Realteam Racing second at the 4 Hours of Mugello
Realteam Racing finishes on the second step of the overall podium and first of the Prestige category at the 4 Hours of Mugello after an epic battle in the last laps.
This Saturday was the fourth meeting of the season of Ultimate Cup Series. After a third round of six hours for the Proto category, Sebastien Page and Esteban Garcia have shone in a more usual race. Under a sun and a heat of lead, the Swiss team finishes on the second step of the podium after a surprising battle in the last 2 laps of the race.
However, the duo didn’t start as favorite, with time in practice close to the top 5, the qualifications promised to be complicated. At 1:30pm this Saturday, June 29, it is from the seventh place that rush both drivers. During the four hours of racing, the Realteam Norma M30 plays cat and mouse with these opponents, climbing the rankings as stops and mechanical problems were encountered by other competitors. After three and a half hours of racing, Esteban Garcia took a very good second place on the podium but with two opponents categorized Gold very close and faster behind him, nothing was played.
Overtook a first time, the Swiss pilot resumes the second place after that a problem occurred on the car before him, but its second adversary arrives in its mirrors in the before-last turn of the race! After a beautiful fight, the realteam crew gave in, Esteban Garcia remains stuck in the bumper of his predecessor waiting for the slightest opportunity to attempt an overtaking. The last lap will unfortunately not be enough and it is only one second behind his predecessor that the driver of the Norma N. 7 passes the checkered flag. Blow of fate, the team that had lost time on a problem out of his will during a refueling is awarded a bonus of 82 seconds, allowing him to take second place on green carpet.
Overtook a first time, the Swiss pilot resumes the second place after that a problem occurred on the car before him, but its second adversary arrives in its mirrors in the before-last turn of the race! After a beautiful fight, the realteam crew gave in, Esteban Garcia remains stuck in the bumper of his predecessor waiting for the slightest opportunity to attempt an overtaking. The last lap will unfortunately not be enough and it is only one second behind his predecessor that the driver of the Norma N. 7 passes the checkered flag. Blow of fate, the team that had lost time on a problem out of his will during a refueling is awarded a bonus of 82 seconds, allowing him to take second place on green carpet.
This beautiful second place is synonymous with victory in the Prestige category, reserved for Bronze pilots. After some setbacks at other meetings of the Ultimate Cup Series, this is a well-deserved podium for Realteam Racing and the GRAFF technical team.
Now get ready for the summer break for the Ultimate Proto Challenge and see you from September 27th to 29th in Valencia for the next round.
“Excellent weekend for Realteam. We finally won our first podium! The qualification days were held in extreme temperatures, allowing the team to make the necessary adjustments. When at the race, it was a no-fault. With Esteban, we drove at a good pace avoiding pitfalls and the car held the entire race without mechanical problems. Thanks to the Graff team! We are in the mid-season and all the elements are there to finish it well. Next race, Valencia!” – Sébastien Page
“We had a regular race without any mistakes and it paid off in the end. A real teamwork! A clash in front of us gives us access to the second step of the podium but I want to salute the performance of my teammate who was heavily injured in the left foot the day before and had to break his right foot while remaining calm. I’m glad we made the Swiss national anthem ring! ” – Esteban Garcia
Results and timing
- Free practice 1 : P4 (1:46.615)
- Free practice 2 : P8 (1:48.863)
- Qualifications : P7 (1:47.517)
- Race : P2 (1:47.889)