Italian GP: Race Ticker
motorsport-live.com August 6th, 2017
It is time for V10 engines to scream in anger, and pain, as we await the start of round nine of the 2017 World Motorsport Championship here in Milan they Royal Park. Two
Ferrari engines are parked in the front row with the
Rossini-Ferrari of
Dieter Wexler on pole, and the
Lotus-Ferrari of
Iker Vidal, however the home fans only have eyes for the pole man.
"I am used to that from other series,"
Vidal said about his front row position. "It's just the first time in this series." He looked a bit nervous however.
Lap 1:
Here we go, the formation lap is on... and 1-12 are all on the soft tyre... albeit the two
Van Dort on used softs... I will never understand the idea behind THAT strategy.
Wexler brings them around, three quick burnouts while underway to the grid slot... and we are ready...
The red lights are on... one.. two... three... four... five...
AND IT'S LIGHTS OUT AND AWAY WE GO!
OHH
VIDAL WITH A SLOW START HE IS FALLING WAY BACK ALREADY AND EVEN FURTHER IN THE CURVA GRANDE.
Wexler is clear away and
Rodrigues is up to fourth as all is going right for
Rossini so far!
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +1.7 3.
Lipponen +2.6
Woodford P8 +4.5
Vidal P9 +4.7
Lap 2:
Wexler pulled away by 1.5 seconds with the fastest lap of the bunch...
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.7 3.
Lipponen +4.3
Vidal P8 +7.7
Woodford P9 +8.2
Lap 3:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.8 3.
Lipponen +4.7
Vidal P8 +8.9
Woodford P11 +11.9
Lap 4:
Chapman a tad faster on this lap...
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.6 3.
Lipponen +4.8
Vidal P8 +10.3
Woodford P12 +15.1
Lap 5:
Vidal is the big loser so far, down to eighth...
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.6 3.
Lipponen +5.3
Vidal P8 +10.3
Woodford P13 +18.3
Lap 6:
Saarinen pits... why he started on those used softs... oh well.
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.8 3.
Lipponen +5.5
Vidal P7 +11.9
Woodford P12 +19.7
Lap 7:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.8 3.
Lipponen +6.2
Vidal P7 +13.5
Woodford P12 +21.0
Lap 8:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.9 3.
Lipponen +6.5
Vidal P7 +14.4
Woodford P11 +22.5
Lap 9:
The first soft runners come in... and
Vidal jumped
Rodrigues in the pits! Great effort!
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +3.2 3.
Lipponen +7.5
Woodford P7 +23.2
Vidal P16 +38.8 PIT
Lap 10:
And there come the leaders... and
Chapman and
Lipponen stay longer for repairs! Oh boy,
Wexler is already out...
1.
Holtz 2.
Margate +1.2 3.
Surikov +7.9
Woodford P4 +15.1
Vidal P16 +38.1
Lap 11:
And here come the remaining soft runners... their tyres look old...
1.
Wexler 2.
Woodford +1.9 3.
Blanc +5.8
Vidal P11 +14.8
Lap 12:
OH NO! What a way to end a promising race!
Jeremy Woodford, running in SECOND PLACE got the exit of the Rettifilo wrong, got on the gravel, and hit the wall. His race is over.
1.
Wexler 2.
Blanc +8.7 3.
Schmidt +9.6
Vidal P9 +16.8
Lap 13:
Chapman on soft and
Vidal on medium flying through the midfield...
1.
Wexler 2.
Blanc +11.9 3.
Schmidt +12.6
Vidal P7 +18.0
Lap 14:
1.
Wexler 2.
Blanc +15.1 3.
Schmidt +15.5
Vidal P7 +18.7
Lap 15:
Wexler is a time zone ahead...
1.
Wexler 2.
Blanc +18.6 3.
Schmidt +19.0
Vidal P7 +20.5
Lap 16:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +13.9 3.
Saarinen +17.2
Vidal P5 +17.6
Lap 17:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +12.8 3.
Lipponen +17.2
Vidal P4 +18.1
Lap 18:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +14.6 3.
Lipponen +19.2
Vidal P4 +19.7
Lap 19:
1.
Wexler 2.
Chapman +15.5 3.
Lipponen +19.5
Vidal P4 +19.8
Lap 20:
"BOX, BOX, BOX, we are going for soft. Let it fly mate," via
Vidal's team radio.
Chapman also in.
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +19.9 3.
Margate +21.3
Vidal P11 +44.6 PIT
Lap 21:
And there goes
Rick De Graaf... same spot as
Woodford... two retirements, two crashes...
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +21.3 3.
Margate +21.8
Vidal P11 +43.0
Lap 22:
Can the top 10 make their tyres last?
Chapman and
Vidal are flying in...
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +23.0 3.
Margate +24
Vidal P10 +42.1
Lap 23:
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +25.0 3.
Margate +26.7
Vidal P9 +42.8
Lap 24:
Chapman fourth,
Vidal seventh as the hard tyres go away... 2 laps to go.
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +26.7 3.
Margate +28.4
Vidal P7 +42.8
Lap 25:
"
Holtz 1.5 ahead, close down and kill her
Iker,"
Vidal just set the fastest lap of the race 1:10.032.
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +27.9 3.
Margate +30.1
Vidal P6 +40.7
Final Lap:
Wexler brings home his fifth career victory in front if a fanatic crowd!
Lipponen second,
Margate third,
Chapman fourth and
Nina Holtz won the drag race over the line for fifth...
Dieter Wexler now leads the WDC by 10 points!
1.
Wexler 2.
Lipponen +28.5 3.
Margate +31.4
Vidal P6 +39.9