Former F1 ace Liuzzi clinches maiden Speedcar victory

[TheStig]

Vitantonio Liuzzi, the former Toro Rosso Formula One team driver, made a positive start to his Speedcar Series career by clinching victory in his maiden race in Dubai.

The two-day Grand Racing weekend comes to an end at Dubai Autodrome today, with more adrenaline-pumping action from the Speedcar Series, GP2 Asia Series and FIA GT3 European Championships.

Liuzzi was in a class of his own eclipsing a field including Jean Alesi, Jacques Villeneuve and Johnny Herbert, who failed to claim the two remaining podium spots that went to Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Gianni Morbidelli in that order.

Italian Liuzzi thought he was a tad lucky in the way he managed to pull away from the pack, but said it was an absolute honour to be racing in the series with his sporting icons.

"Some of these guys are true greats of motorsport and I am really lucky to have gotten this chance to race against some of my icons. I was a bit lucky to be able to take an early lead. This feels different from F1 because it's the first time I've gone racing under a roof, but it's very exciting at the same time as the cars are allowed to touch each other, so racing can really get competitive out there," said Liuzzi, who is a test driver for Team Force India.

"Overall, I'm quite positive about my chances [in today's race] and positive about the championship."

Liuzzi praised his UP teammate and local ace Shaikh Hasher Al Maktoum for putting in a fine performance that saw him climb three places and finish fifth. "He drove very well because I know how difficult and tight the race was. I think it's important that he finishes within the points because this will ultimately help us in the team's championship as well."

The safety car was forced into action early following Stefan Johansson's double collision. The Swede spun after being hit from behind and his car overturned seconds later as he tried to get back into the race following a second collision with German Marcel Tiemann. Third-placed Morbidelli said: "I had hoped to attack from the start. We lost a bit of time, but the fight was good and in the end it was a good performance. I will do my best in the future races, but I am pleased with my placing." Meanwhile, Kamui Kobayashi (Dams) won Dubai's first race of the GP2 Asia Series season. The Japanese driver secured pole in qualifying and refused to budge from that position in the reace despite enormous pressure from Italian Davide Valsecchi (Durango), who finished second ahead of Piquet GP driver Roldan Rodriguez of Spain.

Victory helped Kobayashi, who clocked the fastest lap of the race, to also snatch the series lead from Rodriguez, the winner of the feature race in the first round in Shanghai, China.

"I didn't expect too much, but we did well in free practice and I believed we could win," said Kobayashi.

"I tried to save the tyres and we could have finished with a better time," he said.

Kobayashi said he would be eying more success in today's sprint race.

"I'm hoping to get at least another podium, but if I'm lucky, I might even win. We will see."

The pair of Arnaud Peyroles and James Ruffier clinched the 2008 FIA GT3 European Championship with victory in the first race of final leg yesterday. Thomas Accary and Pierre-Brice Mena and Bradley Ellis and Alex Mortimer rounded the podium taking second and third respectively.

The FIA GT3 European Championship title was decided in emphatic fashion when French duo Arnaud Peyrolles and James Ruffier, driving for the Martini Callaway Corvette team, powered to victory and as a result have secured the coveted title with today's race still to run.

http://www.gulfnews.com/sport/Motor_Racing/10265102.html

TheStig