By: Irina Boyarskaya
Photo: Akis Temperidis

 

The weekend in Mugello began with the intense drivers' and engineers' work: it wasn't simple to find the right vehicle settings. Both free practices were dedicated to that. And the team's efforts were crowned with success: all the vehicles were completely competitive to the start of the qualification.

Côme Ledogar was a little unlucky: having entered the traffic on the fast lap of the qualification, he could demonstrate only the second time result. Oleksandr Gaidai decided not to use the second kit of tires in the qualification, nevertheless, he passed to the second segment with old ones, where he demonstrated the fifth time.

 

 

The start of the first race was successful both for Gaidai who took the forth position and Riccardo Agostini who didn't let Côme Ledogar have his leadership. Gaidai grasped at Gianluca Giraudi, but unfortunately there wasn't a long struggle: the Italian driver made a mistake in one of the turns, and a slight touch of the two vehicles broke Gaidai's and Giraudi's pace, and the three drivers at a time took advantage of the opportunity: the peloton is always very tight at the beginning of the race.

All the attention was attracted to the struggle for the sixth position that meant the next day pole. Another Takashi Kasai's escape from the track wasn't noticed on that background. As for the driving style and the percent of finishes, Kasai is going to take the same place in the Italian Porsche Cup as Robert Kubica occupied in the classic rally.

 

 

So, Enrico Fulgenzi was on the sixth position. He was being desperately attacked by Oleksandr Gaidai tailgated by Stefano Colombo. Gaidai tried all the possibilities to overrun, but Fulgenzi was changing his trajectory several times, and our driver had to hold the line because the whole 'train' lined behind replenished with new 'carriages': Fulgenzi wasn't driving very fast but he was absolutely impossible to overrun. The next day would show that it was for the better, and the numerous attempts of overrunning were not successful... but let's not run ahead.

 

 

 

The usual picture was in front – Agostini and Ledogar were rushing towards the finish not involved in the others' showdowns. Agostini was ahead that time. And the drivers behind Agostini were playing a leapfrog passionately exchanging positions. It lasted till the moment when the Andrea Russo forced from behind pushed Gaidai in the rear part, and Stefano Colombo, the next in line, did not fail to take advantage of the situation: Russo was on the gravel, Gaidai was rushing swinging the torn rear bumper with irritation as a cat with its tail, Colombo picked up the baton of the attempts to overrun Fulgenzi.

Already in the end of the race Gaidai made a mistake having rushed out on the gravel and returned to the peloton on the tenth position. Riccardo Agostini won the race, Côme Ledogar got a silver medal. Gianluca Giraudi took the third place.

 

 

 

C. Ledogar: "We are on the podium, but is wasn't easy for me: Agostini ahead was noticeably faster. So we have better result on the finish as we could have under these circumstances. We have to make a detailed analysis of the not ideal behavior of the vehicle. It was hard to compete.
In general, Mugello track is not my favorite one. Its turns are not... cool. And they are all identical. So, I don't like it. But I'll try to win tomorrow."

O. Gaidai: "No, I am not disappointed, but I have a feeling of annoyance. The vehicle was set perfectly, but I didn't manage to overrun Fulgenzi. And that contact with Giraudi at the beginning of the race – ... I cannot imagine why he broke so suddenly there. So, there are races where everything helps, and others where the situation is opposite..."

Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2015, round 3, Mugello
Race 1

1. AGOSTINI Riccardo (Antonelli Motorsport) 16 laps
2. LEDOGAR Côme (Tsunami RT) +1.025
3. GIRAUDI Gianluca (Antonelli Motorsport) +9.053
...10. GAIDAI Oleksandr (Tsunami RT) +37.441
...15. RUSSO Andrea (Antonelli Motorsport) +4 laps

 

 

And then it was Sunday, midday, heat, sun and the start of the second race in Mugello. Fulgenzi was on the pole position, Côme Ledogar started from the third line. Start!

Côme occupied the second position very quickly and aimed for Fulgenzi. Meanwhile Hans-Peter Koller escaped the track, and the close friendly meeting of Aku Pellinen and Andrea Fontana resulted in the tow track for the latter. But it happened outside the track, so the evacuator was not accompanied with the safety car. The race continued in the 'battle' formation.

 

Having lingered, Riccardo Agostini was now cheerly jumping upwards in the classification results and pushed away the turned up Mattia Drudi on his way. Agostini was the third for that moment, behind Côme Ledogar. It was high time to admire the spectacular competition of the three pilots... but at the moment Fulgenzi, already caught up by Côme Ledogar, unexpectedly pushed the latter off the track, and it was something! A slight steering wheel motion to the left, pushing of the vehicle in the right part, and it's enough in speedy turn to get rid of the rival...

 

 

C. Ledogar (the two thirds of the text are censored, that means the most bright turns of speech and epithets): "I started very good and was competing perfectly. I didn't try to overrun too early, and everything was going well till the moment when Fulgenzi just took me out. It isn't just stupid, it's dangerous! There will be another races. Today it was me to turn up, and who's next? Now I am happy that I am alive!"

Fulgenzi successfully went to the boxes where he rolled his eyes, gesticulated and complained in Italian in front of the camera at the sympathetic sighs of the live broadcasting announcer. Côme Ledogar is an iron man! He continued the race from the last position and gained a point having demonstrated the best lap already after the incident!

Meanwhile Oleksandr Gaidai reached the fifth position already. But 28 minutes plus one lap are too much, especially under the Italian sun of July.

 

 

O. Gaidai: "10 to 12 minutes before the finish I felt that my car became slower and more difficult to drive. And was the reason for corrections and then mistakes that resulted in the fact that I gave way to Alex De Giacomi. On the next lap Drudi overran me absolutely clearly and elegantly, I applaud him. That's why I have seventh, not fifth position."

Côme Ledogar finished not on the podium for the first time in the PCCI season boiling and gurgling with indignation: it was an extremely dangerous incident! And there was a long examination in the Race Direction after the finish. The stewards decide to punish Fulgenzi: minus three positions on the start of the next race.

Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2015, round 3, Mugello
Race 2

1. AGOSTINI Riccardo (Antonelli Motorsport) 16 laps
2. GIRAUDI Gianluca (Antonelli Motorsport) +9.438
3. DE AMICIS Alberto (Ebimotors SR) +10.782
...7. GAIDAI Oleksandr (Tsunami RT) +19.108
...14. LEDOGAR Côme (Tsunami RT) +1 lap

 

 

Every our round in Mugello is an extraordinary one! But, honestly, we'd better not to participate in a couple of events this time. Anyway, our team has no reasons to reproach itself. Even the technical commissioners who examined Gaidai's vehicle after the finish (they keep searching something each time... maybe, additional horse powers?) confirmed once more that our vehicles are compliant with the rules. We know how to work and our drivers know how to drive, and it's the main thing, as for us!

An unusual and difficult common round of the Italian and French series in Spa is ahead. Follow our news!

 

 

Photo gallery of the race in Mugello>>>