Sep 2006
Report from Mugello, Italy, Rounds 17 & 18
QUALIFYING (ROUND 17):
In sunny, rapidly drying conditions, the Performance
Racing drivers, Juho Annala and Rodolfo Avila, took
to the technically demanding Ferrari test track at
Mugello for qualifying for the latest rounds of the
British F3 International series. For many drivers
getting to grips with the 15 curves that make up the
5.5k circuit proved a struggle. Certainly Rodolfo was
having trouble acclimatising to the place. Juho was
doing slightly better, despite being annoyed with
himself for failing to qualify properly. Neither of
them benefited from the two Hitech Racing drivers,
James Jakes and James Walker, who seemed to feel the
need to block the National Class runners, even though
they are in the Championship Class themselves.
Neither Juho nor Rodolfo were particularly happy with
the pair of them afterwards. However after a great
deal of chopping and changing, Rodolfo Gonzalez
(T-Sport) took yet another pole position, with
Cristiano Morgado (Fluid) 2nd, slightly ahead of
Annala and Avila.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 17): Juho Annala: “I need to learn how to qualify still... If the car is perfect I can do it but if it's not, then I can't. I feel that I don't know this track yet... And the two Hitech drivers (Jakes and Walker) were both blocking us, but then we pushed them off so that was good! Tell it like it is; they don't have any respect!”
Rodolfo Avila: “I've been struggling since I got here. I've been going quicker today, but I'm still struggling a bit with set up in a few slow corners. It's quite impressive how far behind we are, but let's work and try to get it better. It doesn’t help that here's some Hitech drivers that have no respect for anyone.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 18): By the time the second qualifying session of Saturday, the weather had reverted to something closer to what you would expect of an English autumn day. The sky had gone grey, rain was falling and the temperature had dropped considerably. To begin with Juho and Morgado were fighting it out for pole, although Gonzalez wasn't taking it lying down, the championship leader doing everything he could to get ahead of the other two. As the session started to dry out again, the times started to come down, and it became a case of each lap being a little faster than the last. Morgado got lucky towards the end of the session, and leaped ahead of Juho (who was pretty certain he’d gone the wrong way on wing settings), and at the last minute Gonzalez just edged ahead of the Finn too. Rodolfo was having a terrible time in the wet, and eventually ended up at the back of the grid having gone off the track at the end of what would otherwise have been his best lap.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 18): Juho Annala: “We started off with a little bit too little wings because we thought it's going to dry out and I stayed on the track quite a long time because it was drying out. My times were getting better and better so I thought it's not worth coming in because someone will bang their time in while I'm inside. I think I could have gone faster but I just couldn't put a lap together basically. I think the car was pretty good in the wet so I'm happy. It wasn't good on Friday so it's a good step forward.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I was quite slow in the first laps in the rain. I was trying to find my pace and once Morgado went past me I started following his line. Since then I improve quite a lot but there was only three laps to go but I still managed to go down to 6s, and on my last lap if I wouldn't go off the computer showed a 4.4 so it was a bit of a shame, but it proves that the pace was there. If I didn't push too much on that last corner things would be much better. Well, let's work on it and see what the races will bring.”
