European races — it's not just fast cars, scantily clad girls and champagne under the scorching sun. Even one race on the track to show the best time can exhaust pohlesche than centrifuge. Here only those who passed the 24-hour race, all this may seem childish prattle.
This year the Russian fans of motorsport for the first time met with close racing series Blancpain GT, including the format of Sprint and Endurance, one of the stages which took place at the circuit Moscow Raceway. For many, then it became a revelation that there are not only two Russian teams — GT Russian Team and SMP Racing, but also some of our pilots are acting in foreign teams.
One of these teams — Rinaldi Racing. Its base and Speedway is located near the Nürburgring, the German mechanics are working there, and the two German pilots, but the racing team owned by Russian businessman Vadim pilot and Koga. He himself does not go this year because of the resulting last year in the race injury. However, this season the team performs Rinat Salikhov and two permanent pilots — Marco Zifrid and Norbert Sidler, which could meet at Moscow Raceway. Then the team took third place in the class.
On the race weekend was not only to observe the hours of racing, but also to communicate with smiling team members, get autographs and take pictures with fascinating grid-girls in miniskirts and short shorts, good hot weather only contributed to getting pleasure from happening, the summer! But the race was the hour, and in front was perhaps the most important event of the season — Total 24 hours of Spa Blancpain GT Series.
Cork to track
The day before the race at the Spa-Francorchamps track is not just the weather deteriorated: the temperature dropped to 14–16 degrees Celsius and rain, and do not promote good situation — it is a reality that had to face not only the team, but also the thousands of repeat, Thousands of spectators, who, like the clouds, flooded the track.
Fans came with trailers, tents and simply with barbecue, to spend without restraint in the 24 hours on the track. To help you understand the full extent, then add: Some pilots seeking to get to the qualification, which was held the day before the race, had to stand for a couple of hours in a traffic jam because of the suffering to see the race!
Not all viewers were prepared to weather conditions on the track. Near people could walk down jacket in winter and then soaked in shorts and T-shirts, but their faces were happy! They anticipated a night race! Here are just a boxing team shared their joy is less than...
A bit of adventure Ferrari
This time we were in the boxing team, which has already been mentioned above — Rinaldi Racing. We add only that the fourth pilot invited to «24 hours Spa» was Stef van Kampenhaut.
Rinaldi — no factory team, so that compared to the likes of Audi, they have much more complicated (in the race 10 factory teams). Until recently, they were not sure that will come out at the start, but still at a crucial hour in the opinion agreed to go to the race.
Check out the race — it's not just dip your greenbacks Ferrari 458 Italia on animal transport, gather your friends and have a cocktail. Team owner recalls with a smile that sometimes treated him familiar with the words «I also have a Ferrari, you can come to the races?», But in reality, of course, things are not so simple. Besides the fact that you need to organize travel team (and it is far rather big), you need to have time to set up the car and solve many organizational issues. No joke, a trip to the race this costs more than 200,000 euros. Without wishing to win the race to do nothing.
Unfortunately, Ferrari had to adjust on the track. Because of what qualification it was that much to hide, failed. We started from the 34th position.
Running on track
Once the race starts, everything changes around. The main thing in boxing, even the altar commands are televisions, which broadcast video and track times. With the pilots, who are on the track, constantly maintained radio.
In just 24 hours will hold 25 scheduled pit stops. All the rest — it is an extraordinary situation and the loss of time.
The rain had not only to observe the change of pilots, and literally count strategy during the race. So when the rain stops, almost all the teams were quick to change the rain tires to slicks, but it was a hasty decision because the rain resumed, though not for long. On race tires used Perelli, all they brought 9000 tires. In the race each team is given 20 sets.
By nightfall, the weather relented, but the darkness will not relax. Not to mention that on the track in the «spa» can not slow down, speed is prohibitive — more than 200 km / h.
