It’s fair to say that after the ‘crashfest’ that the Grand Prix of Finland weekend turned into, many people would have thought that the entry list for the second round of the UIM F2 World Championship would have been decimated.
Fortunately for the organisers of the forty third running of the Campione D’Italia Grand Prix, that’s far from the case. Such is the strength in numbers that even with the likes of Pal Virik Nilsen, Frode Sundsdal and Tobias Munthe-Kaas, all absent this weekend, there should still be a healthy number of competitors all ready to race when the start lights go out at 14:30 on Sunday.
So why is it that this season over thirty UIM ‘Super-licenses’ have been issued to those drivers all wanting to race in the F2 World Championship?
“Perhaps it has something to do with the way we police the strict rules which govern what can and can’t be done to the Mercury engine all the competitors use” said Giacomo Borgonovi. He has been the Chairman of the UIM Formulae Committee, which is responsible for all aspects of promoted UIM formulae racing, since he was given the post back in 2008 and admits that he is a sportsman, not a technical man. “I believe that the right people are now advising us on all matters relating to the stock engine we use in F2. I am certain that the future of circuit is in stock class racing.”
If further proof was needed about that statement you only have to look at the number of disqualifications that were issued following the post-race inspection carried out at the Finnish Grand Prix.
So what else makes this series so popular? “You don’t have to be a ‘professional’ driver to compete in it” said Borgonovi. “With all of this year’s Grand Prix either in mainland Europe, the Baltic region and Scandinavia, it means the racers are not spending so much time travelling to far off venues to compete, they can still lead a normal lifestyle away from the circuit. Yes, it was good to have at least one ‘fly-away’ venue to end the season with and we are currently looking into potential destinations for the 2017 calendar.”
As to its future is he happy with the way the UIM F2 World Championship is currently being organised? “Yes, of course” he continued. “I think the way it’s organised via the National Authority of each country gives each host venue its own identity. If we had a ‘travelling circus,’ bringing everything you needed to each race location, then it would lose a lot of its appeal.”
So, who is likely to triumph in Campione? Well a repeat of last year’s top three is unlikely as Alex Carella has not been entered. His place has now been taken by Mohammed Al-Mehairbi and Rashed Al-Qamzi, who will race the Team Abu Dhabi boats 36 and 35, the two DAC hulls that were used at the 24 Hours of Rouen back in May. Mat Palfreyman, who has been forced to switch hulls, will need time to adjust to racing a BaBa this weekend. That leaves Pierre Lundin, who was so dominate last year but the Swede will know that he will need to watch his fellow countryman, Erik Edin, who showed everyone a ‘clean pair of heels’ when he sped off into the lead in Finland before making an uncharacteristic mistake and handing the race lead back to Lundin, that its unlikely, even though its forecast, that lightning probably won’t strike twice and Edin could take his maiden F2 victory.
