GRAND PRIX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

[jakesanson]

QUALIFYING FOR ARGENTINE GRAND PRIX, ROUND 3

Amazing session, the field has decreased the gap to each other even more!! It's now 1.431 seconds between 1st and 28th!!! Here is the grid:

Rickard Alingas (FK Systems)
Gabriele Toccacello (Transition)
Jorg Mannsperger (Minarae)
Bjorn Makki-Ohlson (LeRon)
Ukyo Okazaki (Orchis)
Patrik Pafvelsson (FK Systems)
Elio Lahikkanen (SME)
Massimiliano Ariesta (Republica)
Sophia Lavaggi (Orchis)
Mark Rugen (Minarae)
Jaime Moreno (DRTW)
Timothy MacGibbons (LeRon)
Leszek Leuenberger (Kraft)
Linvoy Nonda (SME)
Facundo-Daniel Baru (Republica)
Rick vd Woldenberg (DRTW)
Nico Weidlinger (FK Junior)
Maarja Snel (Nordisch)
Ryan Miller (FK Junior)
Kostas Kofatos (Cyprus)
Caleb Liu (Transition)
Herbie Huckett (Nagato)
Giambattista Regazzi (Cyprus)
Vincent Hattenberger (Kraft)
Fiete Priet (Nordisch)
Ba Mitchell (MWM)

The two drivers that failed to qualify are:

Yiasoumis Mertakis (Nagato) and Kane Palmer (MWM). Both drivers were said to be devastated, particularly Palmer who was on a high following his win in the LWS race.

[V12-Power]

FK Racing Systems: Once again an amazing job of both of our drivers. We are proud to have a great number one and a second driver who is also on the level of a champion. Now we hope that we can transfer this fantastic result into points, but why should we not?

FK Junior Team: A very good performance from both of our drivers. If you consider that this is the first race for the team the grid positions are very positive. Now we hope for a two car finish to gain more experience about the new car!

[facu989x]

Republica Grand Prix Press Conference:

Facundo Daniel Baru: A midfield qualify again. Anyway, we doesn't expect too much improve ( talking in speed terms ) but in the reliability, so tomorrow will see how much we're improving.

Massimiliano Ariesta: Well, i must to say that in all the races ( first as 7th, later as 10 th and now as 8th ) i always have been a great qualify day but my races days were f*****g unlucky as i never in 2 raced could finish. I hope to do in this one with our best improvements.

The Team: We said that we'll be awaiting an very impresive improvement. In terms of reliability that exist but in speed, we're same as before. Nothing more, nothing less. At least, we hope to get our 2 cars finish the race and scoring points too.

[jakesanson]

ARGENTINE GRAND PRIX, Round 3

GO GO GO!!

Start:
The top 3 remains calm through turn 1, but Mannsperger temporarily gets past Toccacello. Huckett and Baru have a dramatic collision. Fortunately, both drivers continue.

Lap 5:
Hattenberger and Nonda are both out with engine and throttle problems between them.

Lap 8:
Regazzi is out already, with a dead transmission.

Lap 9:
Mannsperger appears to be holding up Pafvelsson, Lavaggi, and Okazaki in a tense battle for 3rd place behind Alingas and Toccacello.

Lap 11:
Pafvelsson is out with electrical failure.

[jakesanson]

Lap 16:
The Orchis cars are clearly frustrated, stuck behind Mannsperger.

Lap 18:
MAKKI-OHLSON IS OUT!!! He's spun out at the last corner, with left rear suspension failure.

Lap 21:
Ariesta is skilfully holding off Alingas, who has made his pitstop. This leaves Toccacello in the lead.

[jakesanson]

Lap 25:
OH NO!! Ariesta spins out of third place!! Disaster!!! The Italian eventually recovers to 19th.

Mannsperger pits, coming out AHEAD of Alingas.

Lap 26:
Toccacello pits from the lead, dropping to third. The pit lane is stunned!! How did Mannsperger beat Alingas out? Meanwhile, poor Ariesta is clearly not having a great time as he spins off again at the final chicane.

Lap 27:
Mitchell's race is over with a broken transmission.

