Sunday 18 October 2009

G1:GP LMP Monza Report

Excellent tactics and a fast clean race earned Sulla Looming a deserved win ahead of champion elect Jafo.

Despite the ending of his 3 race winning streak, Tendaze, is still odds on favourite to win the title. Looming looks likely to take second but is still far from secure in a series that has had as many twists and turns as the current Formula 1 season.

Looming, starting from Pole, elected to run with hard tyres in a circuit where grip levels are low the extra loss of grip probably wasn't very noticeable. 

Both drivers, Looming in a new, LC equipped, Dome made good starts. Behind Oh mad a good start. She jumped from 5th to take 3rd into turn 1 while Suzy's start was terrible as she dropped to almost last on the opening lap.

 On Lap 2 Crippy had to take avoiding action in T1 and dropped down the order then further round, exiting the penultimate corner, Katier made the first a several mistakes.

She spun and lost her front splitter as well as dropping down the order to finish the lap in 8th place. Her car was now hampered by understeer but she would stay out figuring the long stop to fix would be a lot worse than the time lost. 

These problems had placed the two leader well out front with Yuriko now in third but slightly back ahead of a battle between Ming and Suzy. 

This was partly down to another collision involving Reitveld. She was innocently involved after a T1 collision between Crippy and Rattra. Crippy had just nudged the back of the R8 but he spun as he got the power down. Unsighted, Reitveld struck the back of the stationary Oh and removed her wing.

The pitstops started on lap 11 with Reitveld pitting to change tyres, top up her tanks and trim out the rear wing. Her laptimes improved as a result by around 1s/lap and she continued to chase and catch Suku.

Suzy and Yuriko continued to battle for 3rd and 4th while Jafo just couldn't find a way to close down Sulla effectively. After the sheduled stops, therefore, Looming led from Jafo and the Suzy/Yuriko battle. Fifth was ming ahead of Reitveld, Oh, Rattra and Nella.

Then came the next big collision. At the time to the drivers it felt like a big crash, looking back, however it wasn't quite so bad. On the run to T1 Ming had started left, drifted mid track to probably protect her line as Reitveld closed in. She then appeared to open the door so Reitveld went to outbrake her.. at about the same time as again Ming drifted right. The collision initially removed Mings rear wing but it also put Reitveld into a spin which turned into a roll. 

Both cars pitted, although afterwards Reitveld remarked that she shouldn't have, and ultimatly ended well down the field. A last lap spin costing Reitveld a further place.

Looming won well from Jafo with Suzy winning the battle for third.

The field moves onto Donnington Park, a challenging racetrack very different to the fast straights of Monza.

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