PORTO -Welcoming new drivers

Porto was the scene of another high-octane race weekend for International Formula Master’s (IFM) with the Series second visit to a street circuit. Newcomer Norbert Siedler ruled Sunday’s track action with solid performances from other IFM rookies Erik Janis and Marco Bonanomi.

This weekend saw three new young drivers joining IFM, with Norbert Siedler arriving at ADM Motorsport, Erik Janis driving the previously unoccupied second ISR Formula S2000 and Marco Bonanomi guest driving the third Euronova Racing car.

From Porto’s race starts to their views on the Series, the three newcomers share their outlook on their first weekend with IFM.

IFM newcomer and Porto race winner Norbert Siedler

"It’s great to be involved in this Series, these days the TV coverage is one of the most important things and IFM has a really good package. The level of drivers is excellent and the car feels great…I’m definitely coming to Anderstorp too so I can’t wait for the next race weekend. Hopefully we’ll have another good result!"

"I’m having a great weekend, my first time in this category and a return in single-seaters after a very long break. I drove in Formula BMW five years ago so it’s a long time ago! I’ve had a good career in race cars since but not single-seaters which means it’s nice to be back.

"I’m glad to go as fast as possible but you still have to be careful especially on a street circuit like Porto. I think the main part is to be calm at the start of the race and aim for a podium after. The first corner is a good place to overtake but if that doesn’t happen there’s another 16 laps so you just have to wait and see…"

"I’ve been racing in single-seaters since 2002 and this is one of the most professional series I’ve ever been part of. The whole weekend has been a great experience and finishing fourth on Sunday on my first weekend is a really nice result.

"Racing alongside the World Touring Car Championship is pretty special too; I had Augusto Farfus giving me advice just before going out on track which you don’t get in many other series!"

Women in motorsport

Maria Teresa De Filippis was the first woman to ever compete in Formula 1. Her debut year included a round at Porto making the beachside track the perfect venue to catch up with Rahel Frey, IFM’s only woman driver. The 21-year-old Swiss shares her thoughts on whether being a woman affects her position in motorsport.

"Being a woman racer is probably the first subject people bring up when they found out I’m a racing driver but to me it’s normal; I’ve always been a girl in motorsport. I don’t think of myself as a role model but for sure, it’s nice if other girls see me and decide that racing is possible because I’m doing it.

"I know it’s important to have more women in motorsport and it’s good for the sport that it is happening but my feeling is that when you have your overalls on and your helmet closed; no-one can tell whether you are a man or a woman. The moment you are on track, you’re just another racing driver fighting to be at the front.

"I always watch other women driving though and I know they keep an eye on me too. It’s normal, we want to see how each other are doing but they are still my competitors; at the end of the day we all want to make it to F1.

"I don’t get treated differently because I’m a girl, maybe some of the guys might have looked at me a little bit differently at some point or other but I guarantee you that the second we are on track they forget completely that I’m a girl!"

IFM's Rahel Frey

Reaching the halfway point

With Porto’s rounds over, the 2007 IFM season is now at its halfway point. The Series has already provided plenty of entertainment with IFM’s fleet of young drivers creating overtaking moves where no-one thought possible. Jerome D’Ambrosio has built up a lead in the drivers classification and there is plenty of talent from the rest of the grid there to challenge him at each round.

Driver PP FL 1 2 3 LL KML TP
D’Ambrosio 0 2 2 1 3 5 27 49
Gatto 0 0 1 1 0 7 28 36
Sanchez Lopez 1 0 2 0 0 25 83 32
Van der Drift 0 2 1 0 2 7 19 25
Goetz 3 3 0 2 0 22 102 24
Andersen 0 0 1 0 0 19 76 18
Puglisi 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 16
Annala 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 15
Cecotto Jr 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 15
Siedler 0 1 1 0 0 9 42 13
Campos Hull 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 11
Terranova 0 0 0 1 0 12 65 10
Llobel 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9
De Bruijn 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 7
Costa 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Frey 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
Bonanomi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
Ragues 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
Persiani 0 0 0 0 0 13 36 4
Torre 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Belluardo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
Janis 0 0 0 0 0 6 28 2
Cantelli Jr 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Key:

PP = pole position; FL = fastest lap; LL = laps led;
KML = kms led; TP = total points

Average IFM driver
Height: 176.5cm
Weight: 70kgs
Age: 21


Maximum possible race kilometres completed so far by one car: 528.871

Approx. kilos of pasta eaten in the IFM hospitality unit: 1,000!

IFM rounds nine and 10 will take place in Anderstorp, Sweden on 28 and 29 July 2007.

For more information please visit www.formulamaster.ne

Featuring N.Technology’s Formula S2000 race car with electric gearshift and clutch paddles and advanced aerodynamics, the car weighs just 550kg including the driver and runs on control tyres by Yokohama. It has already secured 2008 FIA homologation approval – a world first – and has generated excitement from all sectors thanks to its dynamic styling, light-weight body and powerful engine.

-RSM · -