05.10.2003 TWO WINS IN ESTORIL PUTS GABRIELE TARQUINI BACK INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD
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RACE 1Following their engine problems, Rydell’s and García’s cars did not make the grid for Race 2; and so did Yvan Muller’s third SEAT, suffering from electrical problems. Thompson was pole sitter on the reversed grid, but Priaulx and Huisman dashed in front of him at the start. At the first corner, Jörg Müller and Ruberti hit each other, drove wide and rejoined in ninth and tenth positions respectively.
On lap 2, Thompson let Colciago and Tarquini slip through to third and fourth; Larini overtook Coronel for sixth. The Dutchman retired in the following lap, due to a slow puncture. On lap 4, Colciago and Tarquini overtook Huisman, climbing to second and third, and a few moments later they also stole the race lead from Priaulx. Larini passed Thompson for fifth. In the fight for the lead, Priaulx made a mistake and Huisman was forced to brake in avoidance, which cost him two more places. The Dutchman slipped from fourth to sixth, behind Larini and Thompson. At the same time, Jörg Müller, Balzan, Dirk Müller and Engström were fighting for the seventh position.
On lap 5, Larini overtook Priaulx for third. On lap 6, Tarquini took the lead getting past Colciago. On lap 7, Jörg Müller passed Huisman for sixth, and began closing on to Thompson. The German and the Briton resumed their fight were they had left it in the first race. Thompson closed all the gaps, as Jörg Müller was trying to dive inside. On lap 9, Larini overtook Colciago and moved up to second. On lap 10, Thompson and Jörg Müller clashed again, and eventually the Englishman got again the worst of it and drove wide, losing three positions.
Tarquini, Larini and Colciago crossed the line in the same order of the first race. Priaulx was classified fourth, followed by Jörg Müller, Huisman, Dirk Müller and Thompson. During the final lap, Engström overtook Balzan to finish ninth overall, and second in the Independents Trophy race.
RACE 1
Colciago took the best start and jumped into the lead, while Dirk Müller tried invain to keep Tarquini and Larini behind. On the first lap, Thompson overtook Jörg Müller for fifth position. García, Coronel, Ruberti and Gené were fighting for the seventh place. On lap 2, Tarquini and Larini got past Colciago, moving up to first and second. At Turn 8 Dirk Müller hit Colciago from the back, the Italian drove wide and fell from third to seventh. Couto came back to the pit, with an oil pressure alarm on, but rejoined after two laps. Tarquini and Larini have built a narrow margin ahead of Dirk Müller; Thompson was struggling to keep Jörg Müller and García behind.
On lap 4 the fight intensified, as the Briton and the German had their first door-to-door clash, with García, Colciago and Coronel closely chasing them. On lap 5, Priaulx broke into the top-ten, overtaking Gené. Rydell retired with a blown engine, while Sardelli lost two laps due to a gearbox problem. Colciago overtook García and climbed up to sixth. On lap 6, Colciago earned another position, getting past Jörg Müller. On lap 7, Dirk Müller paid a drive-through penalty he was given further to his second-lap collision with Colciago, and dropped from third to 17th. At the same time, Colciago overtook Thompson for third. Jörg Müller was desperately looking for a way to pass Thompson, and hit the back of the Alfa; but the Englishman managed to control his car and stay on the track. Just out of the point-zone, Coronel, Francia, Balzan, Gené and Giovanardi were fighting for the 10th position. On lap 8, García’s engine started suffering from electrical problems, which demoted the young Spaniard from sixth to eight, behind Huisman and Ruberti.
On lap 9, Coronel and Francia collided, which enabled Balzan to pass both, moving up to ninth. On lap 10, Jörg Müller hit Thompson again and sent him into a spin; the Alfa driver slipped from fourth to eighth. On lap 10, García retired with engine problems. Under the chequered flag, Tarquini claimed his fifth win of the year, from Larini and Colciago. Jörg Müller obtained an important, and hard-won fourth place, heading home Huisman and Ruberti. The fifth position was also meaning another win among the privateers for Huisman, who secured the Independents Trophy crown with three rounds still to go. Priaulx and Thompson were classified seventh and eighth.
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DRIVER QUOTES Gabriele TARQUINI: “It was a fantastic weekend, for me and Alfa Romeo! To be honest, I never imagined a double victory here, but the car was uncatchable all weekend! I would like to thank my team-mates, Roberto, who did a good job, and Nicola. James also did a very good job, especially in qualifying, when he was close to us with 40 extra kg in his car. However, in the race, he felt the handicap weight. It was a very good day for Alfa Romeo. On fast track like this, the 6th gear ratio of the sequential gearbox makes the difference compared to the 5-speed H gearbox. On the long straight, the gap between the gears is much longer than on the twisty tracks. For this reason, we can have such an advantage on the long straight. Now, we are going to Monza, an Italian track, which should be more favourable to Alfa Romeo. All the Alfa Romeo cars will carry handicap weights, and I will have the maximum. I would say that I have a fifty-percent chance to win the Championship title, as does Jörg Müller.” Nicola LARINI: “Despite only being nine points behind the lead, my Championship hopes came to an end here in Estoril. It was due to team orders, because I was half a second faster than my team-mates. I missed the start of the first race, but I was faster in the middle of the race. In the second race, the fire extinguisher in the car went off, filling the cockpit with dust. And therefore I struggled for two or three laps before I managed to get on the pace again. I would say that Alfa Romeo has now a 95-percent chance of claiming the Drivers’ Title.” Roberto COLCIAGO: “I made good starts in both races. I had to back my team mates, so that they can win the Championship, and tried to avoid an accident. Unfortunately, somebody hit me in the first race. But I was able to rejoin and maintain third position. The second race was clearer. I was pushing to overtake the BMWs of Priaulx and Huisman; they both let me pass, seeing that I was faster. They did not try to block me. Monza will be a good track for me, as it is very close to my home. I will try to do my best, but my goal is to help Autodelta Alfa Romeo win the Championship. I am out of contention for the Drivers’ title anyway.” James THOMPSON: “There was no black and white flag, it was all fair. I drove defensively and Jörg behaved very badly, just hitting me in the back, making no effort to overtake. I am very happy with my races today, especially with 40 extra kg on board. I drove my car sensibly and fairly.” |
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