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

100 FORMULA A – THE REPORT

CESETTI STILL AMONG THE LEADERS

Among those running for the title, the champion might have been Jon Lancaster if he had won both races and if Ardigò had ended 3rd at least once. For Cesetti, the rush for the title was more difficult, as he not only had to win both races, but also had to pray that Ardigò did not attain more than a 4th placing in both of them. The pole after the timed trials went to Swiss Mortara, who arrived ahead of Molina, Gaggianesi and the first of the Birel drivers, Englishman Gary Catt of the Pf International team. Sauro Cesetti attained the 5th overall time, ahead of Bianchi and Kozlinski. The temporary leader of the championship Marco Ardigò is 8th ahead of Lancaster and Forè. After the qualifiers, Mortara and Ardigò conquered the first row for Race 1, whereas Cesetti and Thonon were placed in the second row. Lancaster is 5th ahead of Gatto, Oakes, Bianchi and Forè. There were all the conditions for two highly thrilling Finals, but the hopes of the Birel drivers were disappointed by an inane decision of the Race Officials, who penalised Cesetti with 10” in the last heat, relegating him after the overall computation of penalties to the eleventh position in the grid. The measure was taken for a change in trajectory performed by Cesetti to protect himself from an attack by his team-mate Lancaster in the course of the last heat. Such a measure taken within such a tricky event as the last race of the European Championship against one of the possible winners appeared truly unconscionable. But the actual insult that triggered the resentment both of Cesetti and the entire Birel team was the different judgement given to the same manoeuvre carried out by Ardigò: the driver of the Tony kart performed a sharp change of trajectory at the detriment of Lancaster, too. In this case, however, the Race Officials deem it sufficient to simply warn Ardigò. Two separate measures for the same kind of violation at a crucial time in the Championship is certainly a questionable attitude. This was the atmosphere at the start of Race 1, where Cesetti was immediately forced to take great risks, in addition to straining his tyres twice as much as the others to catch up with the leading group. But the resoluteness of the Marches-born driver and the excellent performance of his kart took him into the leading slipstream, a line formed by Mortara, Ardigò, Lancaster and Gaggianesi. During the last stages, Oakes succeeded in taking the lead, while Cesetti was right behind him. But Ardigò entered the last bent on the inside of Cesetti, although the Birel driver tried to leave as little room as possible. Ardigò, however, forced through even playing a bit foul and pushing out Cesetti, thus favouring Gaggianesi’s overtaking, who ended the race 2nd behind Oakes. Cesetti makes it to the 3rd place ahead of Ardigò, Mortara, Lancaster, Forè and Renaudie. After the warning in the morning, the Birel Team expected an action against Ardigò. A possible penalty against the driver of the Tony Kart team would not have just counterbalanced the decision of the morning, it would also have brought back Cesetti to the top of the results list of the championship. But once again, the Race Officials took their decision following methods that differed completely from everybody’s expectations, validating the results without taking any further step. In Race 2, therefore, Ardigò only needed to finish among the first 10 to win the title. And for the first time in the course of the season, Ardigò was also supported by his team-mate Forè, who let him pass towards the end after having tried before to slow down Cesetti. The lead was taken right away by Oakes and Mortara, whereas Gaggianesi seemed less efficient than in Race 1 and was soon out of the podium hunt. Once more, the outcome was decided in the course of the last laps: Cesetti succeeded in taking the lead, but at one lap from the finishing line he had a slight hesitation that favoured Oakes, who took the lead once again. In the meantime, Lancaster was knocked out of the race and the rush for the title; slowed down by problems with his engine, he was forced to withdraw 3 laps before the end. The last lap started with Oakes leading ahead of Cesetti, Ardigò and Mortara. At the last sprint, Cesetti revealed once more his generous character attempting an attack against Oakes. But the Englishman defended himself very well, and Cesetti, almost forced to stop to avoid a contact, was overtaken by Ardigò and Varutti. Mortasa ended 5th, followed by Forè, Mustonenn and Gaggianesi. Therefore, Ardigò is European Champion with 90 points, while Cesetti is vice-champion with 68 points. Jon Lancaster, at his first season in Formula A, is 3rd with 58 points. For the young Englishman of Birel Motorsport, this is an important result that ushers him into the circle of the big names of karting at international level as the best rookie of the year. For the protagonists of the Formula A, the next appointment is the World Championship of Portugal at the end of September. And Birel drivers are aware more than ever that they are going to take their chances with a considerable technical potential.

» 100 ICA – THE REPORT