Italia: Series Mugello preview

Mugello, race 1: Caldarelli tops Mancinelli and Buttarelli

After ruling free practice on Friday and obtaining the pole position this morning, Andrea Caldarelli continues to impose his supremacy in the fourth round of the season of Italian Formula 3 Championship, completing the hat trick with victory and fastest lap in race one at Mugello. After the driver from Pesaro of Prema Powerteam, concluded Daniel Mancinelli (Team Ghinzani) who, thanks to the points obtained, keeps the leadership of the championship in front of Ramos (BVM-Target), fourth today, and Caldarelli: the three drivers are all within just 11 points.

The podium, for the first time this season, was all Italian thanks to the very good third place obtained by Samuele Buttarelli (Prema Powerteam) who was standing in first position at the beginning of the race thanks to a rocket start before surrending to Caldarelli and Mancinelli.

Lucidi Motors' drivers, Stephane Richelmi and Sergio Campana, conclude fifth and sixth while Gabriel Chavez, best rookie and driving the first Mygale, wins the good fight for the seventh place in front of the Finnish Jesse Krohn (RP Motorsport) and Christopher Zanella (JD Motorsport).

The first novelty of race one was on the starting grid whereby two of the three single seaters of RC Motorsport were missing. The Belgian Frederic Vervisch, victim of problems to the lubrication system, and Pasquale Di Sabatino, disappointed by the rhythm below his expectations, had to give up early.

Buttarelli had the best at the start on the poleman Cladarelli who proceeded Mancinelli, Richelmi and Ramos, while at their back Raimondo and Mertins had a contact with the American forced to stop. The attack of Caldarelli, at the lead of the race, had not to be attended much and at lap two at the San Donato corner he takes the lead from his team mate,

At the following lap, Mancinelli gets the second position while Buttarelli had to fight with Richelmi, while Ramos, Chaves and Krohn follow a little bit more detached. The spectacle is throughout the group with Cerqui and Barri fighting for the 11th position in front of Giovesi, Mason, Lee and Fontana.

At lap five, Ramos tried to attack Richelmi that defends well his fourth place before having to control the countercharge from the Brazilian driver at lap eight at the San Donato corner. The overtaking takes place at the following lap with the driver from Monaco that has to content himself of the fifth place in front of Campana, Chavez, Krohn and Zanella.

At lap ten, Fontana managet to get rid of Lee and got the fifteenth position, while Chaves, Krohn and Zanella fight for the seventh position. The rhythm was very high until the chequered flag that welcomed the return to the victory of Caldarelli, in front of the championship leader Mancinelli, followed by Buttarelli, Ramos, Richelmi, Campana and Chavez who won the sprint for the seventh place.

-source: italia