One of the team members, watching the change of the stress positions, said, «How do you want to have all the other forces were 50 less! So to stay just 15 seconds kvotere, well then everyone else can go back to racing mode! „But, of course, this can only dream of.
The strength — the team
Racing unpredictable. You can lose time to change drivers when twisted belt or get pin «hello» from his rival, took a hit in the wheel. Can communicate with the pilot of the abyss because of unexpectedly dropped out or a broken earpiece. What can we say, because of the collision on the track release Safety CAR, so the riders line up and go without a murmur in the «taxi to the bakery»: the race was when on the road for 40 minutes mending the fence, which successfully to brake one of the emitted machines.
Just a couple of hours it took a team to play the position and rise to ninth place in the «Absolute.» Here are just a night Ferrari received a kick from McLaren, because of what had to change the suspension. The car has ceased to be competitive, and then another, and once the car off the road. All this has affected the course of the race and lost a lot of time. Although the car was quickly put in order, but tune the suspension and gathering / collapse was not possible — there is no time.
By the way, the team of nine engineers and engineer. Each mechanic is responsible for their work: box, engine, wheels, filling, delivery wheels to the pit stop — all painted, nobody does not interfere with each other.
Someone sleeps here?
24 hours of hard racing — this test, especially for pilots who are driving in the extreme concentrated state. At best, they can take a nap in the technicals hour or two after the change, but it can hardly be called a dream.
In boxing team at night it was less than 10 degrees, but in the morning the sun appeared over the line. Mechanics turn a blind eye, sitting right on the tires. They are during the race minions resemble cartoon, especially during the pit stops, with the only refinement — kombeza they are black, but otherwise they are just as catchy and fun.
A moment of weakness
After all the troubles with the replacement of the suspension and departure, it became clear that you can forget about leadership, but it is quite possible to lose the car, if there will be a few more contacts or mistaken pilot. At some point, the question hung in the air, you do not remove the car from the race? But after a couple of hours, it was decided — finishiruem.
Victories and defeats
The first finisher was the team of the crew Belgian BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, which did not allow Audi to snatch their victory, although the first race they pulled ahead. The victory of the Belgian team in their own home runs — a double win, this was not there before!
Despite the fact that the track was not only the Belgian fans, but also Germans, French — all cheered. First, not so easy to «survive» this race is not only in the team, everyone was waiting for the finish. And secondly, if the team was the first, then it was she who was the strongest, regardless of any factors came opponent changed the weather or luck.
At this stage of the Russian teams were only GT Russian Team, but during the race got off two Mercedes SLS of accidents. However, the gathering was the most offensive team in the Roal Motorsport BMW Z4 in class Pro, which has been prepared specifically for Alessandro Zanardi, who in 2001 came to the race in an accident and lost his two legs.
«I have long dreamed to perform in endurance race like this, and great that BMW fulfill this dream a reality,» — he shared his joy pilot before the race. That's just about to finish the car had technical problems, so to finish and get on the podium they have failed, although it had all the chances.
If it were possible to separate the cup for his courage, he'd have been assigned Zanardi.
Instead of a cup — a hamburger!
For Rinaldi Racing team everything went wrong, as they expected, but the main thing — they are finished! Yes, it could be better, but to get to the finish 7-in-class and 24-mi in the «absolute» too expensive. We should also say that Rinat — it was the first 24-hour race, and it was he last piloted vehicle.
Before last time to sit in the car, he received farewell — to reach the finish in a calm pace. Rinat was really cool, because the bitter struggle was not. It was so easy to set up, do not just coast Ferrari, but began to show and the great circle, improving with each lap time that enthralled the whole team.
At the finish of his colleagues met by awarding long-awaited and well-deserved burger, which he wanted to eat during the race. Just a few days the pilot could not recover, and it seemed to him that is about and will want to get into the car and drive a shift.
So it is, it will happen only at the next stage in Portugal, which will take place in early September!
Photo: blancpain-gt-series.com, Denis Zarubin
