars then lined up at Eau Rouge, having taken a somewhat circuitous route through the paddock, and had to complete almost an entire lap before they could even start a timed lap. In a 30-minute session, you could waste an awful lot of time that way. By way of a change, Morgado was an early leader, from Juho and Rodolfo, while Gonzalez was 4th. It seemed a bit unusual to say the least, but no one at Performance was complaining. They were even less inclined to grumble when Juho went one better than Morgado and claimed the provisional class pole. Sadly, it proved impossible to hang onto, which was made even more annoying because he’d been fastest for most of the session when Gonzalez dug deep and leapt ahead. And as if that wasn’t enough, Morgado staged a late comeback to be 2nd in class, leaving Juho a frustrated 3rd. Ricardo was pretty frustrated too; having had a spin and managed to rejoined, he slipped down the order to qualify 6th, while Rodolfo was 4th in class by the end of the session.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUNDS 11 & 12): Juho Annala: “I was slow in qualifying as usual, I don’t know why. I’ve been trying for 10 years. But it’s always the same it seems to be everything’s alright but then other peoples goes faster I don’t know really what to do. The second session was alright but stops too quick! I had trouble with Ihara again in qualifying today, just stupid things. She’s slow but then in the straights she’s quick. I know it’s hard to be in that position. I think in Silverstone I don’t qualify at all, I just save the tyres for the race; I need to try that and start from the back! I just do 2 laps so I get past all these slow guys and then I start from 5th or something and doesn’t make a difference.”
Rodolfo Avila: “Yesterday qualifying was not very good. I was really slow all the practice sessions and the qualifying as well. Today we started off better and we pushed a bit more in the early laps. I managed to improve a second today so I’m happy with it and I know I can even improve more. My quickest lap I had a big mistake and I didn’t have any tow. So I think if I get everything in the right position in the race it could be a fun race to watch and we can all battle together; I think it would be an interesting race. It’s not so much about the car, it’s about me. It’s about knowing the circuits, it’s about knowing the limits, where you can really push and what you can really do with the car on the circuit. I’m getting there slowly. Every time I go on the track I try to improve. I just think yesterday in two sessions I lost a bit of time without improving anything and today I had a lot of hard work to do this morning but I still managed to improve one second. I’m quite happy with it, but I’ll still have to be smart.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “In qualifying I was just completely out of the pace…I don’t know what the problem is to be honest. I’m just losing a little but everywhere. The problem is the track is very big and has long straights. I just cannot figure out how to catch up and every time I push I overdrive the car and I get too slow I don’t know. Today was something in my head. I’m not going to say I was trying too hard but I was not being calm. I think probably the race maybe its better, because I’m going to try to find that, but in qualifying it seems that my head isn’t right. I got spun. I got a tow from Salvador then I tried to brake even later when I was like 22 kph even faster than I was before… But it’s a nice track it’s a beautiful place.”
RACE (ROUND 11): The weather broke just before the start of the race, with thunder, lightning and a tree at Eau Rouge on fire after a direct strike. It didn’t bode well. The cars set off on their formation lap only to have the drivers discover that the track was went on one side and not on the other. There was a great deal of confusion as a result, with some of the runners opting to stay on slick tyres because they believed it would dry out quickly, and others electing to come in to the pits and change to wet weather tyres, thus having to start the race from the pitlane. Juho and Rodolfo both decided on a tyre change, while Ricardo opted for slicks and took up his place on the grid. The race started tidily enough, but there were problems in the pit lane. First the team had difficulties changing Rodolfo’s rear tyres, and then, when Juho tried to leave the pit lane and join the race, the red light at the end of the pit lane was on (meaning no one could leave). It turned out the officials hadn’t turned the light off when they were supposed to. Then, when he did finally get out, someone showed him the Safety Car warning board so he set off at a cautious pace. About halfway round he realised he’d not seen any yellow flags at all, or for that matter any more Safety Car warnings, at which point he set off in pursuit at racing pace. Rodolfo was also delayed by the lights and rejoined what felt like days later, though it was only around 20 seconds. As Gonzalez had also pitted for tyres – and had also been held up – the National Class was being led by Morgado, from Martin Kudzak (Fluid Motorsport) and Ricardo, who was catching Kudzak and thinking about challenging for 2nd. His plans were scuppered when the rain really started to come down, making the whole track impossibly slippery. It worked to Juho and Rodolfo’s advantage of course, and despite a trip into the gravel, Juho made up sufficient ground in the wet to finish 3rd once again, Gonzalez having hacked his way back into the lead. Rodolfo lost out to Kudzak for 4th because he ran out of time, and Ricardo finished 6th.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 11): Juho Annala: “It was the most boring race I’ve ever done. The tyre choice was my call and I got a little bit confused. They showed a Safety Car sign in the pits, so I don’t know what that idiot was doing there! So I wasn’t really pushing that hard in the first laps and then when I got to the other side I just noticed there’s no yellows, there’s no Safety Car sign so I’d better start pushing a little bit harder. Then I just drove and spun and got stuck and thought that was it. I might as well go in, but luckily I didn’t, I just kept it on the track. I wasn’t really quick though. I think the championship is gone for sure. It seems to be that there’s something little that they (T-Sport and Gonzalez) have got more.”
