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Anderlecht nets Super Final, but title belongs to Liverpool

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:40:11 GMT

Adrian Valles drove intelligently throughout the final meeting, scoring seventh and fourth place finishes, to protect the healthy points lead he held over Tottenham Hotspur’s Craig Dolby coming into the weekend, despite the British driver’s best attempts to cause an upset in race 2.

Anderlecht’s Yelmer Buurman was the other star of the weekend as he backed up his race 1 victory with a win in the six-car, five-lap Super Final to net a €100,000 prize, while Galatasaray secured their first ever Superleague win thanks to a faultless drive from Ho-Pin Tung in race 2.

The Super Final saw two of the six runners out of the reckoning within seconds of the start as Dolby stalled from pole position and FC Porto’s Tristan Gommendy out-braked himself into the first corner while fighting Sevilla’s Sebastien Bourdais for the lead.

Bourdais also went slightly wide into the first turn, allowing a gleeful Buurman to drive up the inside and take a lead that he would never lose. Bourdais finished second, over one second down, while Valles, already in jubilant mood having clinched the title just minutes earlier, held off Tung’s attack for third.

Race 2 had seen Tung produce a fine drive to give Galatasaray its first win. Starting from third on the fully-reversed grid, the Chinese-Dutch driver, who had shown strong pace all weekend, nailed front row starter Maria de Villota (Atletico Madrid) off the line and passed pole man Kasper Andersen of FC Midtjylland a few laps later to take the lead.

He then set a consistently fast pace throughout the 45 minute race to take a well received victory for the Turkish club.

While Tung’s performance was impressive, it wasn’t quite as spectacular as Dolby’s, who did everything he could to wrestle the title from the grasp of Liverpool and Valles.

Starting down in 15th on the grid, Dolby avoided the first corner chaos which eliminated the cars from PSV Eindhoven and Corinthians and severely compromised the races of Olympiacos, FC Basel and Rangers.

After a short Safety Car period to clean up the wreckage of the PSV machine, Dolby was sensational on the restart, immediately passing race 1 winner Anderlecht and title rival Liverpool. He then followed Sevilla’s Sebastien Bourdais up the inside of Nelson Panciatici in the Lyon car, before demoting Bourdais with a ballsy move around the outside of the first hairpin. Enrique Bernoldi in the Flamengo car and de Villota were then easily dealt with, putting Tottenham into second place.

Dolby stayed out significantly longer than everyone else before finally making his mandatory pit stop, but his rapid pace wasn’t enough to jump Tung, the British driver eventually settling for second.

His display also wasn’t enough to win the title as Valles drove a sensible race for Liverpool, rising from tenth at the start to finish fourth behind FC Midtjylland, securing more than enough to seal the crown. FC Porto was fifth after a charging through-the-field drive from Tristan Gommendy, with Sevilla in sixth.

Atletico Madrid fans had something to cheer at their local event as de Villota held on for seventh ahead of FC Basel, for whom Max Wissel recovered from the back of the field after a trip through the gravel at the first corner, clinching enough points to steal third in the final league table ahead of Anderlecht.

Race 1 winner Buurman saw his race end in bizarre fashion as the pit stop phase began. The Anderlecht driver hit Panciatici in the pit lane entry as the Lyon driver misjudged where the pit lane speed limiter line started and braked too early. Giorgio Pantano, who finished third for AC Milan in race 1, ended his afternoon in the barrier after spinning on the exit of the final corner with ten minutes to go.

Quotes

Adrian Valles (Liverpool): “It’s fantastic to have won the championship and I’d like to thank the whole team for the great job they’ve done this season. We have been competitive at every round, yet we’ve never had any problems with reliability. To win the Superleague Formula title is a great honour for a driver because the level of competition is so high and the cars are all the same. I’m also really pleased for Liverpool. I met all the players and staff last week and they wished me good luck so I am so happy to have clinched this title for them. They’ve won a lot of trophies in their history so it is nice to have added another one to that list.”

Craig Dolby (Tottenham Hotspur): “I’m obviously very disappointed not to win the championship, but I pushed as hard as I could and had a lot of fun. I managed to make some incredible overtaking manoeuvres - around the outside of Anderlecht and Liverpool into turn 1 and then around the outside of Bourdais later. It was unbelievable and I was screaming down the radio to the boys in the pits at one point! We’ve had some bad luck here and there without which things could have been different, but overall it has been a great year.”

Yelmer Buurman (RSC Anderlecht): “It has been a very good weekend and I’m really happy to have won two races. After the crash in race 2 I had to borrow some spare parts from my team-mate so we were a bit lucky to make it to the Super Final. The first corner turned out to be a bit messy, but we emerged in the lead so I was very happy.”

Alex Andreu (Superleague Formula CEO & President): “This weekend has been a fitting finale to a thrilling second season of Superleague Formula. The racing has been exciting throughout and the crowds we have seen here at Jarama have been fantastic and enthusiastically supported our teams and drivers. We’re already looking forward to our third season next year and expanding our calendar to 12 rounds.”

Anderlecht dominates as title fight continues

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:32:41 GMT

Bourdais beat Buurman by just six thousandths of a second in yesterday’s qualifying final to clinch pole position, but a fine passing manoeuvre immediately after the pit stops and then a string of unmatchable quick laps saw the Dutch driver avenge that loss.

Meanwhile, the title fight between English Premier League clubs Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will go all the way to the last race this afternoon as Spurs’ Craig Dolby narrowed the lead of Liverpool’s Adrian Valles by ten points.

The key moment of the race came ten minutes in as Anderlecht emerged from its pit stop with Sevilla’s Bourdais, who had pitted one lap earlier, bearing down the start/finish straight.

The cars were side by side heading into the first corner, but Buurman held his line on the inside of the right hander, sliding into the lead on the exit. From there, Bourdais was unable to match the pace of the Anderlecht man, as Buurman rattled off a string of impressive lap times, including the race’s best, a 1:20.011, finishing over 14 seconds clear at the chequered flag.

Giorgio Pantano completed the podium positions for AC Milan after a lonely run to third. Starting sixth, the Italian made a good start to move up to fourth and then inherited a top-three finish when Galatasary’s Ho-Pin Tung went off early in the race.

Behind him, things were far more chaotic and had a direct effect on the title race.

Both Tottenham (10th) and Liverpool (14th) had started from the midfield but made up places at the start and during the pit stops.

Spurs’ Dolby lost sixth place to a charging Julien Jousse of Roma midway through the race, but then saw a huge slice of luck fall in his favour with just two minutes of the race remaining.

Having passed Dolby and FC Basel’s Max Wissel, Jousse began to close rapidly on Corinthians’ Antonio Pizzonia. He made his move with a couple of laps remaining, but only succeeded in crashing into the back of the Brazilian, ending both their races. In the melee that followed, Wissel was badly baulked by the two stricken cars ahead, allowing Dolby to dive up the inside into fourth.

Wissel crossed the line fifth ahead of FC Porto’s Tristan Gommendy, while Valles managed seventh following a late pass on Lyon, ultimately limiting his losses to Spurs during the late race chaos.

Olympiacos and Rangers both recovered to grab top ten finishes after a scrappy start to the race. Rangers’ John Martin joined FC Midtylland’s Kasper Andersen in the gravel after too many cars battled for two little space at the first corner. Guerrieri, meanwhile, spun on the exit of turn 1 on the opening lap, dropping him to the back of the field and immediately removing one of the pre-race favourites from the lead battle.

There was disappointment for fans of home favourites Atletico Madrid as Maria de Villota spun out on lap 2, although her non-finish means the series’ only female driver will join Andersen on the front row of the completely reversed grid for race 2.

Tottenham’s task is a tough one in the second race if the London club is to deny Liverpool a first Superleague Formula title. Trailing by 39 points, Dolby must finish at least third from 15th on the grid and hope that Liverpool doesn’t finish the race!

Driver Quotes:

Yelmer Buurman (Anderlecht): “The car was great and we also saved some tyres. The start was a bit tricky when Esteban (Guerrieri) nearly overtook me but then I managed to brake a bit later and go around the outside at the first corner. From then on I just followed Seb (Bourdais) who was a bit quicker in the beginning, and pushing really hard. Eventually he spun so I was right on his gearbox again and then one or two laps later he made his pit stop. I was in one lap later and the team did a great job. I rejoined with Seb alongside into the first corner but managed to overtake him there. From then on I just kept my head down and pushed really hard. The car was so good I was able to pull out 1.2 seconds a lap sometimes.”

Craig Dolby (Tottenham): “Finishing fourth’s helped cement the second place now. I was slightly catching the guys ahead and as soon as they made a mistake I put the car in the right position and got past them. When you qualify in the middle you have to try and come through, which is what I need to do again race 2. It would have been a lot easier if I’d qualified up front! We improved on the problems of yesterday. The car’s still not quite right but we’ll hopefully get it sorted for race 2 and see what we can do.”

Adrian Valles (Liverpool): “It was a bit exciting at the end when I overtook one car on the last lap. The gap’s now 39 points so it’s still a good lead. I just need to concentrate and finish the race. I’m just aiming for a good result and to take it easy.”

