Monza's mood changes often, like the woman's. Let us add to that its innate Italian temperament multiplied by age-related character changes (the circuit is 96 years old, no joke!), then it becomes clear why the third Porsche Carrera Cup Italia round was so ambiguous, changing, and (attention, spoiler!) not very successful.
Admittedly, the beginning was outstanding: the first row of the starting grid was occupied with two Tsunami RT - Centro Porsche Padova cars! Both Alessio Rovera and Tommaso Mosca demonstrated excellent time results during the last lap of the second qualifying segment, and Rovera set a new lap record with Porsche GT3 Cup in addition: 1'49"449!
#1 Alessio Rovera:"I managed to pull a good lap, I actually enjoyed it. In my second lap I pushed a little bit more in the Lesmo sector but probably I could push a little bit in the Ascari corner as well as in the Parabolica.
For me, this one could be done in 4th gear. I tried it in 3rd but I decelerated quite a bit the car – in 4th it might run smoother, but it was a good lap and I didn't want to spoil it. I am happy, it was a nice lap!"
Here it is, the Saturday start! Alex De Giacomi occupied the fifth starting position among the Michelin Cup drivers, two more cars with the Ukrainian flag on the roof settled down in the beginning of the peloton... Let's ride!
A perfect start of Rovera, and an unsuccessful one of Mosca – he loses five positions at a time and has to overrun now. How spectacular and beautiful they are performed by our karter!
Rovera drives ahead successfully without forgetting to perform the best lap in the race and get an additional point into our collecting box. He creates a firm gap with Simone Iaquinta that (gap, not Iaquinta) turns into nothing after the safety car has entered the track.
The events after the restart take about one second and a half. But what are the consequences!..
#1 Alessio Rovera:"I was managing the race and the tyres for not having any problems with them. In the restart after the safety car, exiting the Parabolica corner I could see the yellow flags and the SC signs and I thought that the safety car might stay for one more lap, I touched the brakes and the others arrived next to me and passed me".
Three cars – those of Rovera, Iaquinta, and Fulgenzi – approach a chicane, and here we are - Iaquinta makes a fling with the steering wheel and pushes both Fulgenzi and Rovera off the track. Only the wall and both drivers, thank God, come out of the story without any damage. However, even the gifted hands of our mechanics do not have enough time to restore Alessio's car by the tomorrow race.
Of course, a safety car appears again and leaves the track only two laps before the finish. In these two laps Tommaso Mosca is competing intensely for the victory with Diego Bertonelli, but Sergio Campana intrudes and pushes Mosca off to the grass. Fortunately, the story has much happier end than the previous one, Tommaso returns on the track, is third to pass the checkered flag, and when Campana gets the penalization for the collision, our driver rises on the silver podium.
While two our drivers were testing out the surrounding walls and the nerves of the team, the experienced Alex De Giacomi, safe as houses, was competing for the podium in the Michelin Cup classification. In that case everything went smoothly, without additional nerve-racking, thank God, and Alex was taking congratulations on the third step of the prizing podium.
Race 1 Classification
1. #21 Diego BERTONELLI (Dinamic Motorsport SRL) 14 laps
2. #19 Tommaso MOSCA (Tsunami RT) +0.802
3. #32 Gianmarco QUARESMINI (Dinamic Motorsport SRL) +1.026
...
9. #67 Alex DE GIACOMI (Tsunami RT) +6.165
Only two Tsunami RT drivers lined up on the start the next day, and Tommaso Mosca started from the 5th position due to the reverse start for the top-6 of the yesterday race. The start is unsuccessful again, and Tommaso has to win back lost seconds again...
On the other hand, Alex De Giacomi not only has had a great start but also continues to gain momentum, and here he is, the fifth in the absolute classification! Here the fluidity of Monza gets into a game. Whether being nasty or wishing to add more adrenalin (as if it was not enough), Monza changes the course of the race: Alex De Giacomi is pushed off the track!..
The car is not damaged, our driver continues the race, but in the very end of the peloton. Two appearances of a safety car prettify the picture cutting the gaps between the competitors.
Tommaso Mosca reaches the third position after the second restart. At that moment Diego Bertonelli is out of luck: his wheel is perforated, he stays behind, and only Gianmarco Quaresmini is ahead of Tommaso now.
Mosca is carefully driving his car to the silver podium on the remaining laps without an unnecessary risk. However, it has not been enough: a trouble is on the watch of Tommaso after the finish, when he gets 5-second penalization for the stop on the setup lap before taking his place on the starting grid. As a result, the Tsunami RT has the fifth result in the classification.
Alex De Giacomi also remained without podium despite the impressive break-through to the eleventh position in the overall classification: unfortunately, it brings him only the forth position in Michelin Cup.
Race 2 Classification
1. #32 Gianmarco QUARESMINI (Dinamic Motorsport SRL) 16 laps
2. #5 Sergio CAMPANA (Ghinzani Arco Motorsport) +2.471
3. #39 Luca SEGÙ (Ghinzani Arco Motorsport) +5.022
...
5. #19 Tommaso MOSCA (Tsunami RT) +6.703
...
11. #67 Alex DE GIACOMI (Tsunami RT) +21.417
Of course, this round was not at all smooth. After all people matter most in the team. People who can compete and win. People who will carefully restore the hardware, breathe life into it. People who will come back on track very soon, as Misano is waiting for us!
Photogallery of 3rd Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2018 round
By: Irina Boyarskaya
Photo: Akis Temperidis