RACE (ROUND 17): With the weather looking very unpredictable, the 22-strong field lined up for Round 17. Juho was already in trouble before the race started, finding out on the formation lap that the steering on his Dallara was no longer doing its job properly. He thought about calling in to the pits, but decided “it was somewhere deep inside the car” so he would attempt to keep going. It was certainly going to be an interesting race from the Finn’s point of view. It was made more interesting when the race actually started and ““There was a dry line and a damp line, and I think everyone who was in the damp line collected everyone from the outside so it was a bit of a mess there!” The Championship Class runners were busy tripping over each other, and the resulting chaos rippled back through the field. It worked in favour of Gonzalez, though he narrowly missed being taken out by his team-mate Stuart Hall, who spun. It didn’t benefit Juho, though he was able to keep going after someone banged into him in the mayhem. Morgado lost ground and had to pit after an off-track moment, which left Juho in 2nd. He set off after Gonzalez but then got on the kerbs and was unable to correct the line. He ended up parked at a marshal’s post out in the scenery, but “it was OK. They gave me a bottle of water!” That left Rodolfo to uphold the honour of Performance, but he too went off. By the time he had recovered, Alex Waters was through into 2nd. A steady recovery drive at least allowed the Macanese to claw his way back to 3rd and a podium position at the end of a very difficult race.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 17): Juho Annala: “I started the formation lap and everything looked good. I put some heat in the tyres and then suddenly up there somewhere the steering got stuck so it wouldn't return anymore. It was stiff as hell! It wasn't hard to turn but it wouldn't return so it was really hard to correct and I was thinking about coming in, but I knew that it was somewhere deep inside the car so I'd have to live with it and try to do the best I can. I got up in the traffic at the first corner and someone maybe hit me a little bit because I just lost it so quick. Maybe it was a little bit the steering because I couldn't correct it. And then I just tried to do the best but then I took some kerb up there and the rear kicked out and that was the end of the story really. That steering there was no way to correct.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I was battling with Gonzalez and tried to overtake him three times and I was up to pace. It was really good but on the last corner I just went out and I went on the gravel big time but managed not to spin the car and to get the car on the gravel and I lost maybe ten places. And since then I try to pick up the pace, but once I got to the first corner I just braked and there were rocks all over. I was sliding all over, and I did my race and something felt loose in the car. I think the grip was not there anymore, tyres were gone, but I managed to keep on going. I was surprised. My team didn't tell me I was third, so when I got back I was quite surprised!”
RACE (ROUND 18): By Sunday morning the temperature had dropped to 13°C, and the track was awash by the time the cars lined up. Conditions were truly horrendous, and the only person who could see where he was going was the overall leader of the race, Bruno Senna. The rest of the cars were lost in a massive ball of spray, and no one could see what was going on. Morgado was a long way ahead of the rest of the National Class runners, having got lucky in qualifying. Juho and Gonzalez were fighting over 2nd place, but the Finn was not at all comfortable in the rain round this technically demanding circuit, especially after one of the Italian Invitation Class runners spun in front of him. Gonzalez complained that he “couldn’t see bugger all” in the midst of the pack, and he wasn’t the only one. Somewhere in the murk Gonzalez hacked past Juho, who decided that discretion was the way to go in these conditions. It didn’t help that he lost time stuck behind Jonathan Kennard, which allowed Waters to start to catch up. At least Juho was able to get away again when Kennard fell off. Rodolfo was also having a horrible time in this race, not being able to see where he was going. He was almost relieved when a recovering Morgado unlapped himself, because it gave him someone to follow. His relief didn’t last because battery problems left him unable to engage 6th gear, and thus unable to catch up.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 18): Juho Annala: “The start was really good but I know I couldn't push any harder. In the first laps I was just a bit slower and I just didn't feel confident at all in the beginning, and then at some point I tried to push hard but I didn't get any times so I've no idea where I am or how hard I can push. And then I just thought that I can't catch those two and no one's behind me so I thought I just wanted to finish this time. I lost loads of time with Kennard and I lost time with the both Italians then again the one Italian was spun (Massironi) in the first corner so I had to almost stop and go again so I lost time there and then he wanted to get past me and I lost time there as well, so I was in the wrong place. I just didn't get in the rhythm midway through the race and then in the last part I thought well I've got to try and push a bit more because I saw Waters and Rodolfo were catching me. I just pushed a little bit and that was my fastest lap. I could maybe have gone a little bit quicker but I saw no point at all.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I started out pretty bad but after the first six laps I started picking up the pace. I was pushing quite hard to make back the time I lost to Waters, but then to the race I lost my battery. My battery was low and I just couldn't pull 6th gear in the straights and I was just too slow on the straights. You couldn't see anything at all and it was quite scary, and I almost crashed into one of the Italian guys. But we made it through. The first laps were horrible but after that I started getting more confident with the car, finding the right places to go. Then my battery just died and on the straights I was just struggling. Even with a tow I couldn't get in touch with Waters, and the more laps I did, the battery was slower and the less speed I had on the straights. On the slow parts I was quite quick and I was catching up so quick on the straights but I couldn't overtake him at all. “
Points after 18 Rounds – National Class:
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 320 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 247 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 208 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 139 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
7th – Alex Waters, 43 points
8th – Alexander Khateeb, 42 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 19 & 20, Silverstone, UK, September 23rd/24th.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 17): Juho Annala: “I need to learn how to qualify still... If the car is perfect I can do it but if it's not, then I can't. I feel that I don't know this track yet... And the two Hitech drivers (Jakes and Walker) were both blocking us, but then we pushed them off so that was good! Tell it like it is; they don't have any respect!”