Bourdais takes first pole as title contenders struggle

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:47:40 GMT

Spurs, who trailed their Premier League rivals by 49 points heading into this weekend’s final round of the 2009 season, missed out on a place in the knockout stages of qualifying by just two one hundredths of a second, meaning driver Craig Dolby will start Sunday’s first race in tenth.

Liverpool driver Adrian Valles will be even further back on the 18-car grid after finishing seventh, two places behind Dolby, in qualifying Group B. The Spaniard was clearly disgruntled when he felt his best lap was ruined after he was caught up behind Anderlecht’s Yelmer Buurman. He will start race 1 from 14th.

The battle for pole position was a stunner as Sevilla beat Anderlecht by six thousandths of a second in the final, the closest margin in Superleague Formula history. Bourdais continued his fine run of form since joining the series from Formula One, with a superb qualifying display. His victory for the Spanish club over Buurman came after the French driver had topped his qualifying group before defeating Nelson Panciatici of Lyon and Esteban Guerrieri of Olympiacos in the Quarter and Semi-Finals.

Buurman’s path to the final saw him produce impressive comeback victories over FC Basel’s Max Wissel, who went fastest of anyone in practice and the group stages of qualifying, and Corinthian’s Antonio Pizzonia, a three time pole winner this season, in the knockout stages. In both match-ups Buurman trailed his opponent in the first two sectors of the 2.391 mile lap but turned things around in the third to win.

Olympiacos will start Sunday’s race from third on the grid ahead of Corinthians, with Galatasaray, for whom Ho-Pin Tung enjoyed one of his best displays of the season, fifth and AC Milan sixth. Lyon line-up seventh, after Panciatici’s best qualifying performance of the season, with FC Basel completing the top eight.

Earlier, in the group stages, AS Roma became the first high-profile qualifying casualty when Julien Jousse failed to make it out of Group A. The Frenchman had set the second best time of anyone in free practice but was knocked out late in the session thanks to superb last gasp efforts from FC Basel and Olympiacos. 2009 race winners Tristan Gommendy (FC Porto) and John Martin (Rangers) also went out.

The biggest shock of all was reserved for Group B though, and both Liverpool and Tottenham will now be anxious to avoid any costly incidents as they try to negotiate a congested midfield in their search for big points at the tight Madrid circuit during tomorrow’s first race.

Driver Quotes:

Sebastien Bourdais (Sevilla): “I’m very pleased to have my first pole position in Superleague Formula. We had a very productive morning in practice and improved the car throughout. It was very strong in qualifying, but the key here is to make as few errors as possible as it is so easy to make a mistake at this circuit, particularly as the tyres start to go off. A good start will be important in tomorrow’s race as it will be difficult to overtake here.”

Yelmer Buurman (RSC Anderlecht): “I’m very happy to be on the front row and to have been fighting for pole position. Of course I can look back and think, ‘maybe I’d be on pole if I’d braked a little later here or there’, but second is still good. I don’t think I slowed Adrian (Valles) in the group stages as he was still a couple of car lengths behind me at that corner.”

Esteban Guerrieri (Olympiacos): “I’m hoping to finish second in the championship this weekend, so the second row is not too bad as the guys I am chasing are quite a bit further back down the grid. You have to be very precise with your driving in order to remain mistake-free here and tomorrow will be very demanding on the tyres. The driver who shows most intelligence in that aspect will win.”

Adrian Valles (Liverpool): “It was a shame because we had some traffic in qualifying so we couldn’t do our best lap. The good news is Tottenham didn’t get through the group either so there’s no pressure for the championship situation. I just hope that there are no crashes or anything tomorrow and that we can do a good job.”

Craig Dolby (Tottenham Hotspur): “We didn’t have optimum traction on the car so there will be some big changes overnight so we’re ready to kick some ass tomorrow! I’m ahead of the red car so that’s all right, and he (Valles) was quite rattled at the end of qualifying which isn’t how you act when you’ve got a 49 point lead! If I was on pole and he was back there then fair enough but when we’re both close together on the grid and he still gets fired up then it makes me think it could be a good day tomorrow!”

Race 1 kicks off tomorrow at 10.00am local time.

Liverpool and Tottenham square off in Spanish title decider

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:09:19 GMT

The pair have been locked together at the top of the league in a fierce battle all season long with Valles having sat atop the standings since the opening weekend at Magny-Cours back in June where he won the first race and lucrative Super Final. Dolby meantime had to wait until the second round at Zolder before recording his first victory of 2009. Now, after five rounds and 13 races, it’s the Spaniard who heads the Briton by 49 points going into the final weekend where only one can be crowned champion. And both men are talking up their chances ahead of this Sunday’s showdown.

Adrian Valles: “I’m quite confident. We’ve got a healthy advantage at the top but that doesn’t mean we can relax because it’s a really tough championship to win. There are a lot of strong drivers out there who will be pushing hard. It’s best to treat it like any other race and hope that things play out like normal. If I start thinking about pressure, trying to win or not crashing instead of racing as I usually would then that’s the wrong mentality. I’m just going to go there and try to do my best. The whole team is working hard for it.”

Craig Dolby: “All Adrian needs is a mechanical failure or to make a mistake and, if I have a good result, I’m right back in it for the second race. In Estoril, where I was taken off in one of the races, I only got something like 28 points so if he has a weekend like that then it will be close. You never say never and as there’s still a realistic chance of the title then I won’t give up. If it wasn’t for the problems in Portugal I think we’d be within 10 points right now. It’s going to be difficult, I’ll admit that, but I can still see there’s a chance there, especially as I think we’ll be fast.”

Statistically, the championship remains a four-horse race with Olympiacos and FC Basel 91 and 97 points adrift respectively. But with only a maximum 100 points still available, their chances appear slim, relying on Liverpool to suffer retirements in both races and requiring victories in each themselves.

After just the two races in Monza at the beginning of October, the Superleague weekend reverts back to its familiar and unique format of two feature races followed by a winner-takes-all Super Final. With the championship out of reach for the majority of the field, it’s a chance to end the season in style by picking up a €100,000 first prize. One man sure to feature is Sevilla’s Sebastien Bourdais who has already won twice in two rounds since joining Sevilla in Portugal while Olympiacos’ Esteban Guerrieri is another in red hot form. Antonio Pizzonia meanwhile will be looking to score his first win of the campaign despite already notching up three pole positions.

Sevilla might be amongst Spanish football’s finest but there’s one club in particular local interest will focus on this weekend. The tight and twisty Circuito del Jarama lies just 30 minute’s drive from the centre of the country’s capital so expect Los colchoneros to be out in force supporting Atletico Madrid and Maria de Villota.

In driver news, Brazilian Enrique Bernoldi returns for Flamengo after missing Monza while AS Roma hang on to Julien Jousse who impressed many with his raw pace and podium finish on debut in Italy.

All three races from Superleague Formula’s final fixture of the season can be seen live on British Eurosport 2 (Sky Digital 411 and Virgin Media 525) this Sunday at 9am, 11.30am and 12.30pm (November 7/8).

Petiz and Sporting win race two as Seville scores weekend win

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 16:20:30 GMT

Craig Dolby added a hard fought second position to race 1’s fifth place to finish the weekend third overall with Olympiacos’ Esteban Guerrieri second thanks to his runners-up spot in the opener and fourth in race two.

Just as in the opening race, the sprint down to the first corner saw three cars go side-by-side with AC Milan popping out from behind the front row starting Flamengo car of Jonathan Kennard. Sporting had just enough room to hold the lead into the chicane as the Englishman attempted to make amends by going around the outside of Pantano. Although ahead, he just clipped the Italian and span, partially blocking the track and forcing the rest of the field on to the grass, resulting a delay that allowed Petiz to end lap one nearly two seconds clear.

The action remained frenetic for those behind with PSV Eindhoven’s Carlo Van Dam relieving Pantano of second on lap two before Olympiacos and Anderlecht collided at the first chicane, sending both momentarily into the gravel. The accident triggered a chain reaction behind with race 1 podium finisher Julien Jousse receiving a right-rear puncture that was to end his and AS Roma’s race.

Sporting pitted at the end of lap eight with a healthy advantage over PSV who opted to stay out. FC Basel, who had now passed Pantano for third, followed the Portuguese in but was delayed badly when attempting to leave his box after Milan over-shot his marks and sat stranded in the pits. The incident backed up those who were also pitting, handing a significant advantage to the drivers who had opted to stay out.

With everyone having completed their stops by lap 12, Petiz regained his advantage to the tune of over six seconds from Van Dam who was shuffled down to third on his first lap out of the pits by Corinthians’ Antonio Pizzonia. Tottenham’s Craig Dolby, up from 14th on the reverse grid, soon followed suit with a recovering Max Wissel doing likewise on lap 15.

But FC Basel’s title challenge came to an end the very next lap when Wissel slowed along the pit straight. Behind, Seville’s Sebastien Bourdais, who’d started dead last after winning race one, slipstreamed PSV into the first corner and set off after Corinthians who a charging Dolby had passed a lap earlier.

