Estoril: Season finale race quotes

Andrea Piccini, nr 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello - 1st in GT : "We started on wet tyres following the advice of Michelin. In the drying conditions, it was very difficult to keep the others behind. But we are very happy with this win; we have had a very good season. Only the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa was a disappointment."

Jean-Denis Deletraz, nr 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello - 1st in GT : "I am really happy with this win ! It was a great pleasure for me to share the car with Andrea this season. I had a very good fight with Kumpen during my stint, so I am really pleased".

Mike Hezemans, nr 3 Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R - 2nd in GT : "I liked the first part of the race. I chose to start on intermediate tyres as I know that here, the track takes between 45 minutes and an hour to dry out. However our race was ruined by the safety car. I am happy after all with second place, as I do not think that it would have changed anything."

Anthony Kumpen, nr 3 Carsport Holland Chrysler Viper GTS-R - 2nd in GT : "We had lots of problems in qualifying this weekend and then during the race, we had so much understeer that we could not accelerate. We were lucky that Mike made the right tyre choice at the beginning of the race..."

Jamie Campbell-Walter, nr 14 Lister Storm Racing Lister Storm - 3rd in GT: "My first stint was good. I started on intermediate tyres, which was the right choice. I had a very exciting battle with Andrea Piccini but in the middle of my stint, the intermediate tyres were not right anymore. Basically, we had to win today. Unfortunately, we had to make an extra pit stop. But we did not have the wrong strategy. I have to thank the team, Dunlop and Nicolaus for this season. We have done the best we could all through the year. But Larbre won Spa and this helped them to come back into contention. They did not win any other races and the Ferraris and the Carsport Vipers were stronger competition for us!"

Nicolaus Springer, nr 14 Lister Storm Racing Lister Storm - 3rd in GT : "During my stint, and under the pressure of the Ferrari, I was basically trying to keep my car on the black stuff - which I did. I have put so much effort in this season. Both the team and Dunlop had a very good understanding with me and helped me to be confident. For me, this season is a dream come true and I would not have missed it for anything !"

Christophe Bouchut, 2002 FIA GT Champion, 4th in GT : "I had a very good race today since it helped me to get the extra points I needed to be the Champion. We had a bad start to the weekend since I had problems with my engine, my times in qualifying were disallowed and both of the Larbre cars had to start the race from the pits. So I had to push a lot in the race."

Jean-Marc Gounon, nr 22 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari 550 Maranello - 5th in GT: "We made the wrong choice of tyres on my car. We had to go on intermediate tyres. We did it for safety, but in any case, a Ferrari won, which is the important thing for us!"

Emmanuel Clerico, nr 31 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Diablo, 9th in GT : "We had a no choice, we had to push. Twice in the race, I had a problem with the gear selection, and I had two slow laps, and lost time in the pits. After that we did the best we could for the project. We got to the end, lapping very competitively and I hope that we see six of these cars here next year."

David Hallyday, nr 5 Force One Racing Chrysler Viper GTS-R, 10th in GT: "Philippe started on slicks, and I have to support him on that decision. The wind was blowing and it was not raining so it could have dried out. This is only the second race that we have finished this year. Next year we will be in better shape, but we are very pleased with the team, which has been a great support despite a mediocre year for us."

Bobby Verdon-Roe, nr 15 Lister Storm Racing Lister Storm, 11th in GT: "I had a few brake problems and the occasional misfire that came and went. I don't know how many races I have finished competitively, but I think that I am officially the most unlucky Lister driver in history!"

Luca Riccitelli, nr 32 DART Racing Ferrari 550 Maranello, DNF: "When the conditions are difficult, the real players start to play! When the track was wet, the car was OK. It is not as important to have a perfect set-up. I drove as well as I could, and the speed was there. I could overtake easily and of course the Pirelli intermediate tyres were very good. When Dieter drove, he was immediately on the pace. We had a mechanical problem, an oil pipe on the engine, but at least we managed to get an hour of racing in. The next race will be the race for us!"

David Terrien, nr 2 Larbre Competition Chrysler Viper GTS-R - DNF: "We started in the pit lane, but then we had trouble with the accelerator cable on the first lap, and couldn't run because the cable was broken. There is nothing more to say about it. I am very disappointed to lose the championship like that."