Rodolfo Avila: ”I was 2 minutes and 20 seconds in the pits and lost one lap. It felt like it was half an hour! There was a big mess and I don’t know why the traffic light was red, because after the race starts you know it’s never red. After that I was driving around by myself and when the first time I see a car it was “Whoa!” Then I managed to go past Ricardo and I finished really close to Kudzak. But I was left in the pits and I lost a lot of time. If it wasn’t for that I’m sure that I could have gone really quick. Juho did the same and he finished on the podium and we have the same lap times. Even if I had someone in front of me like Juho I could have pushed more, but driving by myself I thought I was driving really bad. When I came in the pits the guys said you looked really good, but I thought I was driving really bad because I had no one to follow so I didn’t know what the pace was, so I thought I was total last. But I kept pushing, pushing, pushing until I got quite happy when I saw Teixeira so I overtook him because I thought it was the last lap. I had a bit of a moment and I went on the inside like crazy overtaking but that’s the way it is! I still try to overtake Kudzak but I must say there was not enough space in between so I just had to let it go. My pace was quite good but we really messed up a little bit in the pits (getting the wheel change wrong) and then the traffic lights being red at the pits just made it worse even more, or else I could have passed Kudzak and been second. This year my luck is not here.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “It was a crazy race. We went for a formation lap and it was raining on the other side of the track so they asked me if I wanted to come in and I was going to get in but I saw everybody getting in so I thought I’m going to stay here! So I just went to the grid so there’s like just 7 cars with the dry tyres on the grid. So I was 4th in my class so I thought if it’s dry I have a big chance because there’s no way the wet guys are going to catch us. So I spent 7 laps in 3rd position being catched up by other people with the right tyres. Suddenly it just starts raining everywhere and then it was very, very difficult. I saw that we had a big advantage in the first laps because it took them 8 laps to catch us. We had a really good advantage in the first laps and I just had to keep there. I was 3rd then Kudzak done a mistake, I thought I’m going to get 2nd now, but then I spin out. It was raining like hell! I spun because all those class As were trying to get on my rear and after that everybody with wet tyres was just passing to me like very quick There was no point in fighting cause if I tried to fight I go out. I just regretted that after it started raining if I went to the pits and changed tyres I’d be still in front of them, but when you’re in the race you’re not thinking properly. I took a risk and it worked at the beginning. I should have taken a second risk if I want to take 2nd place. I could have just drive and been in top ten of Championship Class.”
RACE (ROUND 12): On Saturday morning the weather was better than it had been for Round 11, but only just. Fog had settled over the Ardennes overnight, and was still very thick at the highest points of the track when the field lined up. Juho had trouble getting off the line in the pre-grid and then drove through the field to retake his place on the grid. The team had told him it was OK to do so, but the trouble is the regulations say you can’t do that. It earned Juho a drive-through, which he thought was pretty harsh after Ihara came close to squeezing him into the wall, and then overtook him under yellows. Kudzak did the same, so Juho was baffled as to what he’d done that warranted a penalty. He’d been 3rd when he came in to serve his penalty. Luckily, he came back out as a Safety Car period started, which allowed him to catch up with the field. He was then able to pass Ricardo, Kudzak and later Rodolfo (who had been running 3rd until his car’s battery gave out behind the Safety Car and he had to crawl to the pits to retire). Meanwhile, Ricardo came in to serve a drive-through he hadn’t actually earned. Apart from Juho’s second podium of the weekend, it was a frustrating morning for the team. Ricardo finally came home 5th, but of course Rodolfo was unable to finish the race.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 12): Juho Annala: “I have no idea (what the penalty was for). I didn’t do a jump start and I think Keiko should have had a penalty. She pushed me in the wall in the start so then actually Keiko and Kudzak overtook me under yellow so then I get the drive through penalty! It was really, really frustrating for me because I knew I had the pace although my first couple of laps were not really good. I did not have enough grip but then it just started working so I was pushing really, really hard and I felt that the car is better like every lap. Then the Safety car came in and I overtook all the guys. I got some help, well Rodolfo, he came in, I mean I don’t know why. Something was broken, so it was all right!”
