Alfa Romeo
Squadra Corse’s 147GTAs have yet again been penalised with
the recent adjustment to base weights publicised in
Motorsport South Africa’s latest production car circular 5
(05) of 15.04.2005.
This base weight change fits seamlessly in a long history of
weight penalties and resulting challenges for the Alfa Romeo
works racing team.
The Alfa Romeo 147 GTAs entered the 2004 season with an
agreed base weight 50kg lighter than championship defenders,
BMW, in line with the difference usually applied in similar
racing series’ when FWD cars compete with RWD cars. After
Alfa Romeo took the leadership in the class A championship
in August 2004, MSA then reduced the team’s weight advantage
down to 30kg in September.
This resulted in the team battling to keep its’
competitiveness but notwithstanding this it managed to
improve the cars and challenge BMW for the title until the
last race at Kyalami in November 2004.
The 147GTA’s base weight was then adjusted again after the
first round of the 2005 championship in March 2005, reducing
the base weight difference between the 147GTAs and the BMW
330s by a further 10kg to now read only 20kg lighter than
BMW and below the international mark that sees the FWD
disadvantage at about –30kg vs a RWD vehicle.
The team felt the consequences of this at round 2 of the
championship at Killarney/Cape Town on April 02nd, not being
able to go better than two third places on the day.
MSA has yet again increased the base weight of the 147GTAs
by another 10kg starting with the Phakisa race meeting of
April 30th, 2005. In essence, the Alfas are now just 10kg
lighter than the BMWs, which does not aptly compensate for
the FWD disadvantage.
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This newly imposed base weight change fits
seamlessly in a history of weight penalties and
resulting challenges for the Alfa Romeo works team
in South African motor
racing |
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Alfa Romeo Squadra Corse’s 147GTAs have yet again
been penalised with the recent adjustment to base
weights in Motorsport South
Africa’s latest production
car circular |
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“Considering our significant investment in national racing,
we are sad that our efforts have continuously been vanified
by MSA,” said Michael Burkhart, General Marketing Manager of
Fiat Auto SA.
“We are now at a point where we need to reconsider the value
of our investment in developing and testing our vehicles on
an ongoing basis. To make it worthwhile to upgrade
continuously the performance of the 147GTAs through better
components and telemetry testing we need a solid and
foreseeable planning framework, both from a technical and
financial basis.”
Fiat Auto SA’s philosophy about national racing has always
been to promote better sport and an improved show for the
spectators and that outlook has prevailed for the meantime.
“Despite our strong disappointment and disapproval of the
new base weights, we will race at Phakisa due to the
overwhelming support we receive from the press, the public
and anybody whose heart is with circuit racing in South
Africa,” said Burkhart. “but they need to know the base
weight realities of the series to fully understand each
competitor’s performance.”
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“We need now to revert to the base weight situation valid
before the Kyalami race which has proven to provide
excellent motor racing entertainment. Future changes to
these weights need to be discussed carefully with all
parties involved, considering the development of the
vehicles going forward and if changes are agreed, a
reasonable phase-in timing must be part of the process,”
said Burkhart in a call to MSA.
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