Francesco Sini and Marcello Puglisi to point the podium in Mugello
The Solaris Motorsport duo, after the good but unlucky perfomances in Imola, want to point to the podium in Tuscany, in a circuit that should be in favour to the Corvette
PICTURE Credit: Photospeedy
Pescara, Italy - The fourth round of the Italian GT Championship is on the way for this weekend in Mugello, again with the impressive 39 cars grid. After the good performances and the bad luck shown in Imola, the Solaris Motorsport is ready to come back on top and in the Scarperia-based track the minimum goal of the team is the podium. Marcello Puglisi, debuted in Imola with the black #22 Corvette and now he wants to put on practice the experience gained 15 days ago: "In Imola I could lap a lot, I could take confidence with the car and now I can push harder. I removed the rust, in Mugello I know I have all I need to point on top of the charts!"
Francesco Sini, on his first GT full-season after winning the 2014 EuroV8 Series and the great experience in the Le Mans Series and in Radical Trophy, was protagonist in a upward year until now. Although he suffered some unforeseen during the first part of the season, he scored anyway a great Top5 in Imola qualifying and catched the podium in Monza.
Francesco, what do you think about your season's start?
"It was quite complicated, but it was predictable. The GT world was an universe totally new for us and so we have needed of a bit time of apprenticeship at the beginning. With the right experience, in Monza and in Imola we found the way of competitivity and now we have the choice to battle for the podium in each race. We knew it was not going to be easy to fight on top and the high level of the Italian GT Championship made the things harder."
After this first roll out, what is the main goal of the season?
"For sure I want to win a race with the Corvette before the end of the season. In Monza we were second on the finish line and we were very close to the winner, and also in Imola it wasn't a so impossible goal. The guys at home are making an incredible work to give to me and Marcello a car always competitive."
In the last years you raced 'alone', what does it change now in sharing the cockpit with your teammate?
"Racing with another driver is challenging because you have to work on your setup ideas to the ones of your teammate. It's a very different way to setup the work, you must start thinking you have to share. It's the same on track, you can not to push as you want because your teammates needs of the same car. You have to learn the right system, in the middle between what you want and that one your team mate wants. It's tricky, but it's nice and exciting comparing and to finding the right feeling with another driver. It's a bigger teamplay."
It isn't your debut in the endurance, some years ago you raced and won with the sports car, how much of that experience is useful now with the GT?
"They were important years for me and my career, they learned me how to manage the car in long races like the Italian GT Championship's. That experience granted me a great smattering, even if the driving style is completely different. On this point of view, the sports car are opposed to the GT."
A 40 cars grid is a big show for the fans, but what does it mean for the drivers?
"It's an amazing show...if you are on the grandstands! The main problem for the drivers is the traffic, especially during the qualifying it's difficult to find a clean lap. In the races you have to find the right way with the many lapped cars as quickly as you can. A so big starting grid means trickier but more spectacular comebacks and the possibility to have many good drivers on track."
The next round will be in Mugello, what do you expect?
"I want and I desire the podium. It will not be easy, our rivals are very strong but we showed we can stay with the fastest. Marcello gained the right experience in Imola and in Mugello he will be a fiery opponent for all. The track should be in favour with the Corvette, if we will have a perfect weekend, we will have the results we want!"
The weekend in Mugello of the Solaris Motorsport #22 Corvette will start on Friday on 11:25 AM with the FP1, the FP2 scheduled at 2.45 PM. Saturday will host the two qualifyng sessions on morning, at 10:20 and 11:25. The green flag for the Race 1 will be waved on Saturday at 5:50 PM, while the start of the Sunday race is scheduled at 11:05 AM. All the races will be live streamed on the Italian GT Championship web site
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