With league-leaders Liverpool up to fifth, the Englishman needed all the points he could muster if he was to reduce his deficit at the top of the standings. Try as he might though there was simply no catching Petiz who reeled off the last ten minutes with consummate ease to claim victory by 6.051 seconds.

Dolby came home second with Bourdais completing an excellent weekend for Seville in third. Race 1 runner-up Guerrieri was fourth after an opportunist move on Liverpool, who finished fifth, while battling with the slowing Corinthians.

FC Porto’s retirement in the closing stages handed Anderlecht their second sixth place of the day, ahead of Galatasaray’s Ho-Pin Tung, PSV, Corinthians and Atletico Madrid’s Maria de Villota.

The result sees Tottenham close to within 49 points of Liverpool ahead of the season finale in Jarama, Spain next month in what has effectively become a two-horse race for the title. Wissel’s disappointing weekend sees FC Basel replaced in third overall by Olympiacos while Milan lost out badly at home, tumbling from fourth to eighth.

Weekend Winner driver quotes:

Sebastien Bourdais, Seville: “For sure the second race was going to be more difficult to win. If someone had told me we would have finished third after starting dead last, I would have said you are kidding! We just took it easy to start with as I thought there would be a few tangles and kept my push-to-passes. I thought I had a puncture on a couple of occasions because my team mate actually ran in to the back of me when the other guys short-cutted the chicane. Overall I am very happy. The car was pretty solid and the team did a good job. We made no mistakes and that’s what won us the event.”

Esteban Guerrieri, Olympiacos: “Race 2 was a good race but it was a bit of a mess because there were a lot of incidents on the track and in the pit lane, with many cars stopping at the same time. I got stuck behind Olympique Lyonnais, which was stopping in front of me, and I lost a bit of time. Before that I made contact in the first chicane with another car and lost some time going into the gravel, so it was a bit of a mixed race with a lot things happening. But overall I had good pace, the car was really nice to drive and I pushed every lap at 100% trying to get the maximum out of the tyres. With all the incidents, fourth was the best we could have done.”

Craig Dolby, Tottenham: “The first few laps were unbelievable and very aggressive, as I knew I had to be. I needed to catch Max in the championship which meant finishing ahead. We caught up and passed before his problem so I did what I’d set out to do. After the issues in qualifying, I thought it would be difficult, but we never gave up. We came fifth in the first race with an engine problem which we fixed and came through from the back of the grid, passing all the people who had problems in the pit stops before they got there. I showed a few people that I am not going to back down and if my car is on the inside I will stay on the inside. A few people tried to push me on to the grass but I went wheel-to-wheel with them. For Jarama, the championship is still wide open so I will definitely be giving it large!”

Superleague Formula travels to Jarama for the final two races of 2009, November 7/8.

Seville and Bourdais net opening Monza race

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 11:39:20 GMT

The Frenchman backed up his Shootout win on debut last month by beating fellow Portugal winner Olympiacos’ Esteban Guerrieri down to the first corner before reeling off the 40 minute +1 lap race in relative ease. Series debutant Julien Jousse completed the podium for AS Roma while Liverpool came through from eighth to fourth to increase their lead at the top of the standings from Tottenham, who finished fifth. Fellow title-protagonists FC Basel could only manage ninth.

The start proved typically chaotic as the field ploughed into the braking zone for the first chicane. Both Bourdais and Wissel reacted quickly at the lights and were three abreast with Guerrieri into the corner. And it was the Frenchman who emerged ahead at the other side with Olympiacos surviving to slot into second. Behind, home side AC Milan were shuffled back with Giorgio Pantano slipping from fourth to ninth by the end of lap one.

The top two then began to stretch their legs, Bourdais maintaining an advantage of just under a second from Guerrieri as Wissel dropped back. Soon, a queue of cars had formed behind the German with Monza’s long straights offering plenty of slipstreaming opportunities.

The action was frenetic as Wissel first lost out to Jousse, then Galatasaray’s Ho Pin Tung, before falling into the clutches of championship rivals Tottenham and Liverpool, who had both made ground at the start. By the beginning of lap five the trio were right together with Adrian Valles deploying his push-to-pass system to first dispatch Tottenham’s Dolby and then Basel around the outside of the first chicane. Spurs soon followed suit before Wissel was also overhauled by Corinthians’ Antonio Pizzonia.

There was just time for Liverpool to nip past Galatasaray before the pit stops at the end of lap eight when Seville led in Roma, Liverpool, Tottenham, Milan and Anderlecht. Olympiacos pitted the following lap and although Guerrieri was unable emerge ahead of Bourdais, the gap was down to just half a second. Tottenham meanwhile picked up a place thanks to smart pit work from his mechanics to jump Tung while Milan’s dismal start continued when Pantano endured a lengthy delay.

By lap 13 the leaders were right together as they closed on Atletico Madrid who had inherited the lead by delaying its pit stop. Any opportunity appeared to be over for Guerrieri when Bourdais swept around the outside at Parabolica but the Argentine wasn’t finished, picking up Maria de Villota’s slipstream to scythe past along the pit straight before challenging Bourdais down the inside into the chicane. The Frenchman blocked though, slowing his pursuer and allowing Madrid to re-pass. It would be another half a lap before the Argentine could re-take the position, by which time Bourdais had stolen a march.

Back in the pack, Basel had fallen further behind, running as low as 11th before re-passing Rangers’ John Martin after an entertaining battle with the Australian. Ahead, Dolby’s mirrors were full of a charging Corinthians which had allowed Liverpool to eke out a three second cushion. And with less than five minutes remaining Pizzonia was ahead, the Brazilian immediately setting the fastest lap of the race once in clean air.

His work would go unrewarded however when a fuel surge problem three laps from home condemned him to tenth, still one place ahead of where he’d started.

At the front, Guerrieri’s delay had gifted Seville a two second advantage. Despite the Argentine’s best efforts, he was unable to make up the lost time, taking the chequered flag 0.375 seconds behind race-winner Bourdais.

Julien Jousse offered the Italian fans something to shout about after an excellent run to third on his Superleague debut for AS Roma with league-leaders Liverpool extending their advantage at the top of the standings with fourth. Their closest rivals Tottenham slipped 62 points behind thanks to Dolby’s run to fifth from ninth while Yelmer Buurman put in another solid display for Anderlecht to come home sixth. Tristan Gommendy and FC Porto were seventh ahead of Galatasaray, FC Basal and Corinthians.

Driver quotes:

Sebastien Bourdais, Seville: “It was a good race. The start was in my favour because for some reason the pole is on the left. That sounds like a big issue for the pole-sitter but I was very happy about it! We were side by side at the start but I was on the inside so I made it stick. I think that Wissel was all over me when we got to where the track narrows and I think there was a bit of mayhem behind us as we pulled away. It was good, I was pretty happy with the car although we had a bit too much understeer. Then, on the second to last lap, I made a bit of a mistake at Ascari trying to extend the gap. He closed up and since I had used my push-to-pass he had the advantage.”

Esteban Guerrieri, Olympiacos: “I actually started second when you consider that I was on the outside, which was a disadvantage I would say because pole position at a rolling start should be on the inside. The race was fun. I had a good car and pushed a lot after the pit stop to catch Sebastien. I got him but then got blocked by another car. That allowed him to pull away so I pushed again to try and catch up. We have a strategy with the engineers concerning the push-to-pass but it didn’t work as expected. We got close at the finish but had to settle for second.”

Julien Jousse, AS Roma: “It was a great race and I am happy for myself, the team and AS Roma. It’s the first time I’ve driven the car. The beginning of the race was really hard because I did not understand how the push-to-pass button worked during the first three laps, so I had to learn! Then I found a good rhythm. We made a small mistake in the pit stop because the Rangers mechanics were in the way but my team did a great job and after I just controlled the gap back to Liverpool. I’m looking forward to the second race from the back. It will be more difficult but the car is competitive so I think we can get more points for the team.”

The second race starts at 3.15pm local time.

Guerrieri and Olympiacos net first Superleague pole in Monza

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:34:37 GMT

Guerrieri, who had earlier beaten Roma and FC Basel, was never tested in the final after Bourdais made a mistake at the first corner on his crucial qualifying lap and had to take to the escape road, leaving the goal wide open for the Argentine to score.

Bourdais starts second with FC Basel’s Max Wissel and home favourites AC Milan and Giorgio Pantano fourth, ahead of AS Roma, FC Porto, Galatasaray and league-leaders Liverpool.

In the first of the group stages, Wissel repeated yesterday’s trick from practice by posting the fastest lap of the day with only seconds to spare. His 1m36.444s effort proved a whopping 0.557 seconds faster than FC Porto’s Tristan Gommendy who likewise saved his best for last.

With drivers lying second, third, fifth and sixth in the standings drawn in Group A, it was perhaps a surprise to see series debutant Julien Jousse make it through. The AS Roma driver actually led the session into the final three minutes with a time of 1m37.066s which ultimately proved good enough for third. Likewise Ho Pin Tung, who put his extensive Monza experience to good use to end up fourth, pipping high profile casualties Tottenham’s Craig Dolby, who completed just one meaningful lap, and 2009’s top qualifier, Antonio Pizzonia.

