Race Report

ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Formula ACI CSAI Abarth

Circuit: Imola (I), Length 4.909 km, 16^th/17^th July 2011, Rounds 7 & 8
www.autodromoimola.com

JENZER MOTORSPORT 2011:
Patric Niederhauser (CH), Sergey Sirotkin (RUS) and Robert Visoiu (ROM)

Victory for Niederhauser, podium for Sirotkin and Visoiu

The fourth of seven meetings in the Italian Formula Abarth Championship took place at Imola, in the Emilia Romagna region.

Qualifying

Saturday, 16/07/11, 11.50 – 12.20, Weather: Sunny, 37°C

The rules of the championship only allow for one qualifying session, with each driver’s fastest lap determining their Race One grid positions. For Race Two the top eight are simply reversed, with the 8^th fastest driver starting from pole, the 7^th fastest starting from 7^th, and so on. From 9^th place on, the positions are decided according to the results of Race One.
The qualifying session took place in the noon heat. Lap times improved all the time, and the names on top of the timesheet changed frequently. In the end it showed Sergey in an excellent 3^rd place on the grid of the first race, Patric in 5^th and Robert directly behind him in 6^th.

Formula Abarth Italian Championship

Race One (28 minutes + 1 lap)

Saturday, 16/07/11, 17:00, Weather: Sunny, 39°C

The first race start was pretty hectic though Robert got away well and moved ahead of Barrabeig initially. However, he then clipped the kerb at the chicane a little too hard, spun and hit the barriers. The Safety Car had to be deployed, both because of that and another incident which involved two cars that were now blocking the track. Sergey, meanwhile, was behind Ghiotto and Heche in 3^rd and Patric was 5^th behind Kuroda. At the restart Heche dropped back allowing Patric through to 4^th, which he improved on a little later by passing Sergey for 3^rd. On the same lap Ghiotto and Kuroda crashed out, handing the lead to Patric with Sergey 2^nd. Heche grabbed his opportunity too and managed to move through the field quickly, overtaking Sergey and setting off in pursuit of Patric. Before long he started to pressurise Patric, but his attack failed leaving Partric in the clear with only a short distance left to run. It was clear that Patric would claim the victory. Sergey then closed back in on Heche, but there was too little time left, so he finished the race in an excellent 3^rd to share the podium with Patric.

Formula Abarth Italian Championship

Race Two (28 minutes + 1 lap)

Sunday, 17/07/11, 12.25, Weather: Sunny, 35°C

The heat of the day seemed to have got to the drivers and Sergey made contact with another driver at the start and was soon forced to abandon his damaged car at the side of the track. Patric was behind Agostini and Barrabeig in 3^rd when he got close to Barrabeig, just as the latter ran wide, Patric tried to squeeze past, but Barrabeig opted to close the door and they tangled. For Patric the consequence was a spin into the gravel trap and out of the race. That left Robert to defend team colours, which he did by staying right with Heche and Barrabeig all the way to the flag, stepping onto the podium in an excellent 3^rd place.

Championship Standings

Formula Abarth Italian Championship 2011 after 8 out of 14 races:

1^st Patric Niederhauser (CH), 89 points; 2^nd Michael Heche (CH), 79 points; 3^rd Gerrard Barrabeig (E), 68 points; 4^th Sergey Sirotkin (RUS), 64 points; 5^th Nicolas Costa (BRA), 52 points; 6^th Robert Visoiu (ROM), 46 points

Championship Standings

2011 Formula Abarth European Series after 4 out of 14 races:

1^st Sergey Sirotkin (RUS), 50 points; 2^nd Patric Niederhauser (CH), 35 points; 3^rd Gerrard Barrabeig (E), 35 points; 4^th Robert Visoiu (ROM), 34 points; 5^th Lorenzo Camplese (I), 22 points; 6^th Michael Heche (CH), 22 pointe

2011 FORMULA ABARTH RACE CALENDAR

2011 FORMULA ABARTH ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

2011 FORMULA ABARTH EUROPEAN SERIES

Read more:

• www.acisportitalia.it/ABARTH_IT
• www.acisportitalia.it/ABARTH_EU
• www.italiaracing.net