Archive for category: Championships

In Texas the curtain fell on the 6 Hours of Austin, the fourth round of the FIA Endurance World Championship, in which the changeable weather conditions were an important variable during the whole weekend.

At the wheel of the Ferrari 458 #71, the talented Venetian driver Davide Rigon, together with his team-mate James Calado, signed his debut on another circuit of an international character, putting himself on test along its 5,513 meters. Heavy rain and high air temperatures made even more demanding the endurance race, in which, however, David emerged, showing himself with lap times like the top of the class.

After about an hour and a half from the start, a strong storm made landfall on the American circuit, making the track impassable and forcing the race director to raise the red flag and suspend temporarily the race. At that point, the Venetian driver came into action instead of his friend James, using Wet tyres, bringing the Ferrari of AF Corse near to the podium, before giving the wheel up for the final stint, in the last hour and twenty minutes. Only one problem, yet to be verified, denies the satisfaction of the first seasonal podium, ending with a fifth placement. “It’s been a really demanding weekend, from all points of view. The track is not easy, especially in the first part with many blind corners. In addition, the weather has done its part, with thunderstorms and an air temperature around 32°C“, Davide Rigon analyzes, on the way back from America. “During the free practice sessions, I studied the track, but discovering tricks only in race. I am very happy with my race rhythm, from podium like to the tops of the class, even in difficult wet conditions, in which we decided to take a risk with Wet compounds. I just regret for having missed out a podium in the last hour“, the Ferrari driver concludes. “Now my head is already to Japan“.

Next appointment is scheduled for the weekend of October 12^th with the 6 Hours of Fuji, fifth round of the World Championship.

Study day for Joao Vieira in Monza, which is scene of the sixth and penultimate round of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth. The Brazilian driver has returned to work on his Tatuus #28 to start gaining confidence with the fast track of Monza, that hosted the champions of Formula 1 only a few weeks ago.

After placings with good points in the last rounds, the bearer of Antonelli Motorsport began approaching the weekend of September 27^th – 28^th scoring important results on track, leaving the Autodromo Internazionale with positive feelings. “It was a really important test day, in which I completed the entire program developed by the Antonelli Motorsport staff. The track is really very fast and amazing, and the weather helped us, giving me the opportunity to do several tests of set-up, as well as studying the ideal trajectories”, Joao Vieira says. “After coming really close to the first pole-position of the season at Vallelunga, I’ll try again within a week, right here at Monza. The latest results have confirmed that I’m on the right road. The goal is the highest step of the podium by the end of the Championship. It’s no use denying it. Reaching the podium at Monza would be great”, the driver of Minardi Management concludes.

There’s satisfaction also in the words of the manager, Giovanni Minardi: “If a good beginning bodes well, then in Monza we expect another good result. After becoming familiar with the layout and its fast 5.793 meters, Joao scored consistently excellent results on track, in spite of used tyres, remaining a handful of tenths off the best performance scored with new compounds. The weather helped us, because we had the opportunity to work with an air temperature of 21°C. Only at the end of the day came a bit of rain. Unfortunately, we had no chance to drive in Qualifying set-up, with new tyres. The results of Vallelunga showed that we are lacking very little to make the big jump. We have the first row and the victory in our sights”, Minardi concludes.

Solid weekend for Joao Vieira at “Piero Taruffi” Racing Circuit of Vallelunga, which has been the scene of the fifth round of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth.

The 16-year-old Brazilian from Gurupi confirms the growth, closing all races in the score-zone, winning a total rewarding result of 23 points, consolidating both a seventh place in the general ranking and his position as reference pilot for Antonelli Motorsport. The weekend started very well right from the beginning, with Joao that reached the top positions, closing the free practice sessions in fifth and third place, a handful of tenths off the top, touching the pole-position. Even in a demanding track such as Campagnano, the level of championship turned out to be very selective, with even nine and thirteen cars within a range of just 1” in the two Qualifying sessions.

Despite some inaccuracies at the start, in the three races that characterize every weekend of the newborn series – two rounds of 28′ + 1 lap and one race of 18′ + 1 lap – the driver managed by Minardi Management became the author of amazing battles, being consistently among the fastest drivers in the lot.