Olympique Lyonnais, Sporting Lisbon and PSV rounded out the group.

Group B meanwhile proved a much closer affair with the top five drivers all breaking into the 1m26s bracket. It was Bourdais however who picked up where he had left off in Portugal to top the session with a time of 1m36.533s, pacing fellow Estoril winner Guerrieri and Pantano. Championship leader Adrian Valles squeaked through in fourth to deny Anderlecht’s Yelmer Buurman.

Anderlecht, FC Midtjylland, Atletico Madrid and Flamengo, who were forced to pull off-track without recording a time thanks to an alternator failure, completed the group.

The result saw two of the championship heavyweights square up against each other in the opening quarter-final knockout with Liverpool taking on FC Basel. And it was Wissel who gave himself every chance of making up crucial points tomorrow by dumping championship leader Valles down to eighth on the race 1 grid thanks to a lap 0.306 seconds faster.

With the four teams decided, it was Olympiacos who drew FC Basel. Guerrieri was the first to set a time, the Argentine emerging slightly slower from the first sector before reclaiming the time in the second. With only the long back straight and fast right-hander of Parabolica to go, the slightest mistake by either man would make the difference. And it was Wissel who blinked first, crossing the line 0.156 seconds shy of Olympiacos to line up third.

The second of the semis proved much more decisive with Bourdais edging out Pantano by over three tenths.

That left the championship’s form drivers to battle it out for pole position. Again Seville would lead from the front with Olympiacos this time chasing. But the fans were denied a dramatic showdown even before the first corner when Bourdais over attacked and out-braked himself into the tight chicane, ruining his lap and leaving Guerrieri to complete formalities.

Driver quotes:

Esteban Guerrieri: “I think my group was quite hard because there were a lot of quick cars. So I tried to do a good lap while saving my tyres. The semi-final with Max was really tight until the last corner where there was only a few hundredths difference. Sebastien had a lock-up in the first chicane which didn’t put him in contention for a quick lap. I couldn’t hear my engineer properly telling me that Sebastien had a problem but I understood something like ‘slow down a little bit’ so I completed my lap without pushing 100%.”

Sebastien Bourdais: “It was a mistake obviously. I’ve been struggling pretty much all weekend with brake balance and it happened in the first segment of qualifying. I went straight on twice before at the first chicane so I was pretty happy to make it through to the quarter-finals. Unfortunately for the final I knew I had to push really, really hard because with Esteban it was going to be really close. I just had a big lock-up and that was it really. We’ll try again tomorrow and see what happens.”

Max Wissel: “Thank you to my team, the car was really good and in the shootout with Esteban it was definitely my fault to not reach the final. So, sorry to the team. I’m happy with P3 and for tomorrow I think we have a good chance to finish on the podium. We know we have a really good pace. Normally we are stronger with the old tyres than with the new ones so I’m hoping for the best tomorrow.”

Giorgio Pantano: "After what we did yesterday there was a good chance to have pole today. We need to check everything now because the car was not like it was on Friday. We are not far away. If we don’t go out at the first corner then it will be a good competition.”

Tomorrow’s first race starts at 11.15 local time.

FC Basel to the fore as final Wissel blows

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:13:25 GMT

The 19 year-old, who suffered a frustrating weekend last time out in Estoril where he slipped 59 points behind league leaders Liverpool, posted a best time of 1m37.196s in the dying moments of the day’s second session to edge out Olympiacos’ Esteban Guerrieri by just 0.059 seconds after an equally late effort by the Argentine.

It was an excellent day’s work all round by the young German who ended opening free practice third before proving the most consistent performer of the day.

Home favourite and Monza specialist Giorgio Pantano had earlier stripped long-time pace-setter Nelson Panciatici of the top spot before ending the day third fastest thanks to his 1m37.371s lap, 0.151 seconds clear of Estoril Shootout winner Seville’s Sebastien Bourdais in fourth.

The morning session saw Tristan Gommendy – back at the wheel of his FC Porto car after Alvaro Parente’s Portuguese cameo - go some 0.739 seconds faster than anyone else when he became the only man to duck below the 1m38s barrier. And although the Frenchman would lower that time to a ’37.615 this afternoon, it would ultimately prove only good enough for fifth place.

Championship leader Adrian Valles finished second in the first session but could do no better than 12th in the second after failing to beat his best time of 1m38.734s from the morning. Closest title rival Craig Dolby meanwhile, who sits 58 points adrift of Liverpool in the League, wound up eighth, the Tottenham driver over a second down on Wissel’s ultimate pace.

Another “home” team, AS Roma, finished the day ninth quickest thanks to Superleague Formula debutant Julien Jousse’s 1m38.518s lap, with Antonio Pizzonia and Corinthians completing the top ten, 0.041 seconds further back.

Driver Quotes

Max Wissel, FC Basel: “The day was quite good for us. The first practice we were third and now we’re in first position. We used new tyres but I’m sure about nine or ten others did the same so it looks strong for tomorrow, like the whole year really. I’m really happy to be here, it’s my first time racing at Monza and I enjoyed it a lot. The track is fantastic to drive so I’m looking forward to qualifying, hoping for the best.”

Esteban Guerrieri, Olympiacos: “Today was a bit of a mixed day. At the beginning we had some problems in the last part of first free practice but as everyone was learning the car and circuit it wasn’t too bad. In the second session we found some good pace after sorting out the balance with my engineer, so I’m pleased.”

Giorgio Pantano, AC Milan: “We found a good set-up with the car today so we’re looking in good shape for qualifying tomorrow. At the moment I’ve got a good feeling. We’ll have to see tomorrow when everyone is out there on the same tyres when we’ll know who really is the quickest. We used older tyres which were in good condition so I think that’s a good lap time on those. We saw others were using a new set so I think it looks good for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow’s qualifying session begins at 13.50 local time.

Bourdais shows his class to net €100,000 Super Final prize for Sevilla

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:54:21 GMT

Starting from fourth in the five-lap Super Final, he dived past Anderlecht into turn 1 to take third and was into second when Corinthians driver Antonio Pizzonia slid wide and out of the lead in turn 4.

With just Liverpool standing beaten him and a memorable debut victory, Bourdais sliced up the inside of Adrian Valles’ car before the end of the lap and never looked like losing his lead from thereon.

Olympiacos’ Esteban Guerreri, who earlier took a superb win in race 1, followed Bourdais past Liverpool for second, having started from fifth, with Valles holding off Anderlecht driver Yelmer Buurman for the final podium spot.

Spaniard Valles may have missed the top prize in the Super Final, but he boosted Liverpool’s championship hopes massively during the weekend with a strong points haul from the two main 45 minute races. He extended the English club’s lead at the top of the Superleague Formula by Sonangol League Table to 58 points as both his major rivals hit trouble.

FC Basel, whose young driver Max Wissel starred in the last round at Donington, were lying in second going into the weekend but didn’t even start the first race due to gearbox problems before finishing 11th in a troubled race 2. Tottenham Hotspur’s Craig Dolby, third heading to Portugal, managed a solid eighth in race 1, but retired on the first lap of the second race. Although Spurs moved to second in the table, the London-based club has lost significant ground in the title race to their FA Premier League rivals.

Earlier, the 45 minute-long race 2 saw a popular ‘home win’, despite Estoril very much being Sporting Lisbon territory, for FC Porto whose fans celebrated Alvaro Parente’s victory, the Portuguese club’s second triumph in as many weekends after Tristan Gommendy took the race 2 honours at Donington.

From the front row of the grid following his race 1 retirement, lifelong Porto fan Parente beat pole sitter Galatasaray off the line but was still in second at the first corner as Flamengo’s Enrique Bernoldi made a stunning start from row 3 to lead.

Sevilla’s debutant Bourdais was also a fast starter as he went from seventh to third on the opening lap ahead of AS Roma’s Franck Perera who made similar gains going from 12th to fourth!

Bernoldi was three seconds clear at the pit stop, but Flamengo’s decision to bring its car in after all their rivals didn’t pay off as he lost his lead to Parente.

Bourdais then demoted Flamengo to third and began the pursuit of the Porto car five seconds up the road. The Frenchman showed stunning speed as he closed the gap to under a second, but Parente responded in the last five minutes to ensure victory for the reigning Portuguese League champions.

Bourdais was second for Sevilla, with Bernoldi holding onto third for Flamengo. Yelmer Buurman produced a star performance to finish fourth for Anderlecht, despite being forced off the track at turn 2 at the start. He stormed back through the field, passing AC Milan and Corinthians in the final stages to just miss out on a podium.

Antonio Pizzonia was fifth for Corinthians after charging through from 16th on the grid whilst Giorgio Pantano was sixth for Milan. Ho-Pin Tung, who started from pole on the fully reversed grid, was seventh for Galatasaray, holding off John Martin for Rangers and the table-topping Liverpool car of Valles who settled for strong points after main challengers Tottenham and FC Basel suffered problems. PSV Eindhoven’s series debutant Carlo Van Dam completed the top ten.

