F3000 Masters silly season (merged)

[concetta]

Scuderia FamÃ* change category: from MTC to Coloni with two drivers !!!
I'm shocking because with this trend F3000 Masters sure don't start ...
At the moment just ADM and Pro Motorsport confirm with 4 and 3 cars, but monoplaces are empty again ...
This is bad news: http://www.stopandgo.tv/news.php?idtitolo=0997

[jondownunder]

Although I'd love to see F3000 at Brands (supporting WTCC), I don't think it would be bad news at all if F3000 Masters fails. Just like the 3000 Pro Series, there's no need for this championship - better to have one strong Euro 3000/Italian F3000 series if you ask me.

[jondownunder]

Seeing as the thread is now called "Silly Season", might as well have a list of the teams confirmed and rumoured:

ADM Motorsport - 4 cars (Luca Persiani confirmed)
Scuderia Bigazzi? - 2 cars
Carlin Motorsport? - 2 cars
CEK Team? - 2 cars
Cibiemme Team? - 2 cars
Euronova Racing? - 2 cars
ma-con Motorsport? - 2 cars
Pro Motorsport - 2 cars
Tschager Motorsport? - 2 cars
John Village Automotive? - 2 cars
Woess Racing? - 2 cars

[Mackmot]

Are ProMotorsport confirmed, that would be really cool if they are. Who's driving for them?

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by Mackmot

Are ProMotorsport confirmed, that would be really cool if they are. Who's driving for them?

I believe they are confirmed, and by mistake I put 2 cars - I meant:

Pro Motorsport - 3 cars

Apparently two of the people behind the F3000 International Masters are ADM's Renato Melchioretto and Pro Motorsport's Salvatore Tavano - hence why they are the only confirmed teams so far.

Haven't heard any driver names mentioned yet for Pro Motorsport. I wonder if Max Busnelli would stay with them and go for a second consecutive F3000 title? Would seem unlikely, I guess he's looking elsewhere now he's in A1GP.

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

I believe they are confirmed, and by mistake I put 2 cars - I meant:

Pro Motorsport - 3 cars

Apparently two of the people behind the F3000 International Masters are ADM's Renato Melchioretto and Pro Motorsport's Salvatore Tavano - hence why they are the only confirmed teams so far.

Haven't heard any driver names mentioned yet for Pro Motorsport. I wonder if Max Busnelli would stay with them and go for a second consecutive F3000 title? Would seem unlikely, I guess he's looking elsewhere now he's in A1GP.

Pro Motorsport has nothing confirmed. The only thing which is sure is that they have 3 cars in their workshop, which are for sale.

[Mackmot]

So its not the Pro Motorsport that ran in ETCC a few years ago based near Glasgow and owned by Derek Palmer

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by Mackmot

So its not the Pro Motorsport that ran in ETCC a few years ago based near Glasgow and owned by Derek Palmer

No, it is not, Pro Motorsport was formed last year by Italian touring car driver Salvatore Tavano and his father running 2 ex GP Racing Lola B99`s in the 2005 Peroni F3000 championship. They actually won it with Busnelli.
The one you are talking about run Sandro Sardelli in a ex works Nissan and Ies engines in the 2001 European Touring Car Championship

[Mackmot]

Didn't they run Salvatore as well in a Honda

[bradrive]

Originally Posted by Mackmot

Didn't they run Salvatore as well in a Honda

No, that was Jas and Cibiemme in a joint venture. I was actually Tavano's race engineer on that car. Palmer wanted to run a third car for a young scot, but in the end it did not happen.

[jondownunder]

Alan Racing will enter with one car, while a second hasn't been ruled out: link.

[jondownunder]

I can't really see this series happening at the moment, but Emilio de Villota (Jr) has been confirmed at Scuderia Giudici (team has technical support of ADM).

Despite the rumours of Pro Motorsport's cars being for sale, stopandgo.tv are reporting that they are likely to run Ignazio Belluardo alongside either two Brazilian drivers or a Brazilian and an Argentinian. Alan Racing are rumoured to run Marco Mocci and an unnamed English driver, while ADM are rumoured to run Alessandro Bonetti and "Pierguidi" (I assume Alessandro Pierguidi, sometimes written Pier Guidi) alongside the confirmed Luca Persiani.

