Giovanardi at Bathurst?

[rotorboy]

Hi all, I'm a circuit marshal from the UK with a real passion for the V8 series -I'd love a to see flyaway round at Silverstone - but with the news that Fabrizio Giovanardi (current British Touring Car champ) will be racing for Team Vodafone at Bathurst this year (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65108), how do you think he'll get on? I'd say he's highly rated here and I think he'll surprise a few people, but have you Aussies even heard of him?
Best wishes from the cold side of the world

[McLean Fan]

We get the BTCC telecasts here so we certainly know of him and his abilities. We've seen several 2 litre specialist attack the mountain over the years but few impress on the first attempt.

Bathurst in a RWD V8 would be a baptism of fire for the uninitiated. That said, I hope he does well, and I hope he is given the chance to return and become more accustomed.

[noaxetogrind]

Don't know anything about either of the guys driving for 888 this year but am surprised Lyons and Simonsen have been replaced after their performances for 888 last year. Were these two unavailable?

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by rotorboy

Hi all, I'm a circuit marshal from the UK with a real passion for the V8 series -I'd love a to see flyaway round at Silverstone - but with the news that Fabrizio Giovanardi (current British Touring Car champ) will be racing for Team Vodafone at Bathurst this year (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/65108), how do you think he'll get on? I'd say he's highly rated here and I think he'll surprise a few people, but have you Aussies even heard of him?
Best wishes from the cold side of the world

Yvan Muller and John Cleland have both done excellent work here in the past, while Matt Neal has not. Wait and see huh?

[rotorboy]

I agree, over here he's been more used to front wheel drive machinery so I personally can't wait to see it I'm a Lowndes fan myself tho, top racer, top bloke IMO, be fascinating to see how Giovanardi (and Neal of course - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/64928) fare over there. Great stuff...

[kramer]

It's not the track that's the problem. In the Group A days, plenty of aces came over and were aces here as well - Ludwig, Neidzwitz, Cecotto, Hahne, Soper, Brancatelli and so on.

The cars are bigger and heavier than people expect, and the locked diff means they have a peculiar driving style required (you have to trail brake a lot more into a corner and can't get on the throttle until late, otherwise they oversteer).

That said, Boris Said (no pun intended) is coming from NASCARs which have very similar characteristics. As long as he can get his head around the track (most unlike anything in the USA) he might do all right.

But coming from a FWD, light car series to a RWD heavy car (with odd handling) on a tricky track might be too much all at once. Must say, Yvan Muller didn't make an arse of himself, so maybe...

Kramer

[peckstar]

i wonder if the new sequential box will be of assistance to the eurpean drivers.

rotorboy the liklihood is that he will be in a reasonable good car and assuming he doesnt crash you can expect a top ten finish. it is doubtful he will be partnered by Jamie or Craig so he will be partnered but another first timer marc hynes and as a result dont expect too much,

quite probably the coverage of them will be limited also. I would be surprised if they qualify top ten

Last year the 2nd vodaphone falcon was 10th at Sandown and 5th at Bathurst, but with drivers who had driven both tracks before

[cptkablamo]

Originally Posted by noaxetogrind

Don't know anything about either of the guys driving for 888 this year but am surprised Lyons and Simonsen have been replaced after their performances for 888 last year. Were these two unavailable?

Dunno about Lyons, but I know its likely that Simonsen is unavailable with LMS and FIA GT duties.

I reckon Giovanardi will go alright - it may not go super well this year but if they give him a couple of years, he will get there pretty well...

[Pro Racer]

i think Giovanardi is better then Neal (but we won't go there), i think he should do well, i want Ivan Muller back he is good definatly one of the best OS guys.

[monaroCountry]

As for the international drivers, well lets just say that they drove as expected. Bathurst should be a totally different kettle of fish. Placing 17 and 19 looks good on paper until you notice that most of the regular top drivers have paired up and are in the top place getters. Good race though


Race 3

Pos: 17
Team: Team Vodafone
Drivers: F.Giovanardi/M.Hynes

Pos: 19
Team: Supercheap Auto Racing
Drivers: M.Neal/B.Said

[Armco Bender]

Fabrizio Giovanardi

Sounds like a shelias hairdresser.

[Woolley]

LMS has finished, so that won't preclude Simmonson's availability (he was being interviewed at Silverstone last week-end), don't know about GTs, though.

Somehow I'm not surprised by Cleland and Muller did well and Neal didn't. Fits in well with my opinions of them all.

Which leads to Giovanardi. I'd suggest the guy is a star tainted by being in the BTCC of late. Some of his recent driving tactics have been... unacceptable, frankly. I suspect he could be very fast in a V8 once he's put the 2ltr fwd out of his head, but if he drives the way he has this year I expect to see him in the wall somewhere around McPhillamy.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by monaroCountry

As for the international drivers, well lets just say that they drove as expected. Bathurst should be a totally different kettle of fish. Placing 17 and 19 looks good on paper until you notice that most of the regular top drivers have paired up and are in the top place getters. Good race though


Race 3

Pos: 17
Team: Team Vodafone
Drivers: F.Giovanardi/M.Hynes

Pos: 19
Team: Supercheap Auto Racing
Drivers: M.Neal/B.Said

To be fair to the internationals they need 2 or so trips before you can judge them fairly.

Only 2 test sessions doesn't really help anybody, bar give you a little familiarity

[cmifsud]

Cleland I thought was absolutely amazing especially in 2004, considering he gave up full time driving in the BTCC at the end of 1999, yet he still came over here and but a BJR car in the 2min 8 sec bracket, I thought it was a great job and put a lot of our so called up and coming talent to shame. A shame it didn;t work out in the race when he hit Plato who was dawdling in the middle of the track with a flat tyre.

To only international I thought was a complete was of space was Plato! Driving in the middle of the road with a puncture???

[monaroCountry]

Cleland was fantastic, also a great personality.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG033IWgLhM

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by cmifsud

Cleland I thought was absolutely amazing especially in 2004, considering he gave up full time driving in the BTCC at the end of 1999, yet he still came over here and but a BJR car in the 2min 8 sec bracket, I thought it was a great job and put a lot of our so called up and coming talent to shame. A shame it didn;t work out in the race when he hit Plato who was dawdling in the middle of the track with a flat tyre.

To only international I thought was a complete was of space was Plato! Driving in the middle of the road with a puncture???

A lot would disagree with you....Plato was trying to get his car back to pits and at the moment of impact had kept drivers left to peel off for the pits....I don't think Cleland saw him behind the car he was overtaking....big, big shunt.

[mac]

Giovanardi and Hynes both seemed to improve dramatically over the weekend at Phillip Island. Don't forget that there was an extremely tricky period with heavy rain and slick tyres - for both international cars (including Said/Neal) to get through that without too many hassles is a great achievement.

If their improvement curve continues though, they may just be a dark horse for a reasonable finish at Bathurst - given the strength of the machinery they are in.

[FPRXR-6]

Giovanardi just won his second BTCC title on the weekend.