Stephane Ortelli, nr 54 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R - 1st in N-GT : "I am very happy for Freisinger Motorsport today. I joined the team a couple of years ago and I have to say that the team has got better and better through the years. Winning the title with a German team makes it special for me. I also have to thank all my excellent team mates through the year : Emmanuel Collard, Romain Dumas, Marc Lieb and Sascha Maassen. We had a clear advantage from the start of the weekend and just had to do our job and get a few points to be Champion. I would like to congratulate all the teams that took part in the season, including the newcomers such as Veloqx Motorsport who represent good competition !"

Sascha Maassen, nr 54 Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R - 1st in N-GT : "Stephane and I have a lot to celebrate now that we secured the team title as well - and we are happy we can shave again ! The newcomers in the Championship are really strong ! The race was good since Stephane made it easy for me. He was 5 seconds quicker than everybody else ! During my stint, I followed Romain Dumas until I had to make an extra stop for fuel. I would like to congratulate Dunlop since the whole N-GT podium is representing this tyre manufacturer !"

Adam Jones, nr 62 Cirtek Motorsport Porsche 996 GT3-R - 2nd in N-GT : "I joined the team after Rob Schirle had been asking me to drive for him for a long time. I was with La Filière in France, and this year was the first opportunity we had ! This weekend went really well, and the only problem I had during the weekend was Stephane (Ortelli) as he was too fast ! Also I was on slick tyres at the beginning, which was quite difficult."

Tim Sugden, nr 83 Veloqx Motorsport Ferrari 360 Modena - 3rd in N-GT : "The first hour of the race was amazing to watch Stephane - it was very impressive! This was the first time that we raced the car in anything other than dry conditions and we did not know how it would handle. But it all went well and Andrew did a great job as well. The team's second car however spun and had to retire. The safety car ruined our race as we had to do an extra pit stop but not at the moment of the safety car ! It is very nice to be second despite the clutch problem we had at the end. We are a new team and we still have a lot to learn. Also the Ferrari still has a lot of development possibilities which we will work on through the winter."

Andrew Kirkaldy, nr 83 Veloqx Motorsport Ferrari 360 Modena - 3rd in N-GT : "I joined the team for the two last rounds of the British GT Championship and since then, it has all gone well! This race was a bit of a baptism of fire because I have never driven anything like that before in the wet, and I was on slick tyres! Stephane (Ortelli) won the race in the first laps of the race. We will be very strong next year and will continue in that fashion !"

Christian Pescatori, nr 50 JMB Racing Ferrari 360 Modena - 4th in N-GT: "It was better; during the race we had more grip. The problem is with the engine and gearbox. Next year will be better, with new bits for my car. It is a very difficult championship. The gap between my car and the Porsche is too much. There is a very exciting programme with JMB for 2003 and 2004 so we will see what happens."

Rosella Redolfi, press officer, nr 58 Autorlando Sport Porsche 996 GT3-R : "We were very unlucky today, as we tried to start on slicks, but decided to change before the beginning. We got it wrong. Later we had a puncture - I think we are the only N-GT team to have made four pit stops. We also had a problem with the fuel pump, which was the reason that Philipp Peter stopped early. But we have had some good results this year and we are very happy to finish in third place in the Teams Classification."

Johnny Mowlem, nr 60 JVG Racing Porsche 996 GT3-R: "The start of the race was very tricky. We had a new left rear slick tyre, and under braking and acceleration I couldn't get any heat into it. I didn't know what to do. I tried to push but was nearly spinning at every corner. Then a dry line started to emerge, so I could get the tyre on it and get some heat in it. After that, even when I was in the wet I had grip. I passed Philipp Peter, Daoudi and Norman Simon, and caught right up to Adam Jones and pitted with him. We were right with second place. Ortelli had already gone. We got back up to fourth after the stops, and were catching Dauodi who had a problem. We were 45 seconds ahead of Sugden when we got the stop and go penalty for overtaking under yellows and dropped to fifth. That was it, game over. I am rather upset to have finished fifth."

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