ETCC Premiere @ Barcelona - Results, etc.

[JMeissner]

Saturday 1t Free Practise
ETCC 05/04/03

Nicola Larini proved to be the quickest on the first free practise of the Saturday. He was closely, only 0.094 seconds, followed by his team mate Gabriele Tarquini. Rickard Rydell made the surprise of the day pushing his Volvo S60 to the third quickest time 0.5 seconds behind Larini and 0.4 seconds ahead of new Alfa-boy Colciago. Behind the three Alfa's and one Volvo we have the BMW cavalry with Prialux first. Seven BMW's occupied positions five to eleven with Jordi Gené behind them in 12:th place in his SEAT. Stay tuned for the second practise session at 13.05 (EST.).


Barcelona 1t Free Practise


1 Nicola Larini Alfa Romeo 156 1:53.401
2 Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 +0.094
3 Rickard Rydell Volvo S60 +0.500
4 Roberto Colciago Alfa Romeo 156 +0.856
5 Andy Priaulx BMW 320i +1.018
6 Antonio Garcia BMW 320i +1.035
7 Fabrizio Giovanardi BMW 320i +1.117
8 Jörg Müller BMW 320i +1.182
9 Tom Coronel BMW 320i +1.234
10 Duncan Huisman BMW 320i +1.499
11 Dirk Müller BMW 320i +1.617
12 Jordi Gené SEAT Toledo +1.644
13 Alessandro Balzan Alfa Romeo 156 +1.755
14 Paolo Ruberti Alfa Romeo 156 +1.935
15 Eric Cayrolle Alfa Romeo 156 +2.158
16 Jan Nilsson Volvo S60 +2.407
17 Fabio Francia Alfa Romeo 156 +2.436
18 Frank Diefenbacher SEAT Toledo +2.559
19 Jordi Palomeras Honda Civic +3.054
20 Sandro Sardelli Volvo S60 +4.700
21 Andre Couto Honda Civic no time


Johan Meissner
johan@meissner.se

[JMeissner]

Saturday 2:nd Free Practise
ETCC 05/04/03

At the dry and sunny Barcelona track Gabriele Tarquini took over the top position at the second and final free practise. His time was actually 0.4 seconds slower than Larini's best time of the first practise session. Larini was now second fastest in this session 0.2 seconds behind Tarquini. Colciago jumped up one spot to third. And as Rydell and Giovanardi dropped from third and seventh to 12:th and 13:th position respectively Schnitzer driver Dirk Müller climbed to fourth place ahead of another three BMW's behind him. Best non-Alfa or BMW was Frank Diefenbacher who impressed by taking eight fastest time in his SEAT. Stay tuned for the qualifying that starts at 14.50 and ends at 15.20 (EST.).


Barcelona 2:nd Free Practise


1 Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 1:54.814
2 Nicola Larini Alfa Romeo 156 +0.234
3 Roberto Colciago Alfa Romeo 156 +0.582
4 Dirk Müller BMW 320i +1.019
5 Antonio Garcia BMW 320i +1.027
6 Andy Priaulx BMW 320i +1.073
7 Jörg Müller BMW 320i +1.118
8 Frank Diefenbacher SEAT Toledo +1.118
9 Paolo Ruberti Alfa Romeo 156 +1.392
10 Duncan Huisman BMW 320i +1.450
11 Fabio Francia Alfa Romeo 156 +1.526
12 Rickard Rydell Volvo S60 +1.529
13 Fabrizio Giovanardi BMW 320i +1.548
14 Jordi Gené SEAT Toledo +1.832
15 Tom Coronel BMW 320i +2.123
16 Alessandro Balzan Alfa Romeo 156 +2.146
17 Jan Nilsson Volvo S60 +3.176
18 Eric Cayrolle Alfa Romeo 156 +3.265
19 Jordi Palomeras Honda Civic +4.167
20 Sandro Sardelli Volvo S60 +4.844


Johan Meissner
johan@meissner.se

[JMeissner]

Barcelona - Qualifying


1 Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 1:53.461
2 Roberto Colciago Alfa Romeo 156 +0.204
3 Nicola Larini Alfa Romeo 156 +0.228
4 Fabrizio Giovanardi BMW 320i +0.339
5 Antonio Garcia BMW 320i +0.380
6 Jörg Müller BMW 320i +0.463
7 Andy Priaulx BMW 320i +0.550
8 Frank Diefenbacher SEAT Toledo +0.593
9 Paolo Ruberti Alfa Romeo 156 +0.626
10 Tom Coronel BMW 320i +0.834
11 Alessandro Balzan Alfa Romeo 156 +0.949
12 Dirk Müller BMW 320i +0.961
13 Rickard Rydell Volvo S60 +1.117
14 Fabio Francia Alfa Romeo 156 +1.174
15 Duncan Huisman BMW 320i +1.178
16 Jordi Gené SEAT Toledo +1.283
17 Eric Cayrolle Alfa Romeo 156 +1.947
18 Jan Nilsson Volvo S60 +2.362
19 Jordi Palomeras Honda Civic +2.519
20 Sandro Sardelli Volvo S60 +4.047


Johan Meissner
johan@meissner.se

[JMeissner]

Looks like Alfa really has done their home work taking a 1-2-3 of the grid. Giovanardi shows both that BMW is to count on in the fight as well that he didn't loose any speed chaning from Alfa to BMW.

