With less than a second covering the top four drivers in qualifying for the UIM F2 Italian Grand Prix the tight confines of the Brindisi circuit certainly resulted in some tight times on the result sheet.
At a little over 1400 metres in length this bull ring track curving around the inner harbour meant for the nineteen drivers finding the perfect lap was never going to be an easy thing to achieve.
One man that has made a habit of knowing exactly when to make his move is the World Championship point’s leader Erik Stark. During the mid-day qualifying session conditions suited the Molgaard runners as a gentle breeze kept the crowds cool as they watched their first ever powerboat race, whilst it also produced perfect condition to race on. Stark waited till almost the very end of the session before he posted a time of 38:45 seconds. Up until that point his fellow countryman Eric Edin looked set to create an upset having set a time of 38:99 seconds which looked incredibly quick around this four pin course. Then with just seconds to go before the session ended Edin was bumped to third when local hero Paolo Zantelli put in a 38:89. The young Swede was very upbeat about his performance though, “I’m really happy with the way things went today” said Edin. “I had a new propeller specially made for this short circuit and I put it to good use today.”
By the time the second qualifying session had got under way, some five hours later, the breeze had stiffen and with it a light chop had developed on the course. It was now the turn of the BaBa drivers to see whether they could make any inroads into the times set earlier in the day. Leading the charge was yet another Swede, this time it was Ola Pettersson who had his BaBa hull trimmed out to the limit as he hunted down Stark’s time. “The conditions were perfect for me” said Pettersson, “Half way through the second session I found the perfect line through the right hander. Then as I was putting a really good lap together I had to lift off as I went around turn three because of some stupid little waves that suddenly appeared, if I hadn’t lifted I would have beaten Stark’s time for sure and proved an old BaBa can be fast.” In the end he had to settle for second quickest with a time of 38:50.
Meanwhile behind the leading foursome a great battle was taking place between the AJO team-mates of Johan Osterberg and his young protégé Tobias Soderling. Lap after lap these two were trading places till eventually Osterberg’s 39:08 seconds was just quick enough for fifth place. “They always say the person you need to beat most is your team-mate” said Osterberg, “today though was really tough because he kept finding some great speed. It might sound like an excuse but I’m not good in qualifying I think I’m too cautious. I’m happy with fifth place though because it gives you a smooth line to the first turn in the start tomorrow.” His young team-mate certainly showed that he will be a force to reckon with. “I took my chance and found some free water today” said Soderling, “I put those gaps to good use and that’s where I found the time to challenge Osterberg, still its better he starts on the left side because just recently he’s had some great starts and that will leave me space for me to make mine.”
One man that will defiantly been keeping an eye on his mirrors will be the man occupying pole. “The other drivers are getting closer” said Stark, “Last year I would be out testing between races almost three times a week, this year with the boats being in transit I just haven’t had the seat time so it’s really going to be tough out there tomorrow. Like all the F2 races the start will be critical plus with an early evening start that sun is going to be low, let’s hope the guys are all wearing sun-glasses as that first turn is going to be white hot.”
Presentation parade lap will commence at 17:30 with the Italian F2 Grand Prix set to get under way at 18:30 local time.