Perera’s fine drive in the AS Roma machine didn’t earn its due rewards as a problem at his pit stop put him out of fourth place and left him outside the top ten at the chequered flag. Race 1 winner Olympiacos, starting from the back of reversed grid, suffered some contact on the opening lap which forced Esteban Guerrieri to pit for a new nose. He rejoined two laps down and showed prodigious pace on his way to 14th.

Super Final Race Quotes

Sevilla FC: Sebastien Bourdais (FRA)
“This feels pretty good! It’s nice to be back on the top step of the podium again. This has been a rollercoaster weekend with lots of ups and downs. We started slowly but picked up the pace all the way through and now it has finished with a massive high. I’ve never even attempted a standing start in this car before, but it went pretty well in the Super Final. I was using a new set of tyres that allowed me to push and I was able to get through to win. This championship is pretty tough. There are lots of very good drivers all using the same machinery which makes it a real challenge. But if I can continue to learn the car and repeat what we achieved here in the next two rounds, then I am definitely up for it!”

Olympiacos: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)
“I’m really proud for the team who has done a very good job all weekend long. The car has been consistently fast which we showed by winning race 1. In the Super Final I tried to push Sebastien as hard as I could to force him into a mistake, but he drove really well. I’m happy for all Olympiacos fans and now I’m hoping to stay with the team for the final two rounds of the season.”

Liverpool: Adrian Valles (ESP)
“Our aim before the start of this weekend was to create a big gap to our rivals in the championship race and we have done that. We’re extremely competitive and more wins are possible for the rest of the season and we need to keep pushing to increase our advantage ahead of the final round at Jarama. We can’t relax because everyone is really quick and teams like Corinthians have shown real pace this weekend which can make them a threat.”

Olympiacos triumph after late comeback victory

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 12:18:41 GMT

New signing Esteban Guerrieri, a summer transfer from Spanish club Sevilla, made a scintillating debut for his new club but still had to win the hard way. Leading at the first corner from second on the grid, the Argentinian driver was in control of the race early on but dropped to third during the compulsory pit stops. A late charge, aided by some slower traffic, saw him recover the win with clean passing moves on Corinthians and Liverpool in the dying stages.

Liverpool and their driver Adrian Valles will not be too disappointed with second place however, as the British club extended its lead at the top of the Superleague Formula by Sonangol League Table to a healthy 43 points as main title rival FC Basel failed to even make the grid due to gearbox problems.

A messy start to the race combined to give Guerrieri a comfortable lead by the first corner. Pole sitter Antonio Pizzonia in the Corinthians car slowed dramatically just before the cars crossed the start/finish line on the rolling grid which allowed Olympiacos to streak into the lead. Pizzonia’s poor getaway also caused problems for third placed Liverpool, Valles ramming the back of the Cornithians machine, although both drivers escaped relatively unharmed to slot into second and third.

The front three pulled away from the rest of the pack in the opening stages, Guerrieri, Pizzonia and Valles all posting similar lap times in the 1 minute 30 second range as the rest of the field failed to break the 1 minute 31 second barrier.

The pit stops began on lap 9 with leaders Olympiacos and third placed Liverpool both diving in. Despite Liverpool trailing the Greek club by two seconds prior to the stop, a stunning job by the British club’s mechanics saw Valles vault into the lead. Worse was to follow for Olympiacos on the next lap as Corinthians made its stop, Pizzonia also emerging ahead of Guerrieri, but behind new leader Valles.

The gaps between the top three remained fairly stable until the last third of the race when the late-stopping Atletico Madrid car of Superleague Formula by Sonangol’s first female driver Maria de Villota, emerged from the pits right in front of the leaders.

As Liverpool tried to lap the Spanish club, Valles was frustrated at being unable to find a gap, his lead disappearing all the time as Corinthians closed in. After Liverpool eventually squeezed through, it was the Brazilian club’s turn to be stuck behind the tail ender, Pizzonia struggling to get by as Olympiacos closed in behind.

Both clubs eventually made it past but now Guerrieri was right with Pizzonia. Argentina soon got revenge on Brazil for last night’s World Cup Qualifying defeat, as Guerrieri got the better of the former Grand Prix driver after a dice which saw the pair go side-by-side through turn 6 and swap places twice on the run through turn 7 before the move was finally made decisive in the turn 8 right hander.

Guerrieri, who admitted he had been looking after his tyres throughout this period, now began the hunt of Valles and quickly caught the Liverpool man with just five minutes remaining. After stalking his prey for a couple of laps, Guerrieri made his move, diving inside into turn 3 after Valles had run slightly wide on the exit of the previous corner.

From there the win was a formality as Olympiacos celebrated a first ever Superleague Formula by Sonangol victory from Liverpool in second and Corinthians third.

Best of the rest was Belgian club Anderlecht, for whom Yelmer Buurman has been a star performer all weekend. After holding his fifth place off the line, Buurman used the pit window to good effect, tying the time for fastest lap on his first tour on new tyres to jump Rangers and take fourth.

Australian John Martin, who won the Super Final in the last round at Donington Park, guided Rangers to fifth ahead of Italian giants AC Milan and AS Roma in sixth and seventh. Tottenham Hotspur moved to second in the League Table as Craig Dolby avoided the midfield maladies which often come with starting from 13th, to claim eighth, with home outfit Sporting Lisbon and Dutch side PSV Eindhoven completing the top ten.

Sporting’s Pedro Petiz did a strong job in the early stages, charging from 12th to eighth in the first few laps, but he lost several spots at the pit stop and couldn’t recover.

FC Porto were hoping to cause an upset in Sporting’s back yard, especially after Alvaro Parente starred in qualifying during his first Superleague Formula by Sonangol race meeting of the season. He too started strongly, much to the delight of the watching club President Jose Nuno Pinto da Costa and former star goalkeeper Vitor Baia, but just after his pit stop he ended his race in the barriers after spinning in avoidance of the sliding Atletico car.

The cruelest tale of woe from the opening race was reserved for FC Basel and German driver Wissel. A gearbox problem prior to the race, which the team was due to start from fourth on the grid, meant the star of the Donington weekend was forced to sit out the race, severely denting his title bid.

Race 2 will see the entire grid reversed, with Guerrieri, Valles and Pizzonia hoping to charge from the back to score strong points.

Race Quotes

Olympiacos: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)
“We got a good start and pulled away. Then when I came into the pit lane the cars around us were very close and I couldn’t stop straight. So when I came out I’d lost time. I pushed but not at 100%. I think the other two went a bit harder and wore out their tyres whereas I still had some life left in mine. It will be tough to come through from the back in race two but I’ll try to avoid incidents and get to the front.

Liverpool: Adrian Valles (ESP)
“We had a bit of trouble with the brakes at the end. But I think we’ll be able to have a good second race. The important thing will be to build a bigger gap in the championship before we get to Monza. At the start Antonio was on full power and then on the brakes so I crashed into the back of him. We didn’t damage the car so second place was a good result and important for the championship.”

Corinthians: Antonio Pizzonia (BRA)
“The race director said he would only start when the grid was packed which didn’t happen. There were lines of three cars maybe and Guerrieri was maybe four car lengths ahead of me when the lights went green so it was ridiculous. I was trying to hold everyone up and make sure they were all in line. I was looking in my mirrors and they were everywhere. My diffuser was destroyed although I don’t think we had a car quick enough to win race one anyway. Starting from the back in the second race will be difficult but we’ll see. The target is to make the Superfinal and try to get points.”

Pizzonia upholds Brazilian honour as Corinthians take Estoril pole

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 17:44:02 GMT

The Pole Shootout proved to be the most exciting head-to-head battle of the knockout stages as less than 0.2 seconds separated Pizzonia and Guerrieri, who was driving for Greek club Olympiacos for the first time following a summer transfer switch from Sevilla.

The experienced Pizzonia, who defeated the in-form Max Wissel (FC Basel) and John Martin (Glasgow Rangers) in the Semi and Quarter finals respectively, was one tenth up in the first sector of the 4.182km circuit before Guerrieri pegged him back in sector 2, as just two one hundredths separated the pair. A final push around the last few corners saw the Brazilian eke out his advantage once more to grab a third pole position in four rounds.

Championship leaders Liverpool will line-up third on the grid as Adrian Valles enjoyed another strong qualifying session. After cruising through the group stages, the Spaniard defeated Anderlecht, for whom Yelmer Buurman has been fast all weekend, in the Quarter Finals but couldn’t quite match Guerrieri’s pace in the Semis.

Wissel, the star of the last round at Donington Park, completes the top four for FC Basel, who currently sit second in the Superleague by Sonangol League Table. The German youngster impressed again and will line up alongside his main championship rival Valles on the second row.

Beaten Quarter Finalists Glasgow Rangers and Anderlecht will form row three, while AS Roma and FC Porto are in seventh and eighth on row four. The Italian and Portuguese clubs have both made moves in the transfer market over the summer and their new signings, Franck Perera and Alvaro Parente showed genuine pace on their series returns. Roma’s Perera made it through to the knockout phase from a very difficult Group B to make the Quarter Finals after also showing strong pace in practice, while Porto’s Parente was fastest of all 18 drivers in the group stages before being knocked out by Wissel in the Quarters.

Earlier two teams’ championship hopes took a hit after a couple of high profile eliminations in the group stages.

