Circuit: Brno Masaryk Circuit Venue: Brno
Car #4 Driver: Alessandro Zanardi
Qualifying results: 1° (2'08.913)
Race 1 results: 1° ()
Race 2 results: 2° (+0.360)
Car #5 Driver: Felix Porteiro
Qualifying results: 3° (2'09.100)
Race 1 results: 2° (+0.825)
Race 2 results: 5° (+8.192)
Brno 2008 will remain in the memory of touring racing fans. The weekend just concluded awarded an almost unbeatable Alessandro Zanardi, probably at his highest since he came back to competitions in 2003.
After the pole position achieved yesterday, the Bolognese driver did not have rivals in race one. After losing the first position to his team mate during the flying start, in the initial stages, Zanardi promptly regained the leadership, increasing afterwards his advantage on Porteiro (author of the race fastest lap) lap by lap. The one-two scored after the chequered flag, the first in WTCC for Roal Motorsport, resulted in a big party first in the pit wall and afterwards under the podium.
In the second manche, Zanardi started from the eighth position and, with a tactic masterpiece, he managed to get, with still four laps to go, to the second place after the leader Gabriele Tarquini exploiting some errors of his opponents.
With a race pace a second clear of Tarquini, the BMW Team Italy-Spain´s driver caught the Seat of the opponent and tried to attack him at the last corner after establishing the fastest lap of the race.
Fifth position for Felix Porteiro instead, author of a stunning start but victim of some contacts that not only cost him some positions but also mined the efficiency of his BMW 320si.
Roberto Ravaglia (Team Principal):
"We knew that Brno was a favourable track but honestly I did not expect such a success. The pole, a victory, two second places and fastest laps in both races are a summary of a supremacy achieved thanks to the work of all team´s men to whom my acknowledgments are addressed.
Zanardi drove in a stunning way throughout the weekend: aggressive in qualifying, fast in race one and tactic in race two whereby he "contented himself" with the second place. For race two, with both cars starting from the fourth row, I thought a fourth or fifth place would have been a good result.
Porteiro´s weekend has been perfect too, despite being penalized during the races by some contacts that compromised his car. He fought as a lion and finally he achieved a great fifth place."
Alessandro Zanardi:
"Yesterday, after the pole, I was really very happy. The single lap has a great value for a driver, because it´s where you see who has something more, who is the fastest. By considering the level of the WTCC this has been an unexpected satisfaction and I still struggle to understand what happened today.
The victory in race one is a merit that has to be shared among all BMW Team Italy-Spain´s men, that since Thursday´s practice did an excellent job. This is not false rhetoric: it has been a triumph of the team, including my team-mate Felix Porteiro, with whom I worked a lot in defining the basic setup according to what we did last year.
I am convinced that this success will strengthen further the confident climate within our team: the awareness of being able to count on a driver that can make the difference can be a motivation more for the team, therefore being the ending point of an exceptional team pushes me to give my best every time I get on track.
It is very hard to describe my feelings in these hours: we did not win thanks to the reverse grid or because someone got retired. We simply won because we were the best. And, considering the value of our opponents, we cannot be but extremely proud of this"
Felix Porteiro:
"Brno confirms to be a favourable track for us. After my victory scored last year, I got back on the podium this year. In race one it was really Impossible to keep Zanardi behind, while I managed to control Menu´s attacks.
Race two has been definitely more troublesome: I started well and I had the chance to get a good result but after some contacts the car was no longer at its one hundred percent. The fifth place was the maximum I could do in those conditions."
- Alberto Brojanigo - photos FIA WTCC
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