|
Magic Marco As Team BRM's Italian Star Charges Forward To First Championship Podium |
|
|
|
|
Tuesday, 08 May 2007 |
Team BRM’s Italian charger Marco Mapelli has secured his first two podium finishes of his young Formula 3 racing career following a competitive weekend for the Adelaide-based Italian at Phillip Island in Victoria at the weekend.
It was a fantastic performance from 18-year-old Marco as he drove two aggressive races in his #4 Team BRM / Gawler Farm Machinery Dallara F304 Spiess to score a haul of championship points and double his score in the Gold Star championship standings – leaping up to sixth place with five rounds to go.
Mapelli qualified third for each race, missing second place by just
.02s in qualifying one and, in a similar performance, missing pole
position by less than two-tenths of a second.
In race one Mapelli fought a race-long battle with the vastly more
experienced Charlie Hollings, falling short at the line by just .05s
after concerted attacks on the British driver for a majority of the
race.
In race two he was again involved in many dices and brought the car
home cleanly in another podium finish. Incredibly, he completed almost
two thirds of the race with a cut and deflating tyre after an earlier
contact with another car.
Showing his incredible natural talent, Mapelli set his fastest lap on
the eighth of fourteen before slowing to conserve the tyre in order to
finish.
”For me this has been a good weekend,” Marco said following the second race.
”I feel like we are getting closer and closer and this weekend I had a chance to win - but in the second race I had a cut tyre.
”I decided not to push too hard and risk the tyre blowing so I finished
on the podium. It’s always nice to be there but now I think we can win
I am not satisfied!
”The car was perfect this weekend and the team are doing a great job.” He said.
The Audi Centre Melbourne #29 Team BRM entry of Stuart Kostera didn’t
have quite the weekend of his team-mate but was able to secure more
championship points to remain in the hunt after winning the first race
of the season several months ago.
Kostera, from Perth, qualified seventh for each race – showing how
competitive the field is this season – and finished in the same
position in race one after a spirited battle with Leanne Tander and Mat
Sofi.
In race two he looked set for a similarly positive finish until
stewards imposed a 30-second post-race penalty as a result of a coming
together with Hollings at the notorious MG corner.
Mapelli now has 45 points with Kostera five ahead – the Team BRM duo
fifth and sixth in the Gold Star championship but still well within
contention.
For More information about Team BRM please visit www.teambrm.com.au
/ RACE REPORT ENDS
The race results at Phillip Island were a positive result for Team BRM
following an unfortunate road accident involving several Team BRM crew
members returning from the circuit on the Thursday prior to the
meeting.
In poor weather conditions – including driving rain – Team BRM’s rented
‘people mover’ driven by Mark Rundle, hit a large area of standing
water and aquaplaned across the road, striking another vehicle that was
travelling in the opposite direction.
There was no suggestion of speed or any inappropriate driving, with the
uncontrollable aquaplane inevitably happening due to the large amount
of surface water and the corrugated and waterlogged road.
Two members of Team BRM were slightly injured and received paramedic
assistance at the scene and subsequent travel to the local hospital for
observation and further checks. Both returned to the circuit Friday
afternoon.
Fortunately the occupants of the other car also escaped without any significant injury.
Team BRM owner Bronte Rundle would like to express his gratitude and
thanks to the Victorian Ambulance Service and the Paramedics that
attended the scene of the crash for their professional and prompt
support.
The team would also like to offer it’s gratitude to Formula 3 Australia
Category Administrator Graemme Brown who was quickly at the scene of
the accident and assisted.
The team acknowledges and thanks the support and goodwill offered and
displayed by the Formula 3 Australia Family during the stressful time
throughout the race weekend.
However Rundle expressed his deep concern at the state of the road that
transports teams from the Grand Prix circuit to the township of Cowes –
where a majority of the teams and personnel stay – at Phillip Island.
“The road handles thousands of teams, officials and spectators
throughout the year and for such a high-traffic road its condition is a
disgrace,” Rundle said.
”The Victorian Government and VIC Roads or the local council must take
immediate steps to ensure that the road condition is improved.
”The deep ruts and undulations ensures that when any amount of rain
falls it cannot escape – therefore causing the accident that so nearly
had disastrous results for my son and our team.
”Given the international importance of the Island as a tourism and
worldwide Motorsport destination the roads are not good enough.” He
said.
|