[sceptic]

F3000 Masters is holding a media launch in just over three weeks. We'll see then if it is really viable.

[Valker]

The first race should be at Monza this weekend and still not much information... Entry list anyone?

[jondownunder]

I'm surprised too there hasn't been more news at this late stage...

The confirmed & rumoured drivers I've read about so far are:

ADM - Luca Persiani
ADM - Maximilian Götz? (tested)
ADM - Daniel Movè? / Fausto Ippoliti? (both tested) / Alessandro Pierguidi?
Alan Racing - Marco Mocci
Alan Racing - Fausto Ippoliti? (tested) / an English driver?
Scuderia Bigazzi?
Scuderia Bigazzi?
Scuderia Giudici - Emilio de Villota Jr
Scuderia Giudici - Ignazio Belluardo? (tested)
Charouz - Jaroslav Janis? (tested)
Charouz - Jan Charouz? (tested)
Pro Motorsport - Giovanni Tedeschi
Pro Motorsport - Davide Di Benedetto
Pro Motorsport - Fernando Rees*
John Village Automotive?
John Village Automotive?

All Lola B99/50s except Charouz with B02/50s.

*I think Fernando Rees is out for three months after being injured in a massive testing accident with Di Benedetto at Monza. The car was destroyed, so I'm not sure if Pro Motorsport will enter three cars at the first round. This is from the TBK forum from someone who spoke to Rees after the crash:

He told me that it was less than 1 minute to the end of the practice, he had the fastest time at the moment, and was coming in a hotlap, the wheather at monza was bad, really heavy rain.

He was coming at the straigh before the parabolica, you know, the straigh after the ascari chicane, at full throttle at 240 kph, another guy who was going into pits, decided to drive slow at rain in the racing line..., that guy was coming just at 140 kph.

Fernando just had time to see the red light at the back of the other guy's car, and he crashed him from behind, at full throttle the telemetry told, Fernando closed his eyes, but the other driver said that, Fernando flew 6 meters into the air, crashes with the bridge and then with the right wall.

Rees, had 2 broken vertebras, (4th & 5th close to the neck), and bruises and damage to hands, feets and legs, at the moment he couldnt walk, but he will recover 100% in about 3 months.

I know Fernando is a member here, so get well soon!

[jondownunder]

You were right about the last minute entries! From reports at stopandgo.tv, there are now 15 cars confirmed for Monza, possibly 16 if Corbetta sign a last-minute second driver. Reigning 3000 Pro Series champion Max Busnelli is standing in for Fernando Rees:

ADM - Luca Persiani
ADM - Daniel Movè
ADM - Fausto Ippoliti
Alan Racing - Marco Mocci
Alan Racing - Michele Merendino
Scuderia Bigazzi - Massimo Torre
Scuderia Bigazzi - Gianmaria Gabbiani
Team Charouz - Jaroslav Janis
Team Charouz - Jan Charouz
Corbetta Competizioni - Timo Lienemann
Corbetta Competizioni - possible second driver?
Scuderia Giudici - Emilio de Villota Jr
Scuderia Giudici - Ignazio Belluardo
Pro Motorsport - Giovanni Tedeschi
Pro Motorsport - Davide Di Benedetto
Pro Motorsport - Max Busnelli

All Lola B99/50s except Charouz with B02/50s.

With JVA joining after Monza, it's looking a stronger series than I expected - the TV deal is obviously proving attractive.

[sceptic]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

You were right about the last minute entries! Reigning 3000 Pro Series champion Max Busnelli is standing in for Fernando Rees:

Do you still think Janis will walk it?

[sceptic]

I believe Daniel Move is confirmed, but we will see in a couple of days.

JVA won't be at the first round because of the clash with A1GP, but I expect them to have two cars for the rest of the season.

