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Scuderia Playteam, a major competitor in the Italian GT Championship and International GT Open, made history today starting the AC Milan and Galatasaray SK teams testing ahead of the start of the new Superleague Formula season.
Turkey’s Jason Tahinci and Italy’s Alessandro Pier Guidi were in action today for Galatasaray SK while Dutchman Robert Doornbos and Italy’s Giambattista Giannoccaro drove the AC Milan car at the Barcelona track for the first time in warm and sunny conditions.
Alessandro Pier Guidi (Galatasaray SK) commented, "Today was a very long day of over nine hours of work. We started very early, and it was a nice feeling to see the yellow and red Galatasaray SK car in the garage almost ready to go when we got there. The team had already fired it up late last night and worked on a lot of details.
So we knew that it was ready to go. We only had to finalise a few minor but key adjustments and prepare the seat fitting for optimal comfort. We have had a lot of positive feedback from the different testing sessions. We obviously still need to sharpen our skills and become quicker in order to find the real limit though. We have one month to go until our first race in Donington at the end of August and I have a very good feeling already."
Jason Tahinci (Galatasaray SK) commented: "I am very proud to be representing my favourite soccer team Galatasaray SK in the Superleague Formula. It's a great privilege to a part of this family and working together with Scuderia Playteam is proving to be a great experience. Every detail is part of a plan, and the team is right on schedule.
I am quite surprised because the car is actually bigger than I had imagined. The car will be very quick on the straights because of its powerful engine. It is hard work for a driver without traction control and power steering thus requiring a lot of driving skill.
Tomorrow will be the real start. We will need to fine tune the brakes and some of the initial set up in order to get the most out of the Michelin tyres. But, so far everything looks great. It will be a fun show for spectators, for sure."
Robert Doornbos (AC Milan) commented: "Actually, Scuderia Playteam worked very hard today to take care of the last details and the final preparations for the driver’s comfort in the car. It is a bit of a lengthy routine, but it is necessary so that we get to grips with the new car in optimum conditions.
The new series is very exciting. Obviously there will be lot of down force with our big slick tires. We had a really good day and the noise from the V12 engine is incredible.
This car looks very similar to a F1 or Champ Car. The fans are going to love it. I am eager to see their response as they cheer for their favourite football team in this new racing series."
Team owner and AC Milan driver Giambattista Giannoccaro concluded: "I am quite happy with our team’s achievements. Around 85 per cent of the work was done in the workshop in Milan, including the painting and varnish so that the livery looks brilliant on both cars.
On the technical side, the fire up worked fine yesterday. The engineers needed to check pressures and temperatures as well as making sure that everything was in place and that the gearbox set up was optimal, and that the electronics were working well.
The team did the final checks before I was able to do the shake down of the car before starting the fine tuning. It was quite emotional when I took the car around the track for the first time. We will do all we can to demonstrate the superior technical level for our two teams.
Scuderia Playteam is performing well and I trust our technical experience and knowledge on how to assess the qualities of our drivers. Together, we are all working hard towards the start of the Superleague season at Donington.
Our first challenge is fulfilled. Be the first on the track and have a positive working day to prepare a good season. Overall, it was an exciting shake down drive with no problems!"
Gabriele Tredozi, Technical Director of the team stated: "After months of work, the shake down is a great achievement: The car is not easy. It needs a lot of technical work and know how.
The team did a great job during this first hour of running. Overall, we are in sync with the program. For the 7 laps with AC Milan car, we verified all systems including basic car set up, braking system, and steering parameters, as well as the wheel position. I want to thank everyone in the team for their input."
The team will test two more days in Barcelona. Another test session is in the pipeline in Vallelunga August 6-8 before the first race in Donington (UK) slated for August 30/31.
Galtasaray SK joins FC Porto, AC Milan, PSV Eindhoven, Olympiacos, Borussia Dortmund, RSC Anderlecht, Flamengo, FC Basel, Sevilla, Rangers, Al Ain and Corinthians in the competition.
Superleague Formula's inaugural race season will visit the following six major circuits across Europe, from August November 2008:
Race 1: Donington, United Kingdom August 30/31, 2008
Race 2: Nürburgring, Germany September 20/21, 2008
Race 3: Zolder, Belgium October 4/5, 2008
Race 4: Estoril, Portugal October 18/19, 2008
Race 5: Vallelunga ,Italy November 1/2, 2008
Race 6: Jerez, Spain November 22/23, 2008
www.superleagueformula.com
-Agnes Carlier - thanks for the photos
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