[jakesanson]

Lap 31:
Huckett is out of the race, with throttle problems.

Lap 33:
MANNSPERGER GOES OFF FROM THE LEAD!!!!

He recovers instantly, pits in to repair the damage and drops back to 7th. A victory has just disappeared!!!

Lap 38:
Moreno goes off, just before his pitstop. No damage, but he loses 12 seconds, and drops to 11th after his stop.

[V12-Power]

TV-cameras show a nervous FK in the pits [-o<

[jakesanson]

Lap 42:
Kafatos is out.

Lap 45:
Lavaggi and Miller are both out. Caleb Liu goes off just before his pitstop!! Unbelievable!!

Lap 48:
vd Woldenberg has crashed out of the race. He was running 8th.

[jakesanson]

Lap 50:
Leuenberger spins off!! He resumes 12th.

You have to feel for Ariesta, as his engine expires. What does the luckless Italian have to do???

[jakesanson]

Lap 52:

OH DRAMA! Moreno runs into Alingas!!! The battle for third is over!! Both cars are damaged!

Alingas goes off, BUT HITS RUGEN AND LAHIKKANEN WHEN HE RETURNS!!!

Moreno, Rugen and Alingas all need pitstops!!!!

[jakesanson]

Lap 53:
Moreno is off again!!!

The GPWC has decided not to act as Moreno has come off worse.

Lap 55:
Liu is out.

Lap 60:
Okazaki is now catching Mannsperger for the lead. The race is on!!!

Lap 65:
Alingas, down in 4th, retires with electrical failure. It is a devastating blow to the team.

[V12-Power]

And once again it get's clear, that electrical engineering is not the biggest passion of team boss and chief engineer FK... Maybe the team should hire someone, who has some idea of this kind of stuff. What a dissapointment.

[AAS]

[jakesanson]

Lap 67:
OKAZAKI PASSES MANNSPERGER!! The Japanese driver LEADS!!!!

Lap 69:
Snel is out.

Lap 72:
Baru, who is running last, retires for the first time this season. But attention turns to the front.......

UKYO OKAZAKI TAKES HIS MAIDEN GRAND PRIX WIN!! He is delighted!!!

1. Ukyo Okazaki (Orchis)
2. Jorg Mannsperger (Minarae)
3. Elio Lahikkanen (SME)
4. Gabriele Toccacello (Transition)
5. Timothy MacGibbons (LeRon)
6. Mark Rugen (Minarae)
7. Jaime Moreno (DRTW)
8. Leszek Leuenberger (Kraft)
9. Nico Weidlinger (FK Junior)
10. Fiete Priet (Nordisch)

Fastest Lap: Alingas (FK Systems)

DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Jorg Mannsperger (18 pts)
= Ukyo Okazaki (18 pts)
3. Leszek Leuenberger (12 pts)
4. Gabriele Toccacello (10 pts)
5. Linvoy Nonda (8 pts)
= Jaime Moreno (8 pts)
7. Elio Lahikkanen (6 pts)
= Rickard Alingas (6 pts)
9. Natalia Medina Gonzalez (5 pts)
10. Lewis Cool (4 pts)
= Maarja Snel (4 pts)
= Facundo-Daniel Baru (4 pts)
= Timothy MacGibbons (4 pts)
14. Yiasoumis Mertakis (3 pts)
= Giambattista Regazzi (3 pts)
= Mark Rugen (3 pts)
17. Ryan Miller (1 pt)

CONSTRUCTORS CHAMPIONSHIP
1. Minarae (21 pts)
2. Orchis (18 pts)
= SME (18 pts)
4. Nordisch (14 pts)
5. DRTW (7 pts)
= FK Systems (7 pts)
7. Cyprus (6 pts)
8. Transition (5 pts)
9. Republica (4 pts)
= LeRon (4 pts)
11. Kraft (1 pt)

PRIZE MONEY
Minarae: £1.8m
Orchis: £1.65m
SME: £900k
Transition: £825k
LeRon: £750k
DRTW: £525k
Kraft: £300k
Cyprus: £100k
Republica: £100k
Nagato: £50k