Intense weekend for Romeo Ferraris FIA ETCR home race at Vallelunga
Romeo Ferraris completed an intense weekend at the Vallelunga circuit, on the occasion of the home round of the FIA ETCR, the fifth of the 2022 season. However, the manufacturer based in Opera, Milan had to finish earlier than foreseen a weekend that could have led to the second consecutive victory after the one in Zolder. In the DHL Super Final reserved for the "Fast" pool, Bruno Spengler had a violent crash, for reasons still to be investigated, while Luca Filippi suffered the puncture of a tire. Consequently, in one case due to the extent of the damage suffered by the car, and in the other for safety reasons, fellow drivers Maxime Martin and Giovanni Venturini were unable to compete in the next DHL Super Final of the "Furious" pool.
Spengler was promptly taken to the circuit medical center and was later transferred to the Sant'Andrea hospital for further precautionary checks, which diagnosed the slight fracture of the T6 thoracic vertebra. Martin, who shares the Giulia ETCR unit with the Canadian, would have lined up at the start of the last heat with full points and in pole position, after having soared in qualifying with the absolute best time (1:19.692) and winning Quarter Final 1 and Semi Final 1.
Despite the absence in the DHL Super Final, the Belgian still closed this round in fifth position with 60 points collected, while it was 44 for Spengler, third in the "Fast" qualification and then second at the finish in Quarter Finals 1 and Semi Final 1. To confirm the great speed potential of Romeo Ferraris on its home circuit, Filippi lived his most profitable weekend of the season, with 43 points obtained, while 15 went to the other Italian, Venturini.
Romeo Ferraris is now third in the constructors' ranking with 627 points, but with ample chances of recovery at the end of the 2022 edition of the electric touring car series. Martin remains the best placed among the drivers of the Opera-based team, fourth in the standings at 360, and mathematically always in the race for the title.
Michela Cerruti, Team Principal Romeo Ferraris
"There is obviously great bitterness in the team, because our home stage has closed as we never would have hoped. What matters most now, however, is that Bruno is fine after the bad accident he was involved in. We hope he recovers as soon as possible. In the impact, the car was seriously damaged and therefore it was not possible for Maxime to compete in the Final of the Furious pool, in which we could have celebrated the second consecutive victory after that of Zolder. We did not consider safe to let the other car and Giovanni race, also given that Luca suffered a puncture in the Fast pool. Besides the races, we experienced a few days enriched by numerous parallel initiatives with sponsors, guests and customers of our road cars that we welcomed with extreme pleasure. I thank Tenuta Montemagno, Delitaly and the staff of the Vallelunga racetrack for what, beyond the final sporting result, was a very successful event ".
