27.06.2004 James Thompson ends Alfa Romeo's six race winning drought after taking an easy victory in the opening encounter at Donington: ETCC race report AND result from Donington Park
The British drivers dominated their home rounds of the FIA
European Touring Car Championship in Donington Park today.
Alfa Romeo guest star James Thompson won the
first race, pulling away from pole position and leaving his new team-mates
Gabriele Tarquini, Fabrizio Giovanardi and Augusto Farfus, in a close fight with
Jörg Müller for the second place. It was a fight which was eventually won by the
German driver, who managed to keep the three Alfas behind until the end.
The second race was very similar, but this
time it was Andy Priaulx’s turn to escape, while Tarquini and Thompson had to
shoulder their way to the podium, despite a strong opposition from Dirk Müller.
As for the other Müller, and Giovanardi, they were involved in a first-corner
crash with SEAT’s Jordi Gené. Two other BMW drivers shone today, Kurt
Mollekens and Alessandro Zanardi. The Belgian finished both races in the points,
starting from pole position in Race 2, and helping his RBM team-mate Priaulx’s
escape. As for Zanardi, for the first time he fought for the positions close to
the podium; he finished seventh in the second race, but he could have easily
been fifth. On a day which saw Alfa Romeo getting back on
the winning pace, and BMW defending its leadership in both, the Drivers’ and the
Manufacturers’ championships, SEAT suffered bad luck. In the first race Rickard
Rydell lost a well deserved sixth place a few metres from the chequered flag,
due to fuel-feeding problems. He recovered in the second race, but all that SEAT
had from the weekend was Gené’s seventh place in Race 1. In the Independents Trophy, Oregon Team’s
Salvatore Tavano and Carly Motors’ Tom Coronel took one win and one second each
after two exciting races. Today’s results enabled Priaulx to move from
second to first in the Drivers’ Championship. The BMW Team Great Britain’s
man is chased by the Müllers; Dirk and Jörg are 4 and 7 points behind him. But
Tarquini is still within a striking distance, with a 15-point gap. Race 1 Bartyan was
demoted to the last spot of the grid, due to an engine change. Zwaart’s BMW
stalled at the beginning of the warm-up lap, with a broken differential. At the
start Thompson sprinted from pole, while J. Müller squeezed among the three
other Alfas, taking second position. At Redgate Giovanardi and Tarquini clashed,
but stayed on the track. 
The third lap saw Tarquini and Giovanardi chasing J. Müller. Rydell overtook
García for seventh, while Priaulx and Genè were fighting for ninth position.
Mollekens stole 11th place from Tavano. On the next lap Rydell moved to sixth,
demoting D. Müller to seventh. At the end of the lap, Tarquini and Giovanardi
managed to dive inside J. Müller’s BMW at Goddard, moving to second and third.
On lap five, D. Müller slipped down from eighth to 11th.
The next lap and Giovanardi overtook Tarquini for second at Goddard, but J.
Müller was still on their tails. On lap seven, Giovanardi missed the braking
point at Coppice, drove wide and let Tarquini and J. Müller through. On lap
eight, J. Müller got back in second, overtaking Tarquini. García had brakes
problems and slipped down from seventh to ninth. A lap later Priaulx overtook
Gené for seventh.
On lap ten, Harrison spun and retired. On lap eleven, Mollekens
overtook García for ninth, and the next saw D. Müller overtook García for tenth.
On the 13th and last lap, Rydell lost his sixth place due to a fuel-feeding
problem. Thompson claimed his second ETCC win for Alfa Romeo, after Race 1
in Monza last year. J. Müller saved his
second place, crossing the line ahead of Tarquini, Giovanardi and Farfus.
Priaulx inherited a valuable sixth place, with Gené and Mollekens obtaining the
remaining points. Tavano won the Independents race from Coronel and Rangoni.
Race 2
Molleken sat on
the reverse grid’s pole, while Rydell and Zwart were pushed at the back, for
neturalization of the parc fermé. At the start, Priaulx and Mollekens took the
lead. A three-car clash at Redgate eliminated Gené and J. Müller; the third man
involved, Giovanardi, rejoined after pitting for a tyre change. On lap 1, Farfus
and Tarquini overtook Mollekens, moving to second and third.
The second lap and Tarquini moved up to second, passing Farfus, and Zanardi
overtook Tavano for eighth. Thompson was chasing Mollekens and managed to
overtake him for fourth on lap three. Rangoni retired with a broken gearbox;
Ruokonen pitted to fix brake problems; Diefenbacher retired due to an engine
failure. On lap 4, D. Müller overtook Mollekens for fourth; Zwart went off the
track. On lap five, Magnussen retired with brakes problems. On lap six, Farfus
also retired with a blown engine.
On lap seven, Coronel passed Tavano and took the lead in the Independents
Trophy. Lap nine and D. Müller was on Thompson’s tail, García overtook Mollekens
for fifth, Rydell overtook Tavano for ninth. On lap ten, Rydell overtook Coronel
for eighth.
Priaulx managed to keep Tarquini at a distance, while Thompson left D. Müller
behind. The next lap Coronel re-took eighth position overtaking Rydell. Priaulx
scored his fourth win of the season, becoming the new leader of the Champiosnhip.
Tarquini and Thompson completed the podium, while D. Müller, García and
Mollekens were classified fourth, fifth and sixth.
Despite brake problems, Zanardi claimed a seventh position, while Coronel
conquered the last point, and won the Independents race from Tavano and Balzan.
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