More points for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris in Hungary
Mixed fortunes for Team Mulsanne and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris in the FIA WTCR round in Hungary. The Italian squad that enters two cars developed by the Opera-based manufacture has managed to score additional points in the second round of the season that kicked-off at Marrakesh, although the weekend has been rich in contrasting moments. Since free practice, the rain appeared and disturbed the working plans on a track that once again proved to suit poorly the Italian car. While the significant progress represented by the restyled “Veloce” was confirmed, the very compact and levelled field saw both Ma Qing Hua and Kevin Ceccon forced to fight in the middle part of the grid. The Chinese driver clinched another finish in the points, 11th in Race 2, which puts Team Mulsanne in the Top-15 for the second consecutive round this year. Ceccon had less luck, as he bet for front slick tires on Sunday morning, when the track was still humid and tricky, a move that unfortunately did not yield the expected results. A contact in Race-1 and a puncture in Race 3 prevented him to score points as he had done in Morocco. The next rounds of the FIA WTCR will be back-to-back stops in Slovakia and the Netherlands, mid-May.
Michela Cerruti, Romeo Ferraris Operations Manager
“In a championship like this year’s, there is no space for the smallest mistake. I can’t remember, since I am in motorsports, first as a driver and then in a managerial role, a situation where gaps are so close. Within one second, you basically have twenty cars and any slightest error costs you a lot. The car, in its 2019 specs, has clearly improved significantly, although the toll we have to pay because of the 50 kgs of additional weight we carry with respect to rivals, is evident on tracks such as the Hungaroring. Both Kevin and Qing Hua had some bad luck, but in Race-2 we opted for differentiated strategies, and were able to bring home some points. We should be more competitive in Slovakia, and we will continue to work hard to improve in all areas.”