CIK-FIA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP FA (ROUND 3) – ICA (FINAL)

HIGHLIGHTS AND LOWLIGHTS IN BIREL DRIVERS’ WEEKEND

IN PREFINAL UNLUCKY RISITANO (ICA) WAS KNOCKED OUT WHILE THIRD OWING TO THE WATER LOST BY BERTHON. CESETTI (VERY COMPETITIVE) WAS PENALISED IN A RATHER QUESTIONABLE WAY BY THE RACE OFFICIALS AT THE END OF THE HEATS, WHEREAS YOUNG LANCASTER WAS BETRAYED BY HIS ENGINE AND LOST HIS CHANCES OF WINNING THE FA TITLE.

An eventful weekend marked the “circus” of the Formula A and 100 Ica in Muro Leccese. At stake were the relevant continental category titles: the FA staged its 3rd and final round (after France and Belgium), whereas the 100 Ica drivers competed for the Finals in a single test after the qualifiers held in July. The Birel drivers stood out in both classes, showing an excellent competitiveness. However, to reap laurels in such a competitive circle, everything has to run perfectly smooth, luck and outer factors included. And for several reasons, the Italian race has left Birel drivers quite empty-handed, yielding them much less than they would have deserved. In the 100 Ica, for instance, a truly unique episode occurred: Nicholas Risitano, leading driver of the Birel squad, ended up off the track owing to the water lost by Berthon at one lap from the end of the Pre-Finals, while he was easily defending his third position. The Latium-born driver was keeping the situation under control, having gained a start from the inside edge for the Finals, as he had planned to. However, his hopes were dashed by the barriers of bend 2, where other potential protagonists of the Finals, like Frenchmen Courquin (who also injured his leg) Liger, Bellanca and the Birel drivers Croxford and Bell ended their race along with the Birel Motorsport driver. This episode can be considered an extraordinary occurrence in any sense, and many Team Managers called for a red flag, which would have given the possibility of considering the results of the lap before, without actually excluding all the main candidates for the title. Besides, Frenchman Berthon turned out to be underweight at the end of the race owing to his water loss, and was therefore excluded from the results list. Englishman Calado, winner of the Pre-Final, was given an incredible present: he gained the pole position for the title’s Final while all his main rivals were relegated to the back of the starting grid. An action by the Race Management would have been advisable in consideration of the exceptionality of the event and the big names involved. Besides, the Race Officials did not realise what had happened, so they couldn’t wave the flags signalling the slippery track. However, the Race Management was adamant and validated a results list that does not reflect the actual performances achieved throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, the questionable decisions of the Race Officials and Race Management also affected the Formula A. In fact, during the last qualifier heat, both Sauro Cesetti (Birel) and Marco Ardigò (Tony Kart) defended their positions changing trajectories (both in relation to Lancaster). Such a manoeuvre is forbidden and therefore the Race Management reported both violations to the Race Officials. However, while the Birel driver was imposed a 10” penalty, which relegated him from the 5th to the 11th position on the starting grid, the driver of Tony Kart was given only a warning. In short, two different penalties were levied for the same violation. And what is even worse, Jon Lancaster’s opinion was not taken into account at all; questioned about the episode, Lancaster answered that he deemed Ardigò’s manoeuvre much more dangerous than Cesetti’s. Such a thoughtlessness in dismissing an episode involving two drivers running for the title obviously hurt Cesetti, who had been perfectly aware of the fact that he had absolutely to win both races. What is even less understandable is why Ardigò, who had been warned in the morning for the above said occurrence, was not penalised at the end of Race 1, when he showed a clearly improper conduct coming into contact with Cesetti in the hazardous effort of overtaking him at the last bend. A penalty at that point would have brought the Birel pair Cesetti – Lancaster virtually closer to the title than the driver of Tony Kart. The race results were uncertain until the end of the day, but once more, the decisions of the Race Officials did not go the expected way. Thus, Ardigò got away with it once again. As far as the weekend of Englishman Lancaster is concerned, who was considered Ardigò’s main rival, an engine failure in Race 2 and an inadequate set-up in Race 1 excluded him virtually from competing for the victory. In any case, Jon Lancaster proved once more to be the most interesting among the new entries of Formula A and is likely to run the World Championship among the leaders. Among the positive aspects regarding Birel drivers during the weekend in Muro Leccese, we have to highlight the excellent performance of Russian Chukanov in the 100 Ica, where he started from the pole and ran at a level with top drivers. Unfortunately, his chances for victory were reduced when he ended up off-track in the course of the last heat, an occurrence that earned him many penalties (relegating him from the 1st to the 7th row in the starting grid for the Pre-Final) and during which he also bent his chassis. Further excellent performances in the 100 Ica came also from Englishmen Cruttenden, Croxford and Bell, as well as German Schwabe and Luxembourger Curridor. Among the big of Formula A, the couple of the Pf International team Catt and Lichtfield, whereas young Chistodoulou was very fast but unlucky. Francesco Antonucci, instead, suffered from set-up problems all through the weekend and never succeeded in living up to his expectations.

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