Rodolfo Avila: “I started off pretty good. I had a good start and in the first lap I made 2 positions. I was trying to catch up with Morgado but he was a bit quicker. I was always on his back but on some parts of the track I was quicker than him, I was catching up. Throughout the race my battery was always low. I managed to keep on racing but then I spun and I lost 3rd place, 4th, then the Safety Car came in so that was not a big problem. I could catch up to Kudzak, but while the Safety Car was on my battery just died. My car just died and there was nothing I could do. I just struggled to even come in back to the pits and that was it.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “Rubbish! I messed up in the first laps and I got a big gap between the other guys and me. So I start to get angry and frustrated for the first few laps. Then I had to do a drive through, so then I come out from the pit lane and I was by myself. The Safety Car came in and I had a chance here then but then I messed up again on the next few laps. I don’t know. I think I’m not really confident with when the tyres are cold or dirty. I start pushing from the first lap after the Safety Car but that was already too late. There were just 12 laps and when the Safety Car came out there were just 4 laps left.”
Points after 12 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 220 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 157 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 139 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 89 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 77 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 68 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 13 & 14, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, August 12th/13th.
QUALIFYING (ROUND 12):.On Friday morning the weather was as close as ever and the session started absurdly early. It didn’t help that because of where the paddock was, you really needed to get out as soon a possible. The F3s were parked an awful long way from the pit lane. The cars then lined up at Eau Rouge, having taken a somewhat circuitous route through the paddock, and had to complete almost an entire lap before they could even start a timed lap. In a 30-minute session, you could waste an awful lot of time that way. By way of a change, Morgado was an early leader, from Juho and Rodolfo, while Gonzalez was 4th. It seemed a bit unusual to say the least, but no one at Performance was complaining. They were even less inclined to grumble when Juho went one better than Morgado and claimed the provisional class pole. Sadly, it proved impossible to hang onto, which was made even more annoying because he’d been fastest for most of the session when Gonzalez dug deep and leapt ahead. And as if that wasn’t enough, Morgado staged a late comeback to be 2nd in class, leaving Juho a frustrated 3rd. Ricardo was pretty frustrated too; having had a spin and managed to rejoined, he slipped down the order to qualify 6th, while Rodolfo was 4th in class by the end of the session.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUNDS 11 & 12): Juho Annala: “I was slow in qualifying as usual, I don’t know why. I’ve been trying for 10 years. But it’s always the same it seems to be everything’s alright but then other peoples goes faster I don’t know really what to do. The second session was alright but stops too quick! I had trouble with Ihara again in qualifying today, just stupid things. She’s slow but then in the straights she’s quick. I know it’s hard to be in that position. I think in Silverstone I don’t qualify at all, I just save the tyres for the race; I need to try that and start from the back! I just do 2 laps so I get past all these slow guys and then I start from 5th or something and doesn’t make a difference.”
