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| June 29, 2012 |
| F3 Open: Raimondo Dedicates Spa Win to Fallen Friend |
 | Gianmarco Raimondo wore an armband over his suit to and dedicated his race one win at Spa to his friend Nick Micieli
(Photo: Foto Speedy) |
ST. CATHARINES, ONT. (June 28, 2012) - Heading to the third round of the 2012 F3 Open series with a heavy heart, Canadian formula car racer Gianmarco Raimondo earned his second series victory with a little help from above.
Grieving the loss of friend Nick Micieli, from Raimondo's hometown of St. Catharines, Ont., who was killed in a tragic accident just days prior to the event, Raimondo honoured his friend with a special armband over his suit. Taking to the Spa Francorchamps Circuit in the picturesque country of Belgium, Raimondo focused on the task at hand, and came home with the race one victory, dedicating it to his fallen friend.
Starting off the weekend well with a strong first practice session, Raimondo ran 0.87 seconds faster than the rest of the field, with a great balance in the RP Motorsports team car. The second practice session saw Raimondo again at the top of the charts, however the gap had been narrowed to just 0.2 seconds.
"The car was perfect right off the bat," commented Raimondo. "We didn't need to make any major changes with the car throughout the entire weekend.
"Spa has become a favourite track for me, so driving and racing on it was just a pleasure. I was in a great comfort zone," continued Raimondo.
Qualifying for Race One was extremely tight, with Raimondo running P1 the entire session, only to be nipped for the pole by 0.046 seconds. Over a 2:18 second lap time, the margin was incredibly small.
"We definitely had the pace for pole, but in the end it's all about the draft you have in your hot lap," explained Raimondo. "[Mans] Grenhagen obviously had the best combination."
In an incredibly entertaining race one, one of Raimondo's best races to date, the RP Motorsports driver took the lead off the start only to be passed on the long straight. Raimondo's teammate was able to get around him as well, but Raimondo was able to retake his position in the next corner. With the safety car out on laps six and seven for suspension parts on the track, Raimondo was able to pass for the lead several times after the restart. Realizing that with the leader, the two were losing the gap from the third place driver, Raimondo decided to wait until the last lap to make his move, and he was able to make it stick after a perfectly timed draft to take the win.
"Race One needed a lot more strategic thinking than I thought before the race," Raimondo commented. "On the last laps when I closed the 1.5 second gap. I really felt my friend Nick help me from above. It was as if he made everything come together perfectly. I felt his presence on the podium as well. It was my final goodbye to him so it was a bit emotional for me. He was a great friend to me and dedicating that win to him was the least I could do."
Qualifying for race two was a perfect session for Raimondo. Looking for the perfect combination of drivers for the draft, as at least one good draft was necessary to get into the 2:17s, Raimondo was able to earn the pole position by 0.7 seconds on the last lap.
"As I mentioned earlier, it is all about the combination of the draft you have in your fastest lap," explained Raimondo. "This time I had the best combination."
Making some changes for race two to increase his straight-line speed at the start, Raimondo was confident in his pace based on his race one results. With everything going according to plan, Raimondo found himself leading by 2.5 seconds over his RP Motorsports teammate. Then it started to rain - really hard. From experience, Raimondo knew that hot, slick tires have a decent amount of grip in the rain, but his tires became cold and wet very quickly. Losing the lead because he was unable to change his brake bias, Raimondo needed to brake very early as he was locking up his front tires. Going off track two times because of his braking issue, Raimondo's three second lead quickly vanished.
"Grenhagen passed me in Eau Rouge as we both went off track," explained Raimondo. "Two wide with slicks in the rain through that corner doesn't happen so smoothly if it happens at all."
With the race finished under caution due to a tremendous crash in the kink, Raimondo wasn't given another chance, finishing in second place.
"It was a shame that I couldn't win the second race," concluded Raimondo. "First place got lucky with the safety car. However points are points and second place is the next best thing. I also had a pole and fastest lap, so I am still leading the championship by six points. It's going to be quite the battle for the championship, we just need to stay consistent."
With the championship points lead retained, Raimondo will next head to one of the world's most iconic venues, the Circuit of Brands Hatch in Kent, England, on July 12-15. With the 2012 season nearing the halfway point, you can keep up-to-date on the series by checking out http://www.f3open.net The eight-weekend calendar will take drivers to eight different countries. Fans can catch up on all the latest news by checking out Gmo's website at http://www.gianmarcoraimondo.com
Gianmarco Raimondo competed in the F3 Euro Series in 2011 following the F3 Italia Series in 2010, where he earned four top-10 finishes and was third in the Rookie Championship. Raimondo also completed two seasons as a Formula BMW Americas Junior Driver, winning the coveted Junior Scholarship in 2007 and taking the 2008 Formula BMW Americas Rookie Championship, thus making him a double BMW scholarship winner. He also placed third in the overall Championship both years in the BMW series. Gmo was born and raised in St. Catharines, Ont., and is building a strong on track racing resume along with off track appearances and special event programs. For more information on Gianmarco Raimondo's racing career and sponsorship opportunities please visit http://www.gianmarcoraimondo.com or call 905-650-5623 |
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