fiagt-oschersleben-af-corse-thomas-biagi-lap-bms-scuderia-italia-ferrari-christian-montari

Oschersleben has been quite good to Biagi. He won there in 2003 with BMS Scuderia Italia, when he claimed the title for the first time, and again in 2005, and then in 2007. Although it looks as if even years are not so lucky for him, perhaps that will change now he has moved to the GT2 category, with AF Corse and the Ferrari 430 GT2 he shares with Christian Montanari.

"In Oschersleben, the start and the first corner are very tricky as you arrive very fast and have to brake and turn at the same time. It is quite tight, and you turn left and then right, so you are very busy ! Then you turn right, into a second-gear corner which is quite slow. It is almost a hairpin and it is important to keep on the right-hand side of the track for a long time before putting on the power.

When you are straight, you can then go on the power. A short straight allows you to go from third to fifth, before braking hard down to second for a hairpin with a little banking. There it is important to wait and stay on the inside line a long time before going full power. Another little straight takes you from second to fifth gear.

This takes you to the fastest place in the circuit, a very long corner that you take in fourth gear. You’re very busy again, as you are still turning to the left and at the same time you have to brake, turn to the right and go to second gear. Then you have to downshift and turn. It’s quite busy and physically it is a hard circuit. In fact, sometimes it is better to lose some time in this fast corner, not to go to the limit, in order to be better in braking for the next part. This is a long corner, about 180 degrees, so you have to keep calm. You always have understeer in the middle.

Then there is a very short straight, you go from 2nd to 3rd, and into the chicane. It is quite fast, sometimes you feel you do it in second, but you can do it in third. You have to use the kerbs on the right and the left. With the car still jumping on the wheel on the kerbs, you have to brake and do a 90 degree corner in third gear, where it is important to stay on the inside and think about getting the exit right, as you next have a long straight.

You go up to sixth, when you are doing 250 km/h, and then you have to brake hard, down from 6th to 3rd. There is a sort of compression, where the asphalt goes down. It’s tricky as well, and you have to be fast.

Into the last part of the circuit, which I love : a quite fast 90° corner in 4th gear, where the circuit goes downhill into a dip, and where normally you suffer from understeer. You are still working hard, as you have to brake for the second gear corner, the last corner, where you need a clean line in order to be fast on the exit for the long start finish line.

It’s a busy circuit, very tough on the drivers. There are many places where you turn, brake, downshift all at the same time. There are not many long straights where you can let your heart rate recover. It’s really tough. This year will be different for me, because I’m now in GT2, but in the past it was tricky to overtake the slower cars at this track.

-- Jacquie GROOM, FIA -

photos will be on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - FIA GT

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