Meverin and Eureka Competition participate in Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli with Max Mugelli
Max’s podium finish in the third round of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Europe at the Spielberg circuit was thoroughly deserved, coming at the end of Race 2, which was marred by technical issues and a red flag, yet he managed to secure the result through a display of composure and determination.
The Austrian round got off to a flying start with a brilliant performance from Max in Thursday’s free practice, when he treated his fans to the fastest time of the session.
However, the weekend then took a turn for the worse for the Eureka Competition driver: in Race 1 at Mugello, he was rear-ended at Turn 3 in the frantic moments following the start by the very young Rinaldo, a Rossocorsa driver, forcing him to return to the pits to replace his rear-right tyre. Restarting last and a long way behind the leaders, he nevertheless showed great competitiveness, setting lap times that were on average faster than those of the leader, Viol.
In Race 2, everything pointed to a comeback for Max, fresh from an excellent qualifying session that placed him on the second row with the third-fastest time.
However, during the safety car period just before the start, Mugelli’s Ferrari 296 suffered an engine problem that prevented him from opening the throttle. After two unsuccessful attempts to reset the car, the driver was forced to return to the pits, with the race now effectively over.
Moments later, however, there was a dramatic turn of events: a violent crash on the straight (which unfortunately left the Swiss driver Azzato and a cameraman injured, though not seriously) brought out the red flag and led to the start being called off, allowing the team to make repairs to the car.
In just 20 minutes, the mechanics at Eureka Competition managed to identify and fix the problem – a turbo hose had burst – enabling Mugelli to get back on the grid.
When the race restarted (around an hour and a half after the red flag), with the original grid order retained, the Italian driver regained his third place.
The race, shortened to 25 minutes plus one lap, was intense but managed with great intelligence: Mugelli kept pace with the two slightly faster Spanish riders in the lead for a few laps, focusing primarily on keeping an eye on the rivals closing in behind him.
The result is a fine third place overall – his fifth podium finish of the season – which confirms the Italian driver’s excellent form.
With Spielberg now behind us, all eyes are already on the next event on the calendar: Le Mans, scheduled for June.
Max Mugelli
“Race 2 was absolutely incredible. To be honest, I thought it was over even before the start: behind the safety car, the car had an engine problem and wouldn’t accelerate. I tried resetting it several times, but nothing changed, so I had to pull into the pits. The race was over for me!
The red flag incident following the crash at the start gave me a second chance, though, and the team’s work was crucial there. In no time at all, they identified the problem and got the car back in racing condition: without them, I would never have been able to get back on track. I’d like to thank my team wholeheartedly; they didn’t panic and did a brilliant job of repairing my 296.
At the second start, I regained my position and tried to drive a smart race. The two at the front had something extra; trying to stay close to them was too risky. My aim was to finish the race behind them but ahead of the Czech driver Viol, winner of Race 1. I managed to look after the tyres well in the early stages – they had gone cold after the stop of over an hour – and, above all, to keep an eye on those behind me, without making any mistakes.
It’s another podium finish that means a lot and rewards the work we’re doing as a team. We’re a small team, but there’s a good atmosphere and we’re working methodically, paying close attention to the finer details, and this result shows that we can compete with the best.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much to say about Race 1: the young Rinaldo hit me from behind three corners after the start and I had to pit to replace the damaged rear tyre. I am pleased, however, that once I was back on track – even though I was way off the pace in last place – my pace was a few tenths faster than the leader’s.
That evening, my team repaired the car where it had been damaged by the collision, and by Sunday in Q2 the car was perfect.
Personally, I’m in excellent form: I’m driving well and the positive results are helping to boost my confidence. I’m also pleased with the improvement in qualifying; starting from the first two rows is crucial for the result.
Now we’re looking ahead with great motivation, because Le Mans is a special event. We’ll be the support race for the 24 Hours, so we’ll have little time to test the track, which is over 13 km long, so preparation at home will be important, both through video analysis and simulator training.”
Photographs by ROBERTO VIVA