Rodolfo Avila: “Yesterday qualifying was not very good. I was really slow all the practice sessions and the qualifying as well. Today we started off better and we pushed a bit more in the early laps. I managed to improve a second today so I’m happy with it and I know I can even improve more. My quickest lap I had a big mistake and I didn’t have any tow. So I think if I get everything in the right position in the race it could be a fun race to watch and we can all battle together; I think it would be an interesting race. It’s not so much about the car, it’s about me. It’s about knowing the circuits, it’s about knowing the limits, where you can really push and what you can really do with the car on the circuit. I’m getting there slowly. Every time I go on the track I try to improve. I just think yesterday in two sessions I lost a bit of time without improving anything and today I had a lot of hard work to do this morning but I still managed to improve one second. I’m quite happy with it, but I’ll still have to be smart.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “In qualifying I was just completely out of the pace…I don’t know what the problem is to be honest. I’m just losing a little but everywhere. The problem is the track is very big and has long straights. I just cannot figure out how to catch up and every time I push I overdrive the car and I get too slow I don’t know. Today was something in my head. I’m not going to say I was trying too hard but I was not being calm. I think probably the race maybe its better, because I’m going to try to find that, but in qualifying it seems that my head isn’t right. I got spun. I got a tow from Salvador then I tried to brake even later when I was like 22 kph even faster than I was before… But it’s a nice track it’s a beautiful place.”
RACE (ROUND 11): The weather broke just before the start of the race, with thunder, lightning and a tree at Eau Rouge on fire after a direct strike. It didn’t bode well. The cars set off on their formation lap only to have the drivers discover that the track was went on one side and not on the other. There was a great deal of confusion as a result, with some of the runners opting to stay on slick tyres because they believed it would dry out quickly, and others electing to come in to the pits and change to wet weather tyres, thus having to start the race from the pitlane. Juho and Rodolfo both decided on a tyre change, while Ricardo opted for slicks and took up his place on the grid. The race started tidily enough, but there were problems in the pit lane. First the team had difficulties changing Rodolfo’s rear tyres, and then, when Juho tried to leave the pit lane and join the race, the red light at the end of the pit lane was on (meaning no one could leave). It turned out the officials hadn’t turned the light off when they were supposed to. Then, when he did finally get out, someone showed him the Safety Car warning board so he set off at a cautious pace. About halfway round he realised he’d not seen any yellow flags at all, or for that matter any more Safety Car warnings, at which point he set off in pursuit at racing pace. Rodolfo was also delayed by the lights and rejoined what felt like days later, though it was only around 20 seconds. As Gonzalez had also pitted for tyres – and had also been held up – the National Class was being led by Morgado, from Martin Kudzak (Fluid Motorsport) and Ricardo, who was catching Kudzak and thinking about challenging for 2nd. His plans were scuppered when the rain really started to come down, making the whole track impossibly slippery. It worked to Juho and Rodolfo’s advantage of course, and despite a trip into the gravel, Juho made up sufficient ground in the wet to finish 3rd once again, Gonzalez having hacked his way back into the lead. Rodolfo lost out to Kudzak for 4th because he ran out of time, and Ricardo finished 6th.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 11): Juho Annala: “It was the most boring race I’ve ever done. The tyre choice was my call and I got a little bit confused. They showed a Safety Car sign in the pits, so I don’t know what that idiot was doing there! So I wasn’t really pushing that hard in the first laps and then when I got to the other side I just noticed there’s no yellows, there’s no Safety Car sign so I’d better start pushing a little bit harder. Then I just drove and spun and got stuck and thought that was it. I might as well go in, but luckily I didn’t, I just kept it on the track. I wasn’t really quick though. I think the championship is gone for sure. It seems to be that there’s something little that they (T-Sport and Gonzalez) have got more.”