Tottenham Hotspur, who lay third in the Superleague Formula by Sonangol League Table coming into this race, went out in a highly-competitive Group B as Briton Craig Dolby missed the cut off by just four tenths of a second. Fellow title protagonists AC Milan, who sit fourth in the standings, also failed to make it to the knockout stages, Italian driver Giorgio Pantano finishing two tenths outside the top four.

Series debutant Sebastien Bourdais, driving for Sevilla FC, was also knocked out in Group B where eight of the nine cars were separated by just 0.7 seconds. A brief off-track excursion while pushing hard on his final flying lap cost him the chance of progressing to the Quarter Finals.

Pantano will now start Sunday’s first race from ninth on the grid, with Dolby in 13th and Bourdais 15th.

Group A proved to be the slower of the two qualifying groups and saw the elimination of home favourites Sporting Lisbon. Atletico Madrid, who this weekend become the first club in the series’ history to field a female driver, also went out as Spaniard Maria de Villota suffered a small spin early in the session and was unable to recover in time to break into the top four.

Qualifying Quotes

Corinthians: Antonio Pizzonia (BRA)

“I knew it was going to be very close. We had a difficult morning (in practice) but we managed to improve the car a bit and I’m delighted to have a third pole position from four races. Even before qualifying Esteban and I had been making bets about tonight’s World Cup Qualifying game! Matches between Brazil and Argentina are always interesting but I don’t care about the score as long as we win!”
Olympiacos: Esteban Guerreri (ARG)

“I was quite confident joining Olympiacos because the team has performed consistently well so far this season. We have worked well together and improved throughout the weekend and that has resulted in us making the final. It was quite close for the pole but now we’ll prepare for the race tomorrow.”
Liverpool: Adrian Valles (ESP)

“We’ll go for the victory tomorrow rather than just try to be safe and score points for the championship. If you just try to settle for points bad things can sometimes happen. Antonio and Esteban were really fast today but I think third on the grid for the race is pretty good because we have seen guys win from much further back than there in the past.”
FC Basel: Max Wissel (GER)

“I made a big mistake in the Semi Final against Antonio but otherwise we have really strong pace here and I think we can challenge for the victory tomorrow. I want to win as we need points for the championship race.”

Estoril set for derby match-up

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:01:57 GMT

FC Porto scored their first ever series victory in race two at Donington Park last time out to earn their place in the Super Final. Tristan Gommendy was at the wheel that day but the Frenchman will step aside in Estoril to allow Porto-local and GP2 race winner Alvaro Parente to make his Superleague debut.

“The connection with FC Porto has existed since the beginning of the Superleague project, but competing in GP2 has made it impossible to co-ordinate everything,” said Parente. “Happily, this time things are different as I’ve got a window to race for Porto at Estoril, which makes me very happy because they have always been my club. “Although I don't know the car, I’m expecting a good result and that's what I am going to work towards. I know the Estoril circuit quite well, which is always an advantage, and I think my experience in GP2 will also allow me to get up to speed with the car quickly. It's a new challenge in my career and I want to make the most of it. Racing at home is always good and hopefully I will enjoy lots of support from the Porto fans.”

Looming large on his radar is bound to be the green and white hoops of Sporting’s Pedro Petiz who finished runner-up behind Porto in that second Donington race. The Portuguese duo know each other well from childhood but won’t be offering any quarter once the lights go out come Sunday. “Alvaro’s a good friend,” confirmed Petiz. “We grew up and went to the same school together. But that’s all going to be put to one side once we’re out on the track. It’s going to be a great battle. There’s been a lot of media attention regarding the derby between Sporting and Porto. The race has been promoted really well so I’m confident that there will be a lot of green and white in the stands.

“I’m really aiming for at least a podium finish. We were fast at Donington and have improved every single weekend. We’ve worked hard over the first half of the season specifically for this race and the second half of the championship in order to gather as many points as possible. We’re confident. Sporting has put a lot of trust in me so I’m really hopeful we can give them a podium at least.”

The new football season meanwhile has already witnessed a number of teams go head-to-head, both domestically and in Europe, since the championship’s previous round in July where Rangers’ John Martin scored victory in the Super Final, netting himself €100,000. League leaders Liverpool and driver Adrian Valles will be looking to avenge their 2-1 first day Premiership defeat at the hands of Tottenham whose star striker Craig Dolby finished second in Britain and lies third overall. Anderlecht too will be hoping for better fortune on the race track after they were humbled 8-2 on aggregate against Superleague rivals Olympique Lyonnais during Champions League qualifying.

As well as the debut of Parente, round four also marks the 2009 series bow of four other drivers. In a major coup, four-time Champ Car champion Sébastien Bourdais transfers from Formula 1 to Superleague’s FC Sevilla, Dutchman and reigning Japanese F3 champion Carlo Van Dam takes over the PSV Eindhoven hot seat, Franck Perera swaps his GP2 duties for the familiar surroundings of an AS Roma cockpit (the Frenchman drove for the team in six races last term) while Maria de Villota becomes Superleague Formula’s first female driver after joining Atletico Madrid. Previous incumbent Ho-Pin Tung takes Scott Mansell’s place at Galatasaray while former FC Sevilla driver Esteban Guerrieri is installed at Olympiacos.

Aside from rivalries and driver changes, a new system for deciding the six Super Finalists will debut in Portugal. The standing start first tested at Donington has been retained with the top half dozen point scorers over the two feature races taking their place on the grid. This is in contrast to the two previous Super Finals where the top three from each feature race were rewarded.

Superleague Formula’s show will star on Friday, September 4th when at 16.30 Porto FC, Sporting Club, Corinthians and Flamengo’s car will run around Estoril streets. The program continues with the drivers draw for qualifying, where, at the Casino de Estoril, each of the 18 teams are divided into two groups of nine prior to the weekend’s racing.

You can catch hour-long Superleague Formula by Sonangol highlights on British Eurosport 2 (Sky Digital 411 and Virgin Media 525) on Sunday, 6 September at 6.30pm BST.

To purchase your tickets for the Portuguese round, visit http://www.ticketline.pt/Espectaculo.aspx?IdEspectaculo=778

Glasgow Rangers make “Home” advantage pay to become “Weekend Winner” in Britain

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:45:36 GMT

FC Basel (Max Wissel) and FC Porto (Tristan Gommendy) were victorious around the parkland 2.5-mile track in the British Midlands in the earlier races. Liverpool FC’s Adrián Vallés (SP) heads for the fourth round of the six-venue series in Portugal next month with a reduced 10-points lead now over Basel.

Race 1 – FC Basel On A Swiss Roll

Swiss club FC Basel and Max Wissel scored their maiden SLF wins when the German, the youngest driver in the SLF field, comfortably led home Rangers’ Martin.

Martin got stuck behind the third-placed but yet to pit PSV Eindhoven car allowing Wissel, who set the race’s fastest lap, to sweep ahead. Vallés, who started from his worst “proper” qualifying position of the season in 10th place, finished sixth – one second behind the Tottenham Hotspur machine of Craig Dolby (GB).

Meanwhile the pole-starting Corinthians car of Antônio Pizzonia finished third having led until pitting on lap nine but a slow pit-stop lost the Brazilian valuable time.

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)

“It’s a perfect result for FC Basel – I’m so happy for ‘my’ club. I pushed very hard but the car and pit-stop were all very good – I’m delighted.”

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)

“I came out of the pits leading but was effectively robbed of a win due to a backmarker not getting out of the way at a critical moment with Basel right behind me.”

Corinthians: Antônio Pizzonia (BRA)

“Until my pit-stop everything was good but there was a delay at my stop which cost me any chance of a win.”

Race 2 – FC Porto Heads Home Double Delight For Portugal

FC Porto scored its first victory of the season when Tristan Gommendy (F) scored his and the club’s second ever SLF victory, coming through from 10th on the grid.

Sporting Clube de Portugal’s Pedro Petiz (POR) did well to fend off a hard-charging, back row starting FC Basel for second place in the latter stages of the race to earn Portugal a magnificent 1-2.

Flamengo (Enrique Bernoldi) had started from pole, after spinning out on the opening lap of race one, while the cars of Rangers and AC Milan collided causing a Safety Car period. Olympiacos (Davide Rigon) started from the pit-lane when he was unable to take up his front row slot when work on replacing the engine overran – but retired early – while RSC Anderlecht (Yelmer Buurman) non-started due to a gearbox issue with Flamengo retiring after a slow stop.

FC Porto: Tristan Gommendy (F)

“To get a victory again for Porto, and the first for this season, is fantastic. The car was very good. I gave it 100% and it all came together for me.”

Sporting Clube de Portugal: Pedro Petiz (POR)

“The previous races at Zolder had been a nightmare so to get a second place here is incredible. I had to handle the pressure from Basel.”

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)

“To come from the back of the grid to third place is truly unbelievable. I am now second in the series – just 10pts behind Adrián Vallés so I think the next races in Portugal will be interesting.”

