We are almost ready to go for the second round of the 2014 ELMS season as the teams set up and make final preparations today at Imola.
With the Mille Miglia in town, the participants pass close to Imola this weekend it seemed very apt to be driving along Via Nuvolari and Via Musso as we arrived at the Circuito Enzo e Dino Ferrari this afternoon.
At the site of the famous Forum Cornelli amphitheatre which staged chariot races in 80 BC, we are expecting plenty of drama this weekend. Some of it has already been going on, and that is just off the track!
Berthon‘s berth at Murphy……Murphy saddened by Graves public outburst
After a brief but very impressive appearance at the Paul Ricard test day at the beginning of April, Nathaniel Berthon completed his deal to race at Imola and Le Mans last week. With the final driver nominations for teams next Monday, Greg Murphy sealed the deal with the rapid Frenchman and was delighted with the prospect of having this hot property in the Oreca-Nissan.
“Nathaniel is exactly the kind of driver that fits right in at Murphy Prototypes; quick, committed and with a lot of hunger to make a name for himself and also the team. There is a lot of anticipation that he will be very, very quick. He excites me greatly and along with Rodolfo and Karun we have probably the strongest line-up we have ever had.”
Berthon, who is campaigning a full GP2 season for Racing Engineering this season was finalising his cockpit ergonomics and seating when we caught up with him this afternoon.
“The next few weeks are going to be a bit hectic to say the least,” he said. “From Imola, I go straight to Monaco and then to Le Mans for the test day. I suppose you can’t get two more different tracks than Monaco and Le Mans. But of course for me it is a great move to be here with a very competitive team and with great team mates like Rodolfo (Gonzalez) and Karun (Chandhok), who I both know from the GP2/GP3 paddocks. I can see the potential already and I am very happy to be part of what I am sure will be a very special campaign.”
Greg Murphy was delighted with his new signing but slightly less so with Tor Graves, who decided to go public yesterday with a variety of protestations, some of which seemed to be insinuated toward the Irish team. Murphy was personally affronted by the remarks and hugely saddened about the comments. DSC understands that Murphy did not receive a signed contract from Graves and that communications between the two parties were decidedly one way, in favour of the team.
Graves, who visited the Silverstone paddock a month ago, was still suffering from a nasty bout of shingles and was highly unlikely to be fit for Imola and Le Mans. A potential recommendation suggested by Graves of another driver to act as a potential substitute was not received by Murphy, despite Graves insistence to the contrary. DSC also believes that no commercial transaction took place between the two parties and in light of the ‘limbo’ situation that the team found itself in, and the fact that communication slowed to a standstill between Silverstone and last week, Murphy had to put the best interests of his team first, and more importantly he to do so quickly.
Whatever the upshot of the difficult situation, Graves appears to have lost many friends by making his objections public before even discussing it with the Irish team.
Greaves – Deals just about done for Le Mans
Greaves Motorsport has all but completed its deals for their second Zytek-Nissan at La Sarthe. The team are expected to confirm its three drivers next week. One of the drivers DSC can reveal is British with some LMP experience particularly in the Far East, while one of the other drivers is an up and coming single-seater star currently competing in FIA European F3 and who is not that much older than the mercurial Matt McMurry in the sister Zytek-Nissan!
Tim Greaves was looking on as the team did their pit stop practice this afternoon and was anticipating a good weekend for the #41 car that will be driven by Tom Kimber-Smith and McMurry, who incidentally spent his morning at the Lamborghini factory. The only downside being that his tour guide was professional motormouth and Greaves’ PR – John Brooks!
Fighting talk from ‘Fast Franck’
Frank Perera was pumped up to continue his eye-catching pace in the PRO GT by Almeras. The Frenchman, who spent most of his upbringing living close to the Imola circuit while a works Tony-kart driver is relishing the prospect of taking on the Ferrari’s on their home turf this weekend.
“It will be tough again this weekend but you know me, I love the challenge,” he said. “For sure the BOP situation is not so good for us. The Ferraris are so much at an advantage and here the chicanes will also suit them and of course the fact the AF Corse cars have tested here a lot will not help too.
“Having said that we have a strong team here at PRO GT by Almeras,” he continued. “ My team mates Lucas (Lasserre) and Eric (Dermont) are getting better and better for the stints they do. At the end of the day we cannot influence the BOP too much. Personally I think that the Ferraris were playing games at the Ricard test so the situation became too much. Nothing we can do about that but we need to have at least a small change. Hopefully that will change soon.”
Piccini happy to be super-sub again!
Andrea Piccini was calm and relaxed as ever as he made his way in to the Imola paddock this afternoon. The former Aston Martin and Corvette driver is deputising for Jan Magnussen in the #60 Formula Racing Ferrari 458 that is being run by AF Corse this weekend.
“We did the deal last week to replace Jan which is nice for me at my home circuit here at Imola. I did the Open GT race at Nurburgring at the last minute replacing Paolo Ruberti so now I am the super-sub!
“I have a great relationship with Amato (Ferrari) and I have a good feeling about this weekend, I think we can do something really good. I don’t think I will be seeing too much of Giacomo (Piccini- – his brother) though as he is in LMGTE!”
Soheil Ayari – Barthez is as serious about racing as he was football!
Soheil Ayari has often carved a slightly erratic figure in LMP and GT racing over the last few years but the often misunderstood Frenchman is one of the most engaging characters in the paddock.
“I am loving life with this great team – SOFREV ASP,” he said this afternoon. “The Ferrari is running very well but we are still discovering areas that we can improve on with the set-up of it. Michelotto are being very helpful and I think we achieve some very good results this season.”
Ayari, a big football fan (he supports his home town club of Marseilles) is also relishing working with 1998 World Cup winning goalkeeper Fabian Barthez.
“You know Fabian takes his racing just as seriously as any other driver at his level,” he said. “He is super hungry to progress and better himself every day. I am so impressed by his attitude and wanting to learn new things. But the most impressive is how he handles the pressure. But then I suppose that if you can handle a penalty shoot-out with 400 million people watching you on TV then you can handle anything!”
Little known facts department….
Alberto Ascari and ‘Gigi’ Villoresi were the first drivers to sample the newly opened Imola track on October 19th 1952 in a Ferrari 340.
And…not only but also………
One Bernard Charles Ecclestone raced a Norton Max at Imola in 1956!
The first free practice session starts at 10.15am cet tomorrow morning. Live timing will be available via
DSC is venturing trackside for one of the free practice sessions to bring you a birds-eye view of what is going on at track level. All other sessions will be covered live on twitter @dscracelive and of course all the news and views will also be coming direct from the paddock throughout the weekend.
Sam Smith