Sad for me as Swede to see Rydell loosing his pace from the first practise session. If he made an equal time from that session in the qualifying he would have been fourth.

On the other hand nice to see that Frank Diefenbacher with his SEAT becoming the best non-BMW or Alfa in eight place. Strong work from SEAT! Lets just hope it won't break down in the race due to the relatively untested parts etc.

Looks like it will be a exiting race for sure we have in front of us tomorrow!

[speedchick]

Great news for Tarquini and a solid effort by Andy Priaulx. Shame about Rydell, I'm gutted but it just shows how competitive this year will be and how close some of the cars are.

And a special mention for Diefenbacher. Never have thought top SEAT would be 8th!!!

[BootsOntheSide]

Nice run from Tarquini, and also brilliant from Colcagio considering his comaprative inexperience. It's a shame Priaulx and Rydell didn't follow up their form in the practice sessions, but maybe they can go well on raceday.

[E46]

And Antonio Garcia in a fantastic grid place like I said.

And fantastic job of Seat, I am the first impressed.

[Super Tourer]

Well done to Andy P, good pace on relatively little experience of the car and track compared to the other BMW runners.

[JMeissner]

The report:

Barcelona Qualifying
ETCC 05/04/03

The expected Alfa vs BMW duel got underway in the first qualifying session of the year, with drivers from the two Manufacturers sharing the front thee rows of starting grid for tomorrow’s Race 1. But SEAT is not far behind, with Frank Diefenbacher clocking the eighth fastest time, only half a second behind pole position. Gabriele Tarquini, Roberto Colciago and Nicola Larini repeated their second free practice result, monopolizing the first three spots of the grid. Larini set a provisional pole position, nine minutes into the session, with a time of 1:53.689 and kept it until the final seconds, when Tarquini was clocked at 1:53.461 with only fifty seconds left.

And as the chequered flag was waved, Roberto Colciago obtained the second fastest time of the session lapping in 1:53.689. Tarquini’s pole was the 30th claimed by the Alfa Romeo 156 since 1998. Four BMWs were classified behind the three Alfa, with Fabrizio Giovanardi fourth (0.339 from the pole), Antonio Garc�*a fifth, Jörg Müller sixth and Andy Priaulx seventh. The session’s results confirmed that competition is very close and when the flag dropped twelve drivers were within 9 tenths of a second.

Paolo Ruberti set the ninth fastest time in his Clever Cats R&M Alfa 156, and emerged as the best of the Independent drivers. A few drivers were disappointed by their qualifying results. After his promising third fastest time in the morning practice, Rickard Rydell was classified 13th due to a lack of power, whilst Dirk Müller set the 12th fastest time due to set-up problems. But the most upset of them all was André Couto, whose engine suffered again from unidentified bugs, preventing him from setting a qualifying time.

[MaxSport]

JMeissner-you rock.

Thanks from N. American tourenwagen fans who might otherwise have no clue as to what is going on over there.

KM

[kmchow]

I second MaxSports compliments! Thanks very much!

Sighhh...Sadly, Volvo has become just another backmarker! Or is there a reason for his sudden loss of competitiveness from the first session? Engine trouble I hope? If the engine is performing at it's peak already, I guess the Volvos are just outclassed! I guess the other teams hadn't gotten their setup straight?

Is Sandro Sardelli going to get dropped? His performance is not terribly impressive? Why is it that Rydell has never been able to get paired with a good teammate? Jan Lammers, Morbidelli,Burt? All seem to be forgettable. Tim Harvey was okay. Could Jan Nilson be a better teammate?

[JMeissner]

Originally posted by kmchow
I second MaxSports compliments! Thanks very much!

Sighhh...Sadly, Volvo has become just another backmarker! Or is there a reason for his sudden loss of competitiveness from the first session?

Thanks for the kind words.

But as for Rydell, he had engine trouble, just check the time he did on the first free practise and compare it with his qualifying time.

We will though find out tomorrow, if they fix the engine, how well the S60 compares to the other with lap times.

[x_dt]

That's an excellent grid position for Diefenbacher and SEAT in their first race meeting.

