Hungaroring: Coloni Motorsport race report

Coloni boss delighted after Friesacher wins in Hungary

Coloni Motorsport team principal Paolo Coloni was overjoyed after seeing his lead driver Patrick Friesacher claim the team's first win of the season in round eight of the FIA Formula 3000 International Championship at the Hungaroring today (Saturday).

It was Coloni Motorsport's third consecutive race win following Toni Vilander's Italian Formula 3 double victory earlier this month. The result moves Friesacher into third position in the championship standings with two rounds still to run, while Coloni closed the gap to the Ma-Con entry in the teams' championship.

"This is just fantastic for Patrick and for Coloni Motorsport," said Paolo Coloni. "He controlled the race and really deserved the win after not being able to start at Hockenheim. Our strategy was perfect and the team did a very good pit stop. Patrick was like Michael Schumacher today and Coloni was like Ferrari. I am so happy."

Starting in third, Friesacher mastered the wet conditions to close on lead pair Vitantonio Liuzzi and Enrico Toccacelo, passing championship leader Liuzzi on lap 14 after an earlier move for the position resulted in light contact. He moved into the lead during the tyre stops and he was never headed for the remainder of the race, taking the chequered flag with a two and a half second advantage over Liuzzi.

Jose Maria Lopez, in the Coloni-managed CMS entry, finished eighth after a yellow flag indiscretion in qualifying resulted in his fastest time being disallowed, which forced him to start from 11th on the grid. Mathias Lauda, in the second CMS car, was similarly penalised and had to start in 14th. Lauda's race came to an end when he spun two laps from home. Coloni newcomer Chanoch Nissany spun out shortly after making his tyre stop.

The championship resumes at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on August 28.

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