When everything goes wrong from the very beginning, it is very important not to sink into despair, not to leave off the steering wheel, not to take off the helmet, but continue to compete smiling in the face of misfortunes! GT Cup Open Europe race in Barcelona became the best illustration of this idea. Consider it yourselves...
Everything started with the qualification. We mean that the participants had only five minutes to spend on the track, and the round should have been called "a swim". Floods of water on the asphalt, constant aquaplaning, mistakes and mistakes as a consequence... Here we are, one of the competitors in McLaren was jumping on the kerbs having missed a turn, drove on the lawn and returned on the track... exactly into the side of the Porsche driven by Carlo Curti! Carlo did not make any mistakes, he just was in the same place, and the competitor had no control of his car... What a ride...
The Tsunami RT car was evacuated from the track. Carlo is OK, but the mechanics will have a lot to do to repair the car. However, the team promises: we will be on the start!
Meanwhile, it was decided not to resume the qualification, and the starting grid order was defined based on the results of the free practices. Thus, Curti brothers are on the 9th starting position.
Here we are, a downpour again! This was the race which was better to watch not from the stand, but as a video broadcasting, and even in this case you could feel how cold and wet it was in Barcelona. Of course, it is spectacular – the participants please the viewers with skids, turns and fly-offs. Many participants were doing that, but not Curti brothers! They drive their Porsche, repaired by the mechanics, to the finish rapidly but carefully. The checkered flag is not under the shower rain, Barcelona changes anger to mercy, the weather is getting better. We are on the finish, and there is another race tomorrow!
Carlo Curti: "The first part of the race it was increbly difficult , lot of rain and I lost some position. Lino Did a good stint , the important thing today was to bring the car to the box with no damage and ready to have fun tomorrow with good weather (hopefully)".
GT Cup open Europe, round 5. Race 1
1. Hans-Peter Koller / Edoardo Liberati 22 laps
2. Joan Vinyes / Jaume Font +10.063
3. Daniel Diaz-Varela / Manel Cerqueda +18.404
...
11. Carlo Curti / Lino Curti +1:00.866
...
13.
Class Pro-Am
1. Hans-Peter Koller / Edoardo Liberati 22 laps
2. Thiago Vivacqua / Marc de Fulgencio +38.362
3. Faust Salom / Guillem Pujeu +40.959
...
5. Carlo Curti / Lino Curti +1:00.866
6.
The next morning the weather pretends that the shower rain and the apocalypse the day before were not its fault, and is demonstrating in every possible way that, in truth, it has to be sunny in Spain in September. Lino Curti appears for the qualification. After several insignificant mistakes on the fast lap he gets the ninth starting position. So, let us go?!
Oh, it is a completely different race! The speed is high, the competition on the track is active and bright, it is a real drive, a pleasure for those who are driving and for those who are standing on the pit lane, and for those who are sitting next to the screen! The speed can be assessed by the fact that drivers could pass 22 laps as the day before, but 29 laps!
In the middle of the race Lino yields his driver's seat to his brother who is rushing to the finish... It is not just the finish, but the bronze podium in the Pro-Am class! Curti brothers are real fighters, as they were able not to lose motivation after such a disastrous beginning of the weekend, and now they are being showered with the prize champagne!
Carlo Curti: "Oh yes! Very happy! After a nightmare beginning of the weekend we finally got back to the podium. We just want to say thanks to the Tsunami RT team that made an extraordinary work during all the weekend, always smiling, this podium is more for them than for us!"
GT Cup open Europe, round 5. Race 2
1. Edoardo Liberati / Hans-Peter Koller 29 laps
2. Niki Leuiwiller +3.990
3. Manel Cerqueda / Daniel Diaz-Varela +10.470
...
7. Lino Curti / Carlo Curti +39.491
...
13.
Class Pro-Am
1. Edoardo Liberati / Hans-Peter Koller 29 laps
2. Nicolas Vandierendonck / Bas Shouten +11.570
3. Lino Curti / Carlo Curti +39.491
...
6.
Not to give up. Compete. Smile against all the odds. Can you do this? We can. We have to admit that it works!