Will (as was the case last year) the grid for race 2 be determined by the result of race 1 with the top 6 reversed?

[Jonny Apex]

Well done Andy Priaulx. That grid is quality and you've shown, as we saw in the BTCC last season, that you are that ...

A podium tomorrow would be the icing on the cake!

[MaxSport]

Priaulx did do a good job. He is part of my fantasy ETCC team- as is BMW GB.

I look forward to good things from him all season.

Thanks again to JM and to Redshoes as well.

KM

[touringlegend]

Knowing how hard Andy Priaulx's worked over the years, (I believe he has sold his house and lived with his wife in a caravan to subsidise his racing) this is a great qualifying result for him. Now he's getting paid to race I know how pleased he will be, even at 7th because he's still very close in terms of times.

Good luck to him in his BMW GB car tomorrow.

[Maisie]

I've firmly believed that Andy Priaulx was a hero since seeing him in Spyders, so I really hope he does well. I'd be even happier if he was over here kicking butt in an ickle Honda instead though

[JMeissner]

Rickard RYDELL, ART Engineering, 13th: "I am very, very disappointed. I
expected much more from qualifying after I set the third fastest time in the
first free practice. But we saw already in the midday free practice, when it
got hotter, that we have lost a lot of speed on the straight. This morning
we were only three kilometres per hour behind the top cars, that is very
good for the Volvo, but at midday we were six km/h back. The team is trying
to understand what happened, but it was a shame, because this morning the
car was very good."

[JMeissner]

Barcelona Race One


1 Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 11 laps
2 Fabrizio Giovanardi BMW 320i +0.212
3 Antonio Garc�*a BMW 320i +0.880
4 Jörg Müller BMW 320i +1.980
5 Dirk Müller BMW 320i +9.062
6 Andy Priaulx BMW 320i +9.323
7 Nicola Larini Alfa Romeo 156 +13.902
8 Tom Coronel BMW 320i +15.655
9 Roberto Colciago Alfa Romeo 156 +16.053
10 Alessandro Balzan Alfa Romeo 156 +17.285
11 Fabio Francia Alfa Romeo 156 +19.576
12 Frank Diefenbacher SEAT Toledo +20.229
13 Jordi Gené SEAT Toledo +26.490
14 Eric Cayrolle Alfa Romeo 156 +28.352
15 Jordi Palomeras Honda Civic +28.627
16 Jan Nilsson Volvo S60 +28.816
17 Sandro Sardelli Volvo S60 +1:00.946
18 Rickard Rydell Volvo S60 +2 laps
19 Duncan Huisman BMW 320i +3 laps



Barcelona Race Two


1 Dirk Müller BMW 320i 11 laps
2 Jörg Müller BMW 320i +0.228
3 Andy Priaulx BMW 320i +0.436
4 Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 +9.567
5 Fabrizio Giovanardi BMW 320i +10.566
6 Nicola Larini Alfa Romeo 156 +11.012
7 Antonio Garcia BMW 320i +11.267
8 Tom Coronel BMW 320i +12.267
9 Fabio Francia Alfa Romeo 156 +18.194
10 Rickard Rydell Volvo S60 +20.435
11 Roberto Colciago Alfa Romeo 156 +20.840
12 Alessandro Balzan Alfa Romeo 156 +24.584
13 Paolo Ruberti Alfa Romeo 156 +28.947
14 Eric Cayrolle Alfa Romeo 156 +31.402
15 Sandro Sardelli Volvo S60 +1:02.016
16 Jordi Gené SEAT Toledo +1 lap

[dretceterini]

What happened to the Alfas??

[JMeissner]

Seems, to me, that the rules are playing for BMW. Alfa are quick on one lap or so, but with the BMW having lower weight with the H-gearbox and higher revvs with the 6-cyl engine they are simply much quicker during a race.

At least currently.

[FIRE]

The Alfa's had a bad start.

BMW cars versus Alfa cars: 1 - 0

Must says very good result from rookie Andy Priaulx.

[JMeissner]

Gabriele Tarquini is the first leader of the 2003 FIA European Touring Car Championship, but BMW has already a solid lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Showing a terrific determination, Tarquini won the first race, leading from the lights to the flag and managing to whitstand all the assaults made by reigning champion Fabrizio Giovanardi. The second race was a BMW recital, with Dirk and Jörg Müller scoring a 1-2 finish for the BMW Team Deutschland.

ETCC newcomers Antonio Garc�*a and Andy Priaulx celebrated their debuts by claiming one podium apiece; the young Spaniard came home behind Tarquini and Giovanardi in the first race, while the Briton finished a close third to the Müllers in Race 2. Bad luck hit SEAT on its first appearance in the European Touring Car Championship. After a very promising qualifying result, both the Toledo Cupra cars of Frank Diefenbacher and Jordi Gené fought hard for the mid-field positions in Race 1, but then were forced to retire in Race 2.