Super Final – Quick Repair Hands Maiden SLF Win To Glasgow Rangers and Martin

FC Basel lined-up in “pole” for the five-lap “dash for cash”, the Rangers car fully repaired after its race two collision while Spurs claimed a place in the six-car line-up due to Basel, third in race two, having already qualified for the Super Final courtesy of victory in race one.

Basel led initially before a gearbox problem on lap three allowed Rangers in to the lead, Tottenham also taking second from the Swiss club on the same lap. The two Portuguese cars collided on lap two while Corinthians briefly went off the track in a separate incident. Wissel salvaged third place, 6.210secs behind Rangers at the chequered flag.

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)

“This victory is very sweet. The team did an awesome job after my accident in race two – taking just half the time to repair it would normally. The car wasn’t perfect but it was still good enough to win!”

Tottenham Hotspur: Craig Dolby (GB)

“I’d only previously ever done a race standing start in a much less powerful car so that in itself was an interesting feature of the Super Final for me. I’m remain third in the championship standings, but now only 21pts off the lead, so to finish second in this race completes a great weekend for me.”

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)

“I had the speed to win but the gearbox pressure died and I was left in fourth gear for a short while. This result is disappointing but in general it’s been a great weekend.”

FC Basel on a Swiss Roll in opening British Race

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:35:52 GMT

The Swiss club’s Max Wissel (D) finished 2.18-secs ahead of the Glasgow Rangers machine of John Martin (AUS) in the 44 minute plus one-lap race around the 2.5 miles (4.02 km) parkland track in the Midlands area of Britain.

The heavy rain of yesterday which had caused qualifying to be abandoned – and cause minor damage to a section of the track – was thankfully replaced by sunny intervals encouraging a healthy crowd to attend.

Wissel took the opportunity to overtake Martin on lap 12 lap when the backmarker PSV Eindhoven car delayed Martin as the Australian attempted to lap the Dutch car.

SLF championship leader Adrián Vallés (SP), who started from his worst proper qualifying position of the season in 10th place, finished sixth – just a second behind the Tottenham Hotspur machine of Craig Dolby (GB).

The pole-starting Corinthians car of Antônio Pizzonia (BRA) finished third having led until pitting on lap nine but a slow compulsory pit-stop lost the Brazilian valuable time.

A second race, followed immediately by a Super Final, will be staged at the British venue later today with Flamengo’s Enrique Bernoldi (BRA) starting from pole-position after spinning out on the opening lap of race one which caused a brief Safety Car period which also saw the front-row starting Olympiacos machine of Davide Rigon (IT) retire with no oil pressure as the race resumed on lap five.

QUOTES:

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)

“It’s a perfect result for FC Basel – I’m so happy for ‘my’ club. I pushed very hard but the car and pit-stop were all very good – I’m delighted.”

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)

“I came out of the pits leading but was effectively robbed of a win due to a backmarker not getting out of the way. Nevertheless this is my second runners-up place in consecutive race weekends.”

Corinthians handed Donington “Pole” as Qualifying abandoned

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 16:27:24 GMT

The Brazilian club’s Antônio Pizzonia (BRA) headed the time trials in the opening Group A session staged on a dry track but rain midway through the session sent all cars in to the pits.

The following Group B qualifiers, now fitted with wet tyres as conditions quickly deteriorated, was headed by Olympiacos’ Davide Rigon (IT) – the defending SLF champion and a winner of the corresponding Donington race last August.

Quarter-final 1 was held in heavy rain and poor visibility forcing the organisers to suspend then ultimately abandon the following time trials due to the dangerous conditions on the 2.5 miles (4.02 km) parkland track.

The 18-car grid will line-up for tomorrow’s opening 44min plus one lap race in the order cars achieved in the opening 15-minute, Group A and B time trials. The nine GpA cars will take the “pole” side of the grid behind Pizzonia with Rigon alongside on the front row heading the GpB runners down the other side.

Three British soccer clubs, Glasgow Rangers, Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur, plus two British drivers, Jonathan Kennard and Scott Mansell, aim for “home rule” at Donington – the only British venue in the series.

The Rangers car of John Martin (AUS) starts from fifth place, Tottenham Hotspur’s Craig Dolby – who lives in nearby Leicestershire – from sixth alongside on the third row and championship leading Liverpool FC’s Adrian Vallés (SP), from 10th position.

AS Roma’s Jonathan Kennard and Galatasaray’s Scott Mansell are placed seventh and 17th respectively on the colourful grid.

The drivers of PSV Eindhoven and FC Porto, along with the British club trio, wore black armbands in respect of Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson CBE, who died yesterday (31 Jul) aged 76 after a long battle with cancer. He managed the Dutch (1990-92/98-99) and Portuguese (1994-6) league clubs as well as the England “national” soccer team (1982-90).

QUALIFYING QUOTES:

Corinthians: Antônio Pizzonia (BRA)

“It has been a very good day for us. It’s my second ‘pole’ in three races. We were strong in our dry qualifying session but the car was also good in the wet practice earlier in the day. So, rain or shine, I am very positive for tomorrow.”

Olympiacos CFP: Davide Rigon (ITA)

“I was on the limit – the conditions were bad but honestly I hope the rain stays. I will be happier for a wet race. I won here last year – I like this track a lot – and starting from the front row I have a very good chance of scoring my second podium of the season.”

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)

“I was just 0.039secs slower than Antônio so I know I have the pace in the dry while I was fourth fastest in a wet practice so it seems that whatever the conditions we have a well-balanced car so things are looking good for FC Basel.”

Variety is the spice of life for Superleague Formula

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 07:58:58 GMT

The unpredictability of the racing is just one of the championship’s many attractions according to Webb. “Last year no fewer than eight clubs won races and, if anything, it’s looking even more competitive in 2009,” reports a delighted Webb. “The variety of winners is very appealing to all involved but that’s what we set out to create. The cars are technically identical and therefore very closely matched and the reverse grid that we use for the second race tends to mix things up giving others a chance of victory. The best drivers, though, still come out on top as they have to score as many points as they can often in two very different races: one which they start from the front, the other from the back.”

The reverse grid format is another of Superleague Formula’s great successes providing fans with plenty of excitement as the faster cars from race one attempt to battle their way back to the front.

“We purposely designed the aerodynamics to allow the cars to run close together and thus allow for plenty of overtaking. What’s more each driver has a special ‘push-to-pass’ button giving him an additional 50bhp for 15 seconds. This can be employed up to eight times during each race.”

With the glorious sounding Superleague V12 engines already producing more than 750bhp, the ‘push-to-pass’ mode gives drivers in excess of 800bhp. “Fans at Donington are certainly in for some fast furious action – more so as local favourites Liverpool and Spurs are among this year’s front-runners and Rangers has also looked capable of winning. It’s going to be another great weekend,” concludes Webb.

Sunday’s non-stop on-track entertainment includes two Superleague Formula highlights plus a five lap Super Final which sees the top three finishers from both races shoot it out to decide the overall ‘Weekend Winner’ plus the destination of the €100,000 top prize. There’s a full support race programme, too, including the FIA Historic Formula One Championship, MSA British Super Kart Championship as well as the very best of sportscar and saloon car contests – a high-octane feast of entertainment is guaranteed.

Adding to local interest, Birmingham’s Scott Mansell replaces Duncan Tappy in the Galatasaray entry while Zolder winner Esteban Guerrieri moves from Al-Ain to Sevilla who returns to the series as from this 3rd round.

Advance adult tickets are £10 (Saturday), £15 (Sunday) or £20 (weekend ticket). Tickets can be purchased from the Donington Museum (open seven days a week, 9-5pm) or on-line at www.donington-park.co.uk

Weekend Winner Liverpool FC outscores opposition in Belgium

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:50:29 GMT

RSC Anderlecht, the Belgian club in the single-seater series representing world-famous soccer clubs, netted eighth and 14th places and now lies 12th in the standings – Yelmer Buurman (NED) having begun the weekend second.

Interested spectators amongst the 12,000 crowd at Zolder included RSC Anderlecht players Cheikhou Kouyaté, Romelu Lukaku and Kanu, PSV Eindhoven’s Timmy Simons and Carlos Salcido plus Olympique Lyonnais President Jean-Michel Aulas. ç

Race 1 – British Clubs To The Fore In Opening Belgian Encounter
Tottenham Hotspur’s Craig Dolby scored his and the British club’s maiden SLF victory when he led home the Glasgow Rangers machine of SLF “rookie” John Martin (AUS). Championship leader Adrián Vallés (SP) made it a 1-2-3 for British clubs in the Liverpool FC car.

Pole-sitter FC Midtylland’s Kasper Andersen (DEN) led until stalling his engine during his compulsory pit-stop at mid-distance and later spun out of the race bringing out the Safety Car for a second time after an opening lap, first corner accident eliminated the Sporting Clube de Portugal, SC Corinthians and Atlético de Madrid cars.

Race 1 – Quotes
Tottenham Hotspur: Craig Dolby (GB)
“It’s a fantastic maiden SLF win for Tottenham Hotspur and for me. My car’s rear diffuser was broken at the first corner melee. I just pushed as hard as I could and my team did a great pit-stop.”

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)
“I lost time during the pit-stop when the car slipped off the front jack – just like at Magny Cours. Without that problem we’d have been challenging the Spurs car for the win.”

