Bowling for the Podium. A gripping Super Trofeo final secured a 3rd place finish for the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team
Three opportunities for the podium, with only one successfully seized, marked the culmination of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season for Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra. The gratification of a podium finish in the final round was overshadowed by a series of unfortunate incidents that hindered the Basz - Formánek pairing, preventing them from maximizing their chances and enjoying a more substantial celebration with the winning champagne.
An extraordinary event—this is how the entire Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team characterizes the conclusion of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season at the Vallelunga circuit in Italy. Commencing on Thursday, the team engaged in a sequence of four races, encompassing the final two rounds of the European season and the World Super Final, determining the premier teams across the three continental series.
Out of the four races in highly competitive conditions, the team secured a third-place finish in the initial race. "From this standpoint, we can find contentment. This position aligns with our performance capabilities. Regrettably, in the last two races, we had distinct opportunities to capitalize on this result. However, on each occasion, we were thwarted by unforeseen circumstances or incidents," remarks team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr.
Conversely, he commends the team for flawlessly navigating the ten-day marathon of races and tests. "It was indeed an extensive period, but our motivation to strive for the optimal result persisted throughout," he acknowledges.
Over the course of ten days in Vallelunga, the team participated in six races. In the initial two races, they overcame the challenge of an unfamiliar track. Notably, in the third race, Karol Basz and Bronislav Formánek secured a third-place finish. Anticipation was high as they looked forward to leveraging their experience in the World Final, where the pinnacle of the world's fastest cup championship contested on Saturday and Sunday, drawing competitors from all continents.
In both races, Basz and Formánek demonstrated their ability to contend for top positions on the global stage. However, the outcomes were determined by exceptional circumstances on a congested track. Notably, a significant number of collisions, including those involving the Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2 in the colors of Jiri Mičánek's team, played a role in shaping the results.
Karol Basz, drawing from his extensive experience in various European GT car series, pointed out that the race management's excessive tolerance towards aggressive behavior contributed to the challenges faced. He emphasized the need for a stringent crackdown on those engaging in 'dirty racing,' not only to maintain fair competition but also to establish a clear boundary that competitors should not cross. In candid terms, the seasoned Polish racer likened the weekend's events to bowling rather than racing, underscoring his dissatisfaction with the prevailing circumstances.
His concerns are justified. On Saturday, the team's chance for a podium finish was dashed due to a dubious decision by the stewards, who deployed a safety car in the midst of the starting field. This decision provided a significant advantage to the front of the field that proved insurmountable. In the second race, the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team encountered additional challenges, having to contend with two aggressive attacks from rival competitors.
In the first incident, a chaotic start led to Karol Basz holding on, but a collision with an opponent affected the car's geometry and resulted in a turned steering wheel for the rest of the stint. In the second incident, just three minutes from the race's end, Bronislav Formánek, who was in third place, went into a skid. "Without that, we would've likely secured third, maybe second. I did my best to avoid any issues, but when a rival knocks you down from behind, there's not much I can do about it," shrugged Formánek.
Basz's description of the race resembling "bowling" was validated on the last lap, as half of the top ten starting field lost positions. The chaos escalated when the newly crowned champion, Alexander Lewandovsky, was even forced off the track by his own team member.
"The initial race demonstrated that if we run a standard race without incidents, we deserve a spot on the podium. This is uplifting news. However, it's disheartening for the entire team when aggressive rivals, who seemingly go unpunished for their behavior, rob us of these positions. Regrettably, it's not just impacting Broněk and Karol, but also Kurt Wagner, who faced a similar situation in the AM - LC Cup class race. To some extent, it's unfortunate, but this year has seen a considerable number of incidents," remarks team manager Jiří Mičánek.
Karol Basz echoes this sentiment, stating, "It's not about having a bad weekend, bad luck, or making mistakes. We are addressing the issue that we are participating in a race where the rules are not being adhered to."
Formánek expresses his primary regret that the team couldn't convert the growing performance they achieved during the series of races at the Vallelunga circuit into a favorable outcome. "The circuit is beautiful, technical, and fast simultaneously. I'm pleased that we competed here, and it's truly unfortunate that we couldn't secure more trophies, especially considering our clear potential in the second half of this series," concludes the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra driver.
The Mičánek Motorsport team wrapped up the six-race series with their highest achievement being a third-place finish in the Pro-AM class. Additionally, Libor Dvořáček and Kurt Wagner secured the sixth position in the LC Cup class and finished seventh twice.