Rodolfo Avila: “I've been struggling since I got here. I've been going quicker today, but I'm still struggling a bit with set up in a few slow corners. It's quite impressive how far behind we are, but let's work and try to get it better. It doesn’t help that here's some Hitech drivers that have no respect for anyone.”
QUALIFYING (ROUND 18): By the time the second qualifying session of Saturday, the weather had reverted to something closer to what you would expect of an English autumn day. The sky had gone grey, rain was falling and the temperature had dropped considerably. To begin with Juho and Morgado were fighting it out for pole, although Gonzalez wasn't taking it lying down, the championship leader doing everything he could to get ahead of the other two. As the session started to dry out again, the times started to come down, and it became a case of each lap being a little faster than the last. Morgado got lucky towards the end of the session, and leaped ahead of Juho (who was pretty certain he’d gone the wrong way on wing settings), and at the last minute Gonzalez just edged ahead of the Finn too. Rodolfo was having a terrible time in the wet, and eventually ended up at the back of the grid having gone off the track at the end of what would otherwise have been his best lap.
QUALIFYING QUOTES (ROUND 18): Juho Annala: “We started off with a little bit too little wings because we thought it's going to dry out and I stayed on the track quite a long time because it was drying out. My times were getting better and better so I thought it's not worth coming in because someone will bang their time in while I'm inside. I think I could have gone faster but I just couldn't put a lap together basically. I think the car was pretty good in the wet so I'm happy. It wasn't good on Friday so it's a good step forward.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I was quite slow in the first laps in the rain. I was trying to find my pace and once Morgado went past me I started following his line. Since then I improve quite a lot but there was only three laps to go but I still managed to go down to 6s, and on my last lap if I wouldn't go off the computer showed a 4.4 so it was a bit of a shame, but it proves that the pace was there. If I didn't push too much on that last corner things would be much better. Well, let's work on it and see what the races will bring.”
RACE (ROUND 17): With the weather looking very unpredictable, the 22-strong field lined up for Round 17. Juho was already in trouble before the race started, finding out on the formation lap that the steering on his Dallara was no longer doing its job properly. He thought about calling in to the pits, but decided “it was somewhere deep inside the car” so he would attempt to keep going. It was certainly going to be an interesting race from the Finn’s point of view. It was made more interesting when the race actually started and ““There was a dry line and a damp line, and I think everyone who was in the damp line collected everyone from the outside so it was a bit of a mess there!” The Championship Class runners were busy tripping over each other, and the resulting chaos rippled back through the field. It worked in favour of Gonzalez, though he narrowly missed being taken out by his team-mate Stuart Hall, who spun. It didn’t benefit Juho, though he was able to keep going after someone banged into him in the mayhem. Morgado lost ground and had to pit after an off-track moment, which left Juho in 2nd. He set off after Gonzalez but then got on the kerbs and was unable to correct the line. He ended up parked at a marshal’s post out in the scenery, but “it was OK. They gave me a bottle of water!” That left Rodolfo to uphold the honour of Performance, but he too went off. By the time he had recovered, Alex Waters was through into 2nd. A steady recovery drive at least allowed the Macanese to claw his way back to 3rd and a podium position at the end of a very difficult race.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 17): Juho Annala: “I started the formation lap and everything looked good. I put some heat in the tyres and then suddenly up there somewhere the steering got stuck so it wouldn't return anymore. It was stiff as hell! It wasn't hard to turn but it wouldn't return so it was really hard to correct and I was thinking about coming in, but I knew that it was somewhere deep inside the car so I'd have to live with it and try to do the best I can. I got up in the traffic at the first corner and someone maybe hit me a little bit because I just lost it so quick. Maybe it was a little bit the steering because I couldn't correct it. And then I just tried to do the best but then I took some kerb up there and the rear kicked out and that was the end of the story really. That steering there was no way to correct.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I was battling with Gonzalez and tried to overtake him three times and I was up to pace. It was really good but on the last corner I just went out and I went on the gravel big time but managed not to spin the car and to get the car on the gravel and I lost maybe ten places. And since then I try to pick up the pace, but once I got to the first corner I just braked and there were rocks all over. I was sliding all over, and I did my race and something felt loose in the car. I think the grip was not there anymore, tyres were gone, but I managed to keep on going. I was surprised. My team didn't tell me I was third, so when I got back I was quite surprised!”