Rodolfo Avila: ”I was 2 minutes and 20 seconds in the pits and lost one lap. It felt like it was half an hour! There was a big mess and I don’t know why the traffic light was red, because after the race starts you know it’s never red. After that I was driving around by myself and when the first time I see a car it was “Whoa!” Then I managed to go past Ricardo and I finished really close to Kudzak. But I was left in the pits and I lost a lot of time. If it wasn’t for that I’m sure that I could have gone really quick. Juho did the same and he finished on the podium and we have the same lap times. Even if I had someone in front of me like Juho I could have pushed more, but driving by myself I thought I was driving really bad. When I came in the pits the guys said you looked really good, but I thought I was driving really bad because I had no one to follow so I didn’t know what the pace was, so I thought I was total last. But I kept pushing, pushing, pushing until I got quite happy when I saw Teixeira so I overtook him because I thought it was the last lap. I had a bit of a moment and I went on the inside like crazy overtaking but that’s the way it is! I still try to overtake Kudzak but I must say there was not enough space in between so I just had to let it go. My pace was quite good but we really messed up a little bit in the pits (getting the wheel change wrong) and then the traffic lights being red at the pits just made it worse even more, or else I could have passed Kudzak and been second. This year my luck is not here.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “It was a crazy race. We went for a formation lap and it was raining on the other side of the track so they asked me if I wanted to come in and I was going to get in but I saw everybody getting in so I thought I’m going to stay here! So I just went to the grid so there’s like just 7 cars with the dry tyres on the grid. So I was 4th in my class so I thought if it’s dry I have a big chance because there’s no way the wet guys are going to catch us. So I spent 7 laps in 3rd position being catched up by other people with the right tyres. Suddenly it just starts raining everywhere and then it was very, very difficult. I saw that we had a big advantage in the first laps because it took them 8 laps to catch us. We had a really good advantage in the first laps and I just had to keep there. I was 3rd then Kudzak done a mistake, I thought I’m going to get 2nd now, but then I spin out. It was raining like hell! I spun because all those class As were trying to get on my rear and after that everybody with wet tyres was just passing to me like very quick There was no point in fighting cause if I tried to fight I go out. I just regretted that after it started raining if I went to the pits and changed tyres I’d be still in front of them, but when you’re in the race you’re not thinking properly. I took a risk and it worked at the beginning. I should have taken a second risk if I want to take 2nd place. I could have just drive and been in top ten of Championship Class.”
RACE (ROUND 12): On Saturday morning the weather was better than it had been for Round 11, but only just. Fog had settled over the Ardennes overnight, and was still very thick at the highest points of the track when the field lined up. Juho had trouble getting off the line in the pre-grid and then drove through the field to retake his place on the grid. The team had told him it was OK to do so, but the trouble is the regulations say you can’t do that. It earned Juho a drive-through, which he thought was pretty harsh after Ihara came close to squeezing him into the wall, and then overtook him under yellows. Kudzak did the same, so Juho was baffled as to what he’d done that warranted a penalty. He’d been 3rd when he came in to serve his penalty. Luckily, he came back out as a Safety Car period started, which allowed him to catch up with the field. He was then able to pass Ricardo, Kudzak and later Rodolfo (who had been running 3rd until his car’s battery gave out behind the Safety Car and he had to crawl to the pits to retire). Meanwhile, Ricardo came in to serve a drive-through he hadn’t actually earned. Apart from Juho’s second podium of the weekend, it was a frustrating morning for the team. Ricardo finally came home 5th, but of course Rodolfo was unable to finish the race.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 12): Juho Annala: “I have no idea (what the penalty was for). I didn’t do a jump start and I think Keiko should have had a penalty. She pushed me in the wall in the start so then actually Keiko and Kudzak overtook me under yellow so then I get the drive through penalty! It was really, really frustrating for me because I knew I had the pace although my first couple of laps were not really good. I did not have enough grip but then it just started working so I was pushing really, really hard and I felt that the car is better like every lap. Then the Safety car came in and I overtook all the guys. I got some help, well Rodolfo, he came in, I mean I don’t know why. Something was broken, so it was all right!”
Rodolfo Avila: “I started off pretty good. I had a good start and in the first lap I made 2 positions. I was trying to catch up with Morgado but he was a bit quicker. I was always on his back but on some parts of the track I was quicker than him, I was catching up. Throughout the race my battery was always low. I managed to keep on racing but then I spun and I lost 3rd place, 4th, then the Safety Car came in so that was not a big problem. I could catch up to Kudzak, but while the Safety Car was on my battery just died. My car just died and there was nothing I could do. I just struggled to even come in back to the pits and that was it.”
Ricardo Teixeira: “Rubbish! I messed up in the first laps and I got a big gap between the other guys and me. So I start to get angry and frustrated for the first few laps. Then I had to do a drive through, so then I come out from the pit lane and I was by myself. The Safety Car came in and I had a chance here then but then I messed up again on the next few laps. I don’t know. I think I’m not really confident with when the tyres are cold or dirty. I start pushing from the first lap after the Safety Car but that was already too late. There were just 12 laps and when the Safety Car came out there were just 4 laps left.”
Points after 12 Rounds - National Class
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 220 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 157 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 139 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 89 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 77 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 68 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 13 & 14, Silverstone, Northamptonshire, August 12th/13th.