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Catalunya: RAce report

Ricardo Zonta signs two victories in Barcelona in front of 75.000 spectators. With these two great victories, Zonta strenghts his leadership 47 points ahead of Leinders and 50 of Montagny Adrian Valles, champion of the Spanish Formula Junior ...

Edited: Oct 2, 2002, 12:32 AM

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Ricardo Zonta signs two victories in Barcelona in front of 75.000 spectators.

With these two great victories, Zonta strenghts his leadership 47 points ahead of Leinders and 50 of Montagny

Adrian Valles, champion of the Spanish Formula Junior 1.600 Championship

Barcelona, 30 September 2002 ? Ricardo Zonta crossed the line first in both races in the sixth round of the Telefonica World Series by Nissan races hold in Circuit de Catalunya (Barcelona). The Brazilian, who drives a car with the colours of F.C. Barcelona football team, has stretched his advantage from 26 to 47 points ahead of Bas Leinders, who jumped on the podium just in the second race, and 50 of Montagny, whose best result was 4th in second race. 75.000 spectators crowded the Circuit de Catalunya. The Spanish Formula Junior 1.600 Championship, the third category of the World Series, knows his champion: Adrian Valles, who also drives in Formula Nissan 2000.

Race 1
Ricardo Zonta won the opening 17-lap race but was forced to work hard to overhaul Andre Couto and Justin Wilson. They opened up a lead of more than two seconds over his rivals in the first laps. The Macao driver leaded the race during 16 laps but Zonta was determined to dedicate the win to the Barca's supporters. The Brazilian took the offensive attack four laps before the end: he overtook Wilson at the end of the main straight. In the last lap, Zonta surprised Couto in a corner and he had to resign with second place. Wilson finished third. Jean Christophe Ravier (he drove with a broken finger) ended fourth ahead of Franck Montagny. Antonio Garcia was sixth while Bas Leinders just finished seventh in first race. Rodrigo Sperafico, who was replacing the injuried Spaniard driver Angel Burgueño, ended 8th and Narain Karthikeyan didn't start because of his throat disease.

Race 2
The mandatory pit stop was crucial as usual. Bas Leinders, who started very well, leaded the second race until he entered the pit lane. However, he lost six seconds over Zonta and this was a huge advantage to the Brazilian, who took the first place and won without suffering. This was his sixth victory of the year. Leinders finished second and the French driver Jean Christophe Ravier pushed through the third place ahead of Montagny and Justin Wilson. Antonio Garcia repeated sixth place.

The next meeting will take place at Valencia (Spain) on 20 October.

Quotes:

Ricardo Zonta
"I am very happy. It has been a perfect weekend for me and for my team. I have to confess that I won the second race thanks of the pit stop"

Bas Leinders
"Satisfied? Well, I almost smelled the champagne's smell. I was leading the second race, four seconds ahead of Zonta, it was the result of a hard work by all my team, but I lost six seconds in the pit stop and this ruined the victory. I am impressed with the thousands of people that fullfil the circuit. The people who came to watch the F1 race, normally leaves after three o'clock, so only half of the crow stays for the f3000 event."

Andre Couto
"I finished second in the first race. I have to be satisfied, but if you think that I was leading the race almost to the end. It's ok because my car as well as me are improving"

Jean Christophe Ravier
"I broke my finger in the first qualifying on Saturday because of my car spun on the track. But the pain has been very worthy"

Round: 6
Circuit de Catalunya
Length: 4.727 m
Race 1 World Series (17 laps)
1. Ricardo Zonta (BRA) Gabord Competicion 26:39.159
2. Andre Couto (MAC) Vergani Racing 26:40.096 / 0.937
3. Justin Wilson (GBR) Racing Engineering 26:40.758 / 1.599
4. Jean C. Ravier (FRA) Epsilon by Graff 26:41.559 / 2.400
5. Franck Montagny (FRA) Racing Engineering 26:46.957 / 7.798
6. Antonio Garcia (SPA) Adrian Campos Motors. 26:47.740 / 8.581
Best lap: Ricardo Zonta 1:32.661 a 183,689 km /h

Race 2 World Series (24 laps)
1. Ricardo Zonta (BRA) Gabord Competicion 38:05.499
2. Bas Leinders (BEL) KTR 38:08.949 / 3.450
3. Jean C. Ravier (FRA) Epsilon by Graff 38:12.941 / 7.442
4. Franck Montagny (FRA) Racing Engineering 38:16.144 / 10.645
5. Justin Wilson (GBR) Racing Engineering 38:17.601 / 12.102
6. Antonio Garcia (SPA) Adrian Campos Motors. 38:20.425 / 14.926
Best lap: Bas Leinders 1:32.629 a 183,752 km/h

Championship standings after Catalunya (provisional): 1. R. Zonta, 205; 2. B. Leinders, 158; 3. F. Montagny, 155; 4. J. Wilson, 84; 5. J.C. Ravier, 63; 6. A. Couto, 50; 7. A. Garcia, 47.

Porteiro will arrive as the leader of Formula Nissan 2000 to the last meeting in Valencia.

The runaway Championship leader Santiago Porteiro (Repsol Meycom) will arrive at the last meeting next month as the leader with 22 points over Matteo Bobbi, who reduced its difference in 12. Neither of both finished first race: Bobbi was excluded because he obliged Porteiro to flew off the road. Borja Garcia was the winner, ahead of Pere-Aicart, new challenger to the title, and Juan Antonio del Pino. In the second race, Bobbi dominated clearly over his rivals. Perez-Aicart and Adrian Valles jumped with him to the podium. Santiago Porteiro finished fourth.

Standings: 1. S. Porteiro, 151 points; 2. M. Bobbi, 129; 3. J.M. Perez-Aicart, 122; 4. B. Garcia, 108; 5. A. Belicchi, 106; 6. C. Miguez, 86.

Adrian Valles, champion of the Spanish Formula Junior 1600 Championship Adrian Valles, 15 years old, sentenced the championship with a victory and a second place. He is the first champion of the category (he drove four races in the weekend, including a podium in the Formula Nissan 2000). He won the first race ahead of Marc Carol and Alvaro Barba. In the second race, Barba finished the first in a thrilling end ahead of Valles and Carol.

Standings: 1. A. Valles, 188 points; 2. R. Rodriguez, 111; 3. A. Barba, 110; 4. L. Orecchioni, 70; 5. V. Jaouen, 68; 6. M. Carol, 65.

Point award
Only the first 10 drivers get points: 20 points for the winner, 15 points for the second driver, 12 points for the 3rd classified, 10 for the 4th driver, 8 points for the 5th, 6 points for the 6th top driver, 4 points for the 7th, 3 points for the 8th, 2 points for the 9th, and 1 point for the 10th driver. The fastest lap gives two more points to the quickest driver.

-rpm-

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