[jondownunder]

Ah, of course... forgot JVA wouldn't be available this weekend.

Looks like a pretty slim field at Monza, and I'd expect Janis to walk it considering his talent/experience/car.

[sceptic]

I think 13 cars this weekend, but there may be some surprise late entries. It has live TV coverage on Eurosport, so that should make finding budget easier.

[jondownunder]

Not so sure now, of the "known quantities" Busnelli is a fast and experienced driver, and Lienemann could be up there if Corbetta get up to speed quickly. But having the B02/50 will surely be a big advantage for Janis and Charouz?

[sceptic]

Not necessarily.
It all depends on the equalisation formula. It isn't mentioned in the sporting regs, and I don't have the tech regs.

Interestingly the organisers reserve the right to change the base weights during the season, so the equalisation may not be very equal at all.

[jondownunder]

Good point. Looking at the Monza day 2 (dry) test times, Janis was over a second faster in the morning, but didn't have much of an advantage in the afternoon session. And Belicchi did manage to qualify on the front row in F3000 Italia in the older Lola (really the only time it was raced in the 2005 series by a "proven" driver), so if they are using a similar equalisation formula in this series, then it could be quite close between the older and newer cars.

I tempi - Martedi 21 Marzo 2006:

1° Emilio De Villota (Giudici) 2.00.622
2° Fernando Rees (Pro Motorsport) 2.04.630
3° Luca Persiani (ADM) 2.04.806
4° Jarek Janis (Charouz) 2.05.009
5° Davide De Benedetto (Pro Motorsport) 2.05.756
6° Max Goetz (ADM) 2.08.795
7° Daniel Move (ADM) 2.09.301
8° Marco Mocci (Alan) 2.09.323
9° Giovanni Tedeschi (Pro Motorsport) 2.09.727
10° Jan Charouz (Charouz) 2.13.289

* Pista bagnata

I tempi - Mercoledì 22 Marzo 2006 (Mattino):

1° Jarek Janis (Charouz) 1.40.765
2° Marco Mocci (Alan) 1.41.833
3° Davide De Benedetto (Pro Motorsport) 1.42.051
4° Ignazio Belluardo (Giudici) 1.42.405
5° Emilio De Villota (Giudici) 1.42.550
6° Daniel Move (ADM) 1.43.471
7° Giovanni Tedeschi (Pro Motorsport) 1.44.261
8° Jan Charouz (Charouz) 1.44.394
9° Max Goetz (ADM) 1.44.558
10° Luca Persiani (ADM) senza tempo

* Pista asciutta

I tempi - Mercoledì 22 Marzo 2006 (Pomeriggio):

1° Jarek Janis (Charouz) 1.41.126
2° Davide De Benedetto (Pro Motorsport) 1.41.390
3° Emilio De Villota (Giudici) 1.41.421
4° Ignazio Belluardo (Giudici) 1.41.891
5° Jan Charouz (Charouz) 1.42.891
6° Daniel Move (ADM) 1.42.183
7° Max Goetz (ADM) 1.42.848
8° Giovanni Tedeschi (Pro Motorsport) 1.42.909
9° Marco Mocci (Alan) 1.43.001
10° Luca Persiani (ADM) 1.43.465

(from italiaracing.net)

[Piglet]

Race 1 is turning into absolute carnage!! Great commentary from Martin Haven and David Leslie!!

[jondownunder]

That was an entertaining race, probably for all the wrong reasons... the moment with Busnelli having his front tyre removed approaching Ascari was seriously scary, not to mention 3rd-placed Persiani's banzai assault on leader Mocci into the first chicane! Can't understand why it had to finish under SC for a sprinkling of rain though. I suppose the race officials had seen enough...

Race 1 results:
1. Jaroslav Janis - Team Charouz
2. Jan Charouz - Team Charouz
3. Davide Di Benedetto - Pro Motorsport
4. Ignazio Belluardo - Scuderia Giudici
5. Fausto Ippoliti - ADM Motorsport
6. Timo Lienemann - Corbetta Competizioni
(no other classified finishers - at least I don't think so)