Bad luck struck again, as the promising start in Valencia was derailed by a technical malfunction and a collision caused by an opponent.
After an optimistic outlook following Friday's practice sessions, it seemed that Jiří Mičánek's team was well on its way to a potential podium finish, if not a win, in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe. However, a series of unfortunate events in both races left Broněk Formánek and Karol Basz settling for fifth-place points.
"We leave Valencia knowing we have the speed to compete with the best," stated team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr. "Unfortunately, a string of negative events this weekend prevented us from proving that."
Setbacks plagued both races of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe for Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra. The first hiccup occurred during an unfortunate qualifying session on Saturday. Heavy track traffic and a gradually drying track led the team to wait until the last ten minutes before letting Karol Basz attempt to claim the Pro-AM class lead. However, just before Basz could steer the Huracán onto the track, a severe accident damaged the roll bar. The organizers had to replace these components, and due to scheduling conflicts, Race Direction opted to cancel the qualifying session altogether.
For Karol Basz, this decision meant commencing the race from the last, 43rd position. Despite ending up in fifth place, which fell short of expectations, the journey to that spot showcased the robustness of the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team. Basz, starting from the back of the grid, managed to hand over the Huracán to Formánek in an incredible third place. Formánek then secured a fifth-place finish. "Our race pace clearly demonstrates our capabilities. Had we not started from the rear, a win could have been within reach," commented Basz.
Broněk Formánek also showcased excellent speed during Sunday's qualifying, reigniting hopes for a podium finish. Yet, an early technical glitch during the opening lap ended Formánek's race prematurely. "A sensor malfunction caused the car to lose power, rendering a restart impossible," Formánek elaborated. Even the Lamborghini engineers remain puzzled over the issue. "While unfortunate, these events are part of motorsport. The team made no errors; some things are simply beyond our control," added Basz.
The outcomes of the weekend are particularly frustrating for the team, considering that Friday's practice rounds revealed the pace potential of the Huracán under the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra banner. "We had reasons to believe that a repeat of last year's dual victories in Barcelona was feasible," mentioned Jiří Mičánek.
While the team's primary Huracán faced challenges, the secondary car enjoyed its best weekend this season. Josef Záruba replaced Libor Dvoráček, who had work commitments, and partnered with Kurt Wagner to post respectable results. "Given that I had only a few fast laps to acclimate to the Hankook tires before qualifying, I'm quite satisfied," Záruba noted.
In the Pro-AM class, where the crew was required to switch drivers due to the involvement of a professional pilot, Josef Záruba clocked the second-fastest qualifying time. The duo then finished either eleventh or ninth overall. "I only had a few fast laps to get used to the Hankook tires, which I've never driven on before. That makes the result even more satisfying for me," Záruba remarked. "I have to extend my thanks to the team and to Jirka Mičánek for providing me with another opportunity to compete in the Super Trofeo. I particularly enjoyed the overtaking in the first race, and in the second race, I was able to set up Kurt in a very favorable position for the second stint," Záruba added, commenting on their performance.
Looking ahead, the team is now shifting its focus to the season's final double-header and the World Superfinal. Both events are slated for November and will be hosted at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome. Over a span of ten days, a total of six races will be held. Four of these races will contribute to the championship standings, while the remaining two will serve as the World Superfinals, featuring the best teams from the European Lamborghini Super Trofeo series against their North American and Asian counterparts. "In all six races, our aim is to focus on individual performances and to reaffirm that we belong unequivocally to the elite ranks of the Pro-AM class in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series," concluded Jiří Mičánek.
