As the sunset over the Grand Prix of Portugal podium, a champagne soaked Pierre Lundin felt he could now finally relax after a job well done. “A perfect end to a not so perfect season” said the 2016 UIM F2 World Champion.
Just hours earlier when the red starts lights had gone out, he had made the perfect get away from pole position, leaving both Owen Jelf and Rupp Temper in his wake. Jelf later said that he made a slight error with his start, which allowed Temper to get the jump on him.
The race soon settled down but missing from the action was the local hero Duarte Benavente. Both the two gear-cases he had failed, leaving him stranded on the shore. Soon joining him was the Lithuanian driver, Edgaras Riabko, who was unable to repeat his Macon podium finish, following mechanical problems.
Meanwhile Lundin had opened up a healthy gap over Temper, who had an equal gap to Jelf back in third place. “I had the power to pull away if Temper got too close” said the World Champion, “and there were a couple of times when I needed it. When you are out in front it can be difficult to hold your concentration, believe it or not it’s easier when you are chasing someone down.”
Anyone getting ahead of the hard charging Swede was very unlikely to happen and for the second time this season Lundin took a pole to chequered flag victory. Following him home were Temper and Jelf, both of whom had previously raced in Ribadouro.
With the champagne barely dry it soon emerged from post race scrutineering that Rupp Temper had been disqualified due to a non standard specification on the electrical connection to the engine. That promoted Jelf to second place much to the obvious delight of the British driver who would also receive the Bronze medal for finishing third in the 2016 UIM F2 World Championship standings. “I’m over the moon with getting second place here” he said, when he about Temper’s DSQ he did think it was hard to say whether the infringement gave the Austrian driver a huge advantage, “its not ideal but then it’s not up to me either, that’s the job of the UIM Technical Commissioner.”
“The wiring on this engine has been put like this on the grounds of safety” said Michael Werner, Rupp Temper’s Team Manager, “I have nothing against the Technical Commissioner but if I had made this wire layout like they had asked, then I would have been fired.” The team will now head back to their base in Germany and decide whether they will appeal to the UIM in an attempt to get the decision reversed.
Even though he was not racing Erik Edin flew in to collect his Silver medal for finishing runner up to Lundin in the championship standings. “We are very happy and will be back for 2017 season stronger than ever” he said.
Plans are now well underway with where the 2017 season will take the teams and further information will be published following the UIM General Assembly later this month.