“It was a definitely positive weekend and I’m happy with the gained results. Unfortunately, a small mistake in Qualifying denied me the first pole-position and at the start I lost a few positions, skidding the wheels. My race speed was good, and I have no longer made any mistakes. Now I prepare for Monza“, the driver of Minardi Management, Joao Vieira, says.

“I’m very satisfied with what has been collected from Joao here in Vallelunga. Since the free practice sessions, he was with the best of the championship, although the regret still remains for the pole-position lost in the last corner and for the not yet perfect starts, which made him lose some positions. In all races he did very well to recover, struggling with a knife between his teeth, without making mistakes and taking a pace close to the first drivers. Now, we go on two tracks, Monza and Imola, where it will be easier to overtake“, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

With the memory of the podium at Mugello very much alive, Joao Vieira is ready to return to the wheel of his Tatuus #28 for two days of tests on the tracks of Vallelunga (Tuesday, July 22^nd) and Magione (Wednesday, July 23^rd).

For the 16-year-old Brazilian driver of Antonelli Motorsport, it will be the first time both at the “Piero Taruffi” and “Autodromo dell’Umbria” Circuits, that will be the theatre of the next two (out of seven) appointments of the Italian F.4 Championship powered by Abarth, now entering into the “hot” part of the season.

Joao is ready for the second part of the season, continuing the hard work at the Driver Program Center of Forlì and galvanized by the important result achieved in Tuscany, crowned by the podium finish in Race-3 that launched him in the Top Eight of the overall standings, with the same points of his team-mate and friend Matteo Cairoli.

“Thanks to these days of tests I will have the chance to discover the next two circuits of race, Vallelunga and Magione. For me, every track is a discovery and challenge. Thanks to the simulator of the Driver Program Center, I had the chance to try the layout of the ‘Piero Taruffi’ and the first impressions are really good, similarly to what happened with Mugello. It would be great to repeat the result, with another podium. At each session, I take more and more confidence with the car and this helps me to get closer to the limit”, the pilot of Minardi Management says.

“After the good work at Mugello, it’s now time to get to know two other circuits in the Championship calendar. For Joao, these will be two days of apprenticeship ahead of the weekend of race, since he doesn’t know the tracks. I hope he will like them as much as Mugello, as the results have demonstrated”, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

It’s already the time for the third round of the Italian F.4 Championship Powered by Abarth. After the difficult weekend at Imola, Joao Vieira has the chance to turn the tables on the demanding Mugello circuit, where a few weeks ago he surprised everyone by scoring from the first steps excellent lap times, reaching the top of the rankings.

The 16-year-old Brazilian driver of Antonelli Motorsport will have the opportunity to show his skills on the demanding layout of the international track in Tuscany, whose major marks are the “San Donato” corner, the “Casanova-Savelli” – a descending right-left chicane – and “The two Angry” (in Italian, “Le due Arrabbiate”), which enhance his driving style

After the points scored in the opening race at Adria, Joao will try to add a new useful result to his palmares. “I’m really happy to be able to return immediately to drive. Imola was a weekend of apprenticeship. Now I want to try an immediate ransom, building on the work done in the last few weeks of tests right here, on the hills of Scarperia. It’s a challenging and technical circuit that is well suited to my driving style. A podium would be the best result”, Joao Vieira comments.

“I’m glad Joao can be immediately back at the wheel of his car, in order to leave behind the week-end at Imola. Given the good performance during the tests a few weeks ago, I hope that the Mugello will be the theatre of a good result for him, even though races are always different to tests. I am very confident, given also the important work that he’s carrying out with the Driver Program”, the manager Giovanni Minardi comments.

The curtains will rise on the Mugello Circuit on Friday 11th July with the three free practice sessions, in preparation for Qualifying on Saturday 12th (9.00 and 9.25 am), which will determine the starting grid of the two rounds of the race (28’ + 1 Lap), starting on Saturday at 3.35 pm and Sunday at 5.10 pm. In the middle, starting at 9.00 am, the sprint race (18’ + 1 Lap).