Liverpool FC: Adrián Vallés (SP)
“Importantly I extended my championship lead. The start was crazy but I was catching FC Midtylland before he pitted but then his problem in the pits delayed my stop ‘window’ – it was a race I could have won”.

Race 2 – Al Ain Claims Second SLF Win After Late Race Pass
Al Ain’s Estaban Guerrieri (ARG) scored his first SLF race win in only his second race when he slipped ahead of the Athlético de Madrid car of Ho-Pin Tung (CHN) with five laps remaining. Adrián Vallés (SP) further enhanced his series lead with third place, the Spaniard having to forcefully keep the Olympiacos car of Davide Rigon (IT) behind.

The race began behind the Safety Car on a wet but drying track with the entire 18-car field on wet weather tyres. Flamengo and Galatasaray were early casualties while Sporting Clube de Portugal crashed heavily into the tyre wall on lap nine bringing out the Safety Car and a flurry of compulsory pit-stop activity where the cars switched to dry weather, slick tyres.

Race 2 Quotes:
Al-Ain FC: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)
“I started race two from 13th place on the grid having finished sixth on my SLF race début – despite a spin. I’m delighted with this result and for Al Ain and absolutely love these cars.”

Atlético de Madrid: Ho-Pin Tung (CHN)
“The team did a fantastic job to repair my car after the damage received following the first corner shunt in the opening race. I wanted it to remain wet but it dried and that was not so good for our car. Nevertheless second place is a good result taking into account everything.

Liverpool FC: Adrián Vallés (SP)
“The team worked a good strategy – stopping me early for ‘slicks’ and it was just a case of defending my third place from Olympiacos as I was on ‘old’ tyres from race one. I’m very, very happy with this weekend. To go to Liverpool’s ‘home’ race leading the championship is a perfect scenario”

Next races: Donington Park, England (1-2 Aug)

Tottenham Hostpur claims opening race scalp at Zolder

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:23:33 GMT

SF championship leader Adrián Vallés (SP) increased his lead for Liverpool FC by finishing third – a further 1.3secs adrift – managing to stave off the advances of FC Basel’s Max Wissel (D) who set the fastest race lap.

The pole-starting FC Midtylland car of Kasper Andersen (DEN) led until making his compulsory pit-stop on lap 15 but stalled his engine at the stop. The Dane resumed in 13th but spun across the track on lap 19 bringing out the Safety Car two laps later leaving a four minute sprint to the chequered flag.

A multi-car collision exiting the first corner on the opening lap had necessitated a Safety Car period. The accident eliminated the Sporting Clube de Portugal, SC Corinthian and Atlético de Madrid cars.

Tottenham Hotspur: Craig Dolby (GB)
“It’s a fantastic maiden SLF win for Tottenham Hotspur and for me. My car’s rear diffuser was broken at the first corner melee. I just pushed as hard as I could and my team did a great pit-stop.”

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)
“I lost time during the pit-stop when the car slipped off the front jack – just like at Magny Cours. If it hadn’t have been for that problem we’d have been very close to the Spurs car but it’s good to score well today.”

Liverpool FC: Adrián Vallés (SP)
“I extended my championship lead and that is the most important thing. The start was crazy but I was up to third at the first corner. I was catching FC Midtylland before he pitted but then his problem in the pits delayed my stop ‘window’ – it was a race I could have won”.

FC Midtjylland wins Qualifying Shoot-Out Final in Belgium

Sat, 18 Jul 2009 17:09:40 GMT

Anderssen set a fastest time of 1min 19.878secs in the two-car Final – just 0.078secs faster around the 3.977 km (2.471-mile) Flemmish track than Martin. For 24-year-old Kasper, who contested eight SLF races for Olympiacos last year, it marked his maiden SLF “pole”.

Losing semi-finalists FC Basel and Liverpool FC complete the second row of the 18-car grid in the hands of Max Wissel (D) and Adrián Vallés (SP) respectively after today’s 90-minute qualifying session staged in dry, overcast and cool weather conditions.

Vallés, who leads the SLF championship after a win and sixth place in the opening races at Magny Cours, won the corresponding weather-affected race at Zolder last October.

“Home” club RSC Anderlecht starts the opening 44mins + 1 lap race from 10th place with Yelmer Buurman (NED) aiming to snatch the championship lead. The Dutchman posted second and fifth places in France three weeks ago and currently lies second, just two-points behind Liverpool.

Meanwhile Dominick Muermans starts the opening race from the back of the grid after crashing the PSV Eindhoven car out of qualifying in the early stages. The Dutchman, who had celebrated his 25th birthday the previous day, was uninjured after impacting the barriers at slow speed.

The Olympique Lyonnais and Olympiacos CFP cars of Nelson Panciatici (F) and Davide Rigon (IT), the latter also a victory at Zolder last year – collided in the Group B session with Rigon collecting a six-place penalty for the manoeuvre.

QUALIFYING QUOTES:

FC Midtylland: Kasper Andersen (DEN)
“I’m very proud to have achieved Midtylland’s first SLF ‘pole’ in only its second qualifying session. It’s also my first SLF ‘pole’ so it’s doubly special for me. I must concentrate on the race – stay totally focussed tomorrow and do a good job for the club and the team.”

Glasgow Rangers: John Martin (AUS)
“Magny Cours did not go well and so to earn a front row grid position in our own right is a good reward for the team who have worked very hard. It was almost ‘pole’ – it was very close at the end. I’m currently at the bottom of the standings so my aim is to score well in tomorrow’s two races.”

Liverpool FC: Adrián Vallés (SP)
“I was fastest in yesterday’s practice but the grip level wasn’t the same today. I was quickest in Group B but then perhaps a set of tyres wasn’t quite so good. We must now check the data but anyway, the car will be good for the race and my main title rivals did not have a good qualifying.”

FC Basel: Max Wissel (D)
“I’m very happy. I had a flat spot in one of the sessions – the vibration was so bad that I couldn’t see the track properly. But that was my mistake for ‘locking up’ – the car was perfect and I feel it was good enough for ‘pole’ today. I’m looking forward to the races.”

Liverpool FC on top as Superleague roars into Belgium

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:58:58 GMT

Spanish striker Adrian Vallés put Liverpool on top of the combined time sheets by setting the fastest lap time in the third of today’s sessions, Vallés was also quickest in the first session while Kasper Andersen was fastest in the second session for impressive Danish newcomers FC Midtjylland.

Vallés, who won one of the corresponding races at Zolder last year, commented: "I'm pleased with the start we have made at Zolder - of course it's good to be fastest but I'm certain our rivals will be working hard on their cars overnight to close the gap."

Predictably, as the teams perfected the set-up on their V12 powered single-seater race cars, the final session saw the fastest times. Galatasaray (Duncan Tappy) and Al Ain (Esteban Guerrieri) were second and third fastest in the this session and overall.

Though second in the overall points standings after two strong performances at Magny-Cours, local favourite RSC Anderlecht was down in 13th place. The Brussels-based club will be looking for a significant improvement overnight before the real action starts in the hunt for points and prizes.

Championship points awarded in the two dramatic 44+1 minute Superleague Formula showdowns will be added together with the highest overall scorer winning the €100,000 top prize, €70,000 will go to the second highest points scorer and €40,000 to the third.

As well as the pair of Superleague Formula highlights, Zolder’s spectacular weekend schedule features no fewer than 11 support races with rounds of the EuroBoss F1, Dutch Super Car and Formula Ford Benelux championships also in action. Following Superleague Formula’s practice and qualifying sessions on the Saturday, great value is guaranteed – adult entrance tickets for Sunday are priced at just €20 (children under 12 are free) and all admission includes access to the Superleague Formula paddock.

2009 ‘Superleague Formula by Sonangol’ Free Practice (Zolder - 17 July, 2009)

1. Liverpool FC (Adrian Vallés): 1m 18.867s

2. Galatasaray (Duncan Tappy): 1m 19.689s

3. FC Midtjylland (Kasper Andersen): 1m 19.821s

4. Al-Ain (Esteban Guerrieri): 1m 19.830s

5. FC Porto (Tristan Gommendy): 1m 20.073s

6. AC Milan (Giorgio Pantano): 1m 20.685s

7. Tottenham Hotspur (Craig Dolby): 1m 21.022s

8. Sporting Clube de Portugal (Pedro Petiz): 1m 21.062s

9. Rangers FC (John Martin): 1m 21.301s

10. Olympique Lyonnais (Nelson Panciatici): 1m 21.431

11. Olympiacos (Davide Rigon): 1m 21.471s

12. FC Basel (Max Wissel): 1m 21.473s

13. RSC Anderlecht (Yelmer Buurman): 1m 21.695s

14. Corinthians (Antonio Pizzonia): 1m 21.936s

15. Flamengo (Enrique Bernoldi): 1m 22.197s

16. Athlético Madrid (Ho-Pin Tung): 1m 22.272s

17. AS Roma (Jonathan Kennard): 1m 22.388s

18. PSV Eindhoven (Dominick Muermans): no time

Zolder, Belgium – Practice Sessions Results