RACE (ROUND 18): By Sunday morning the temperature had dropped to 13°C, and the track was awash by the time the cars lined up. Conditions were truly horrendous, and the only person who could see where he was going was the overall leader of the race, Bruno Senna. The rest of the cars were lost in a massive ball of spray, and no one could see what was going on. Morgado was a long way ahead of the rest of the National Class runners, having got lucky in qualifying. Juho and Gonzalez were fighting over 2nd place, but the Finn was not at all comfortable in the rain round this technically demanding circuit, especially after one of the Italian Invitation Class runners spun in front of him. Gonzalez complained that he “couldn’t see bugger all” in the midst of the pack, and he wasn’t the only one. Somewhere in the murk Gonzalez hacked past Juho, who decided that discretion was the way to go in these conditions. It didn’t help that he lost time stuck behind Jonathan Kennard, which allowed Waters to start to catch up. At least Juho was able to get away again when Kennard fell off. Rodolfo was also having a horrible time in this race, not being able to see where he was going. He was almost relieved when a recovering Morgado unlapped himself, because it gave him someone to follow. His relief didn’t last because battery problems left him unable to engage 6th gear, and thus unable to catch up.
RACE QUOTES (ROUND 18): Juho Annala: “The start was really good but I know I couldn't push any harder. In the first laps I was just a bit slower and I just didn't feel confident at all in the beginning, and then at some point I tried to push hard but I didn't get any times so I've no idea where I am or how hard I can push. And then I just thought that I can't catch those two and no one's behind me so I thought I just wanted to finish this time. I lost loads of time with Kennard and I lost time with the both Italians then again the one Italian was spun (Massironi) in the first corner so I had to almost stop and go again so I lost time there and then he wanted to get past me and I lost time there as well, so I was in the wrong place. I just didn't get in the rhythm midway through the race and then in the last part I thought well I've got to try and push a bit more because I saw Waters and Rodolfo were catching me. I just pushed a little bit and that was my fastest lap. I could maybe have gone a little bit quicker but I saw no point at all.”
Rodolfo Avila: “I started out pretty bad but after the first six laps I started picking up the pace. I was pushing quite hard to make back the time I lost to Waters, but then to the race I lost my battery. My battery was low and I just couldn't pull 6th gear in the straights and I was just too slow on the straights. You couldn't see anything at all and it was quite scary, and I almost crashed into one of the Italian guys. But we made it through. The first laps were horrible but after that I started getting more confident with the car, finding the right places to go. Then my battery just died and on the straights I was just struggling. Even with a tow I couldn't get in touch with Waters, and the more laps I did, the battery was slower and the less speed I had on the straights. On the slow parts I was quite quick and I was catching up so quick on the straights but I couldn't overtake him at all. “
Points after 18 Rounds – National Class:
1st – Rodolfo Gonzalez, 320 points
2nd – Cristiano Morgado, 247 points
3rd – Juho Annala, 208 points
4th – Rodolfo Avila, 139 points
5th – Martin Kudzak, 105 points
6th – Ricardo Teixeira, 74 points
7th – Alex Waters, 43 points
8th – Alexander Khateeb, 42 points
Next Race Meeting: Rounds 19 & 20, Silverstone, UK, September 23rd/24th.