CIK–FIA SICC WORLD CUP - ICC (ROUND 3) AND JUNIOR (FINAL) EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP - SARNO (ITALY), SEPTEMBER 2nd/3rd/4th, 2005

125 Super ICC: BIREL’S AND LAUDATO’S TRIUMPH

The Birel Motorsport team arrived at the most important event of the season aware of its high technical potential. The last tests confirmed the efficacy both of the “M” line chassis, adopted by all the official drivers, and of the Tm engines. And each of the three fielded drivers was highly motivated and determined to do very well. First of all, Ennio Gandolfi, title holder and racing with the number one plate. The Lombard driver, who is going to abandon karting after the Sarno race, obviously wanted to close his prestigious career in the best possible way. Francesco Laudato had already achieved two victories in the 2005 season (the Sicc European Championship and the Icc Italian Championship), and he knew he could win the most prestigious title as well, this time at his home track. Sauro Cesetti, who was going trough a time of exceptional physical shape, could race without pressure being put on him, pressure that will probably affect more his team-mates, the specialists of the 125cc class. The weekend entered its most important phase with the qualifying sessions: the first verdicts of the track confirmed all expectations and witnessed Laudato competing for the pole position and finishing with the fourth overall time. Also Cesetti fared very well and marked the eleventh time, at about 3 tenths of a second from the pole position, while surprisingly Ennio Gandolfi was not among the top placements of the ranking. The title holder made some mistakes in the set up and did not go beyond the 30th place, which made his last race difficult from the very beginning. Instead, the pole position went to Andrea Benedetti, ahead of Manetti and Cozzaglio. Among the other top drivers, Forè was 5th, Toninelli 6th, Mortara 7th, Kieitsbosh 16th and Dirks only 25th. Among the Birel drivers, Schrangl (14th) and Wouters (20th) performed quite well, too. In the qualifying sessions Francesco Laudato did particularly well conquering the first row for the Pre-Finals with a victory and a second place behind Benedetti. With the same penalties Cozzaglio made it to the first row, too, while Benedetti and Toninelli had to start from the second row with 6 penalties each, ahead of Piccini, Forè, Profico and Ardigò. Sauro Cesetti finished with 10 penalties but instead of starting from the 5th row, he was relegated to the 26th place because he had been excluded from a heat due to a collision with Letailleur. This decision by the Race Officials compromised the chances of the Marches-born driver, who was forced to recover many positions. It is always difficult to blame somebody specifically for an in-race accident, an this seems a particularly puzzling case since a manoeuvre carried out at high speed by very experienced drivers was defined as voluntary. But Cesetti seemed to have scores to settle with the Sports Authority and also on this occasion, as in the Euro FA in Lecce, he was penalised by the Race Officials in relation to the placement achieved on the track. Gandolfi was not any luckier; he was involved in an accident at the beginning of the first heat and took part in the second one with a chassis unable to meet the necessary conditions. The 42 final penalties forced him to take part in the repechage race. Among the other Birel drivers, Van Dreven (11th), Solgat (19th) e Schrangl (20th) qualified without difficulties, instead. Before the Pre-Finals Gandolfi took part in the repechage and achieved qualification joining his team-mates. In the Pre-Finals, Laudato began to build up his success: he started better than Cozzaglio and won the race controlling his opponent until the finishing line. Benedetti was third, the only one among the top drivers to adopt Dunlop tyres. Toninelli was 4th, ahead of Forè, Piccini and Kieitsbosh. Sauro Cesetti reported the failure of his radiator and was forced to withdraw two laps from the end, achieving only the 27th place on the starting grid for the World Finals. Gandolfi fared a little better and closed with the 23rd place, but more importantly he found a solution to both the problem derived from the accident during the heat and some set-up difficulties. Even if he had to start the race from the back, Gandolfi knew he was able to make up for it in the Finals. Among the Birel drivers, Solgat attained a good 11th placing and Mich made up ground to the 14th place. At the start of the Finals, Laudato led the way and built up his success already during the first laps resisting to Benedetti’s pressure, who could initially benefit from the superior efficacy of his tyres. The Tony Kart drivers disturbed each other, there was a scrimmage and Cozzaglio paid for it: he lost his front spoiler and was forced to stop at the pit. Behind Laudato came soon Toninelli, who overtook Benedetti, while Piccini was 4th ahead of Forè and Sferella. From the rear, instead, Ennio Gandolfi and Sauro Cesetti were catching up ground like mad. In particular, Gandolfi raced on qualification timings and overtaking an incredible number of drivers, including his team-mate Cesetti. At the end of the race Cesetti was 10th, while Gandolfi ended up 7th, knowing that, if he had started the race just a few placings ahead on the starting grid, he could have bidden farewell to his 20-year-long milieu as a driver directly from the podium. The podium, instead, witnessed Laudato celebrating his second World title (he conquered his first in 1999 in Mariembourg). A clear-cut and well-deserved success, confirming the match Birel/Tm at the top of the categories with gear box. The Birel colours have conquered an outstanding series of World class victories in the 125 category: since 1997, no other manufacturer has managed to stop a hegemony bound to go down in history. As is Francesco Laudato, a concrete driver, who is also fast and perfectly able to take the maximum advantage of the technical potential at his disposal. For Laudato, on top of all this, a victory in Sarno has a very special flavour. This track in Campania has witnessed him moving his first steps in karting and is now crowning him winner of the World Cup, at the end of an exceptional season that saw him already prevailing in the Italian and the European Championships.

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