EU3000: Mugello Friday practice notes

Fisichella Motor Sport shines in the first practice sessions

The fifth round of the F.3000 Italian Championship and Euroseries 3000 took off today in Mugello, with the first two practice sessions. Top marks in the first one for Giacomo Ricci, the championship leader, who went down the 1'41 barrier, together with his team-mate Marco Bonanomi. The duo from Fisichella Motorsport earned again the first two spots, leaving the challengers with a one second gap.

In third place Cressoni remains competitive in Vanni-Traini's car, in front of Minardi's Tuka Rocha and Petrov, for Euronova Racing. The russian will try to create a winning streak after the victory in Budapest. Roldàn Rodriguez , in the second Minardi Lola, was followed by Martini and Nocera. D'Ambrosio started up with Euronova in 9th place, called by Sospiri's team to fill the empty third seat. Gattuso (Autosport) managed again to find a top-10 result, in front of Caceres. Another time this year, all the fifteen drivers are equipped with a B02-50 chassis, plus the new aerokit developed by Lola.

In the second practice, and thanks to fresh tires, it was Bonanomi to switch at the top of FMS tandem, with Ricci, still second, stopped by a problem in the last stages. Cressoni, always leader between non- Fisichella drivers, was third, finding himself forced to deal with a difficult set-up situation. Behind Petrov, fourth, Paolo Nocera was good fifth: the driver from Rome was rear-ended by Caceres while slowing down. Oliver Martini took another sixth position , followed by Rodriguez (fastest of the Minardi squad), D'Ambrosio, Gattuso, and Rocha, tenth. To have another reduction in terms of laptimes, a low in weather temperatures will be necessary, but the clear sky over Tuscany deoes not promise improvements. The qualifications are scheduled for tomorrow at 11.55: Bonanomi and Ricci will have to watch out for the rivals.

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