Race One

From the pole Tarquini was the only Alfa Romeo driver capable to take a good start, while his team-mates Colciago and Larini almost stalled their engines. This enabled Giovanardi, Garc�*a and Jörg Müller to jump on Tarquini’s tail in second, third and fourth positions. Ruberti’s Alfa was the only car which couldn’t start, due to a broken driveshaft. On the first lap Couto’s Honda collided with Nilsson’s Volvo, crashed into the wall and retired.

The Tarquini-Giovanardi-Garc�*a trio pulled away, while there was a fierce five-car fight for the fourth position. On lap 2 Larini overtook Jörg Müller for fourth, while Colciago, Dirk Müller and Priaulx were running nose-to-tail. On lap 3 Jörg Müller recovered the fourth place, while Coronel, Diefenbacher and Rydell were closing on the group. Larini and Jörg Müller continued to swap positions. On lap 5 Dirk Müller overtook both Priaulx and Colciago, moving up to sixth.

At half distance, Giovanardi was putting pressure on Tarquini, who played defense. On the seventh lap Diefenbacher spun and lost his tenth position. Larini lost two places to Dirk Müller and Priaulx, slipping down to seventh. On the ninth lap Huisman and Rydell clashed while fighting for the eleventh place; Huisman crashed into the wall and Rydell went back to the pits. Tarquini managed to win the race – his first success in an Alfa Romeo car since that in the 1996 ITC Silverstone round – with a very narrow margin over Giovanardi and Garc�*a.

Three more BMW drivers – Jörg Müller, Dirk Müller and Priaulx – were classified behind them. Larini came home in seventh, and Coronel managed to overtake Colciago on the last lap, stealing him the eighth place, the last point and the pole position for the second race. Coronel also won the Independents’ race, from Balzan and Francia.

Race Two

Huisman’s BMW and Couto’s Honda were missing on the grid after their Race 1 crashes. Ruberti took the start from the pit-lane after the Clever Cats R&M crew changed another brohen driveshaft. A group of BMW drivers fought for the lead at the start, while Nilsson’s Volvo went off and rolled in the gravel. The Swedish car did not suffer from serious damages: “The handling wasn’t good after a Race 1 collision, and suddenly I found myself driving sideways and went off,” Nilsson explained.

Dirk Müller was leading from Jörg Müller, Priaulx, Coronel and Giovanardi. Larini, in sixth, was the first Alfa Romeo man, and he was chased by Garc�*a, Tarquini and Colciago. On the second lap Giovanardi and Larini overtook Coronel. On the third lap Larini passed his former team-mate moving up to fourth; Tarquini overtook Garc�*a for seventh and closed on the Larini-Giovanardi duo. Dirk Müller built a small margin, leaving Jörg Müller in the throes of Priaulx. Palomeras retired with gearbox problems.

On the seventh lap Diefenbacher retired when a front wheel collapsed, while Francia stole ninth place from Colciago. On the ninth lap, Tarquini overtook Giovanardi for fifth and then Larini for fourth. Gené retired on the tenth lap, due to transmission problems. Dirk Müller beat Jörg Müller and Priaulx in the final sprint, the three of them finishing within four tenths of a second. Tarquini was classified fourth in front of Giovanardi who had overtook Larini on the last lap. Garc�*a and Coronel claimed the two last point positions, with the Dutchman repeating his Race 1 success amongst the Independent drivers.

Francia obtained a very good ninth place, while Rydell broke into the top tens overtaking Balzan and Colciago. The Swedish driver performed an excellent recovery after he started from the back of the grid, and so did Ruberti, who was classified 13th.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by JMeissner
But we saw already in the midday free practice, when it
got hotter, that we have lost a lot of speed on the straight. This morning we were only three kilometres per hour behind the top cars, that is very good for the Volvo, but at midday we were six km/h back. The team is trying
to understand what happened, but it was a shame, because this morning the car was very good."

Whta could this mean? That the engine is overheating and/or not enough cold air is reaching the engine? That affects the hp output right?

[codename_47]

Man, trying to watch these races on Eurosport is so frustrating.....they seem to be biased towards the Alphas (although I think this has more to do with the fact that red looks more dynamic on screen than the white of BMW or the silver of volvos, rather than any political motivation! ). They seemed to miss just about every pass, a car went rolling through a gravel trap and they didn't seem to notice, nor show a replay......they seem to think their "picture in picture" idea, with the computer generated signs and "mirrors" is so clever that it's worth ruining a couple of corners per lap with it.......urrghh...


I think poor old Martin Haven was thinking the same thing too....

Still, getting sidetracked.....some good racing today, what little we were allowed to see of it anyway!