Gerd went in for the last race of this season in a far from easy position – to win the championship eventually, he had to beat the defender, Spaniard Albacete, in remaining four races by 33 points! In doing so on the famous race circuit at Le Mans, he could ultimately rely on David’s help only besides his own skills. Practically, David had his total fifth place almost sure, but each placement, in individual races, before Albacete plays its role in “stealing” of important points ...
Saturday’s morning was very unkind, and to the turn of a hair it resembled the last year’s Sunday. The entire circuit was folded in thick mist, and the start into the first free practice had been several times postponed. After all, the Saturday’s program started at one o’clock pm, and one free practice was cancelled. The course of the decisive timed practice can be characterized as the “Drama until the last minute”. Drivers changed their positions constantly, and six drivers were in the head position during this race. The time limit of the race against time expired, and a flag with a checkerboard pattern terminated the performance of individual drivers. Gerd crossed the finish line as one of last drivers, and his name immediately jumped up to top placements. At the same time, he became the holder of the new circuit record. David had much worse starting position to the qualification race, where he was in seventh place on the starting grid.
Gerd won the qualification in a start-finish manner ahead of Croatian Pulič. David did a good job as well, when he got to fourth position in the third lap ahead of Albacete. However, David found no additional power in his engine to pull ahead of third Hahn, but definitely he helped to Gerd to reduce Albacete’s lead by four points.
The cup race was started twice, since several trucks had collisions immediately after the first start, and blocked the track completely. Race marshals allowed Gerd to go to pits to repair his back left tire, which was punctured by Pulič’s truck. Fortunately, it took a long time to tow away Bösiger’s disabled truck. Then the race was restarted, and Gerd won it overwhelmingly, when he saw in front of him only those vehicles, which he overtook by one or more laps. Unfortunately, the situation behind his back developed not so favorably as in the qualification race. However for a long time, Hahn held the second position ahead of Albacete and David, but German’s Mercedes began “to be short-winded” in last laps and fell back to the fifth place. Both our drivers mounted the podium together to get beautiful cups, but on the Saturday Gerd decreased Albacete’s lead of thirty two points by nine points only. However, there was a ray of hope left for Gerd ...
On Sunday’s morning right away after the timed practice this ray of hope turned to a glimmer only, because Gerd reached the seventh place only. On the other hand, Albacete was second behind the fastest Hahn so that he started from the first line on the starting grid. David was placed fifth in the practice. And while Albacete improved his position after the start and took the lead, Gerd fell in the first lap to the eighth place. The Spaniard came literally for safety, and in the second lap made wide way for pushing Hahn. David kept in fourth place till the last but one lap, but brakes began to overheat. Visibly, he began to drive into bends more carefully, and this tactic turned fatal for him, because Gerd rushed from behind, and Östreich was hiding behind Gerd’s back, and both drivers overtook David. Gerd tried hard to catch up with third Pulič, but only few hundreds meters to the end of this race were left. Moreover, Albacete’s placement was clear, so Gerd came to terms with his fate and reached unhurriedly the race finish as fourth. David won points for his sixth place.
Both our drivers started the last race of this season with ease, because any result could not change their final placements. Despite it, they wished to say goodbye to this year’s championship with decorum, and to fight out some cup for our team on this famous racing circuit. However, the Race was serene relatively. The standing after the start remained the same as on the starting grid, when only hot-blooded Pulič went do wrong and left the leading group. Hahn worked out a small lead, and he won the race with this lead. Gerd tried to find a gap to get to the second place, but Albacete zigzagged as a rabbit in an almost unfair manner, and always blocked the way for faster Gerd. In last laps David speeded up rapidly, and reached twice the fastest time per one lap and with consummate skill kept his fifth place, when he could not burst to fourth place ahead of Östreich.
At the closing ceremony in the evening, Gerd took over the cup for his second place and David for his fifth place. Among forty competitors, it was surely an excellent placement, even it may appear that only a winner is satisfied ... Both our drivers expressed their thanks primarily to their mechanics and engineers for their perfect work in the 2006 season, which would certainly be in vain without the help of other tens of people including sponsors!
