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Qualifying

With the hard work and effort of the winter test programme behind us it was with a certain amount of relief that Team Astromega saw their lead driver take third position in qualifying for the first race of the 2002 F3000 championship. 

Everything was going to plan when Mario’s first run saw him trading the fastest laps with Super Nova’s Sebastian Bourdais, a battle that Bourdais finally won with a lap time of 1.26.06.  This left Mario in second place and he was relegated one place further by Tomas Enge of Arden, who managed to get a better time on his second set of tyres before the track conditions changed. 

With Mario the highest qualified Brazilian from the six that are in the championship, his knowledge of the circuit and considerable experience will give both him and Astromega the start of the season we have all been working for.  

Rob has also made a very impressive start to his first season in F3000.  Never having been to Interlagos, it was a stunned Mikke Van Hool who saw his new driver on only his second lap, set a time that saw Rob at p.7 on the leader board.  However, he soon realised that things were not going to be that easy.  While still trying to get a feel for the car and the circuit he discovered that if you stray just a fraction off the racing line you notice just how slippery the surface was.  Having spun a few times and picking up two punctures in the process he was a little disappointed that he had not qualified higher; unfortunately a problem with his engine just two laps into his last new tyre run may have prevented him from out-qualifying fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe of Nordic. 

“I hoped for a better starting position, but on a new circuit and considering the spins and the engine problem, perhaps 12^th is not too bad” Rob said, “A good clean start and a strong race, who knows, I could surprise a few people!” 

Pole                        S. Bourdais           Super Nova           1.26,056
  2^nd                          T. Enge                 Arden                 1.26,120
3^rd                           M. Haberfeld         Astromega            1.26,383
 12^th                          R. Nguyen             Astromega          1.27,331

Race day 

Race day dawned very warm indeed and temperatures for the race were predicted to be in the high 30’s, both drivers were remarkably relaxed and had taken as much fluid as they could to help ward of the effects of dehydration during the race. 

Mario made a clean start but 4^th place man Rodrigo Sperafico (Durango) made a better one and Mario slipped down a place as the field filled through the first corner. Pole position man Bourdais was passed into the second corner by Enge, who then set about building a significant lead.

Bourdais held on to second place from Sperafico until lap 9 when he was forced into the pits with a puncture; Mario was now 3^rd behind Sperafico and chasing hard. 

With Thomas Enge seemingly un-catchable at the front it looked as though third place was as good as we could get but on lap 28 Enge’s car headed to the pits with a fuel pressure problem Mario was now p.2 and closing on the new leader Sperafico.

Unable to find a way past it looked as though his race was run but with a stranded Baumgartner blocking the track the safety car was called out with just 4 laps of the race remaining. Baumgartner eventually managed to get restarted and with just 2 laps to go Mario had one last chance on Rodrigo, however his fellow Brazilian was well aware of the move and held the lead to the end. Mario eventually crossed the line 0.700 of a second behind him.  

Rob had made a good start also but was a little too early off the gas into the first corner and dropped two places. By lap six he was back up to 13^th position by lap 10 up to twelfth but on lap 13 he spun and slipped back to 15^th position. By lap 18 he was being hounded by fellow Australian Ryan Briscoe who eventually found his way past on lap 24. Rob finished the race in 13^th position. It was only when we saw his condition out of the car that we realized he had had a very physically difficult race. As a result of modifying his seat at the circuit before the race he found that his seating position was putting pressure on his spine and as early as lap six he was loosing the feeling down the left hand side of his body and by the end of the race he could only just manage to get out of the car. 

Having lost just over 2-½ kilo’s in weight and a trip to the medical centre followed by a three hour stay in the local hospital Rob’s first international F3000 race is one that he will remember for more than one reason.

Happily after a good nights rest he was in much better shape and continued with his brother to Rio for a few days holiday before coming back to Europe and onto the workshop on Saturday for a new seat fit before the next race in Imola.    

We were very pleased and relieved that Mario took the second step on the podium, with the top four positions filled by Brazilian drivers it may seem to some that local knowledge plays a significant part in the race at Interlagos.  We will see just how true that is when we get to Imola, In the mean time we are satisfied that all the hard work and late nights put in by the team prior to the first race has paid off for both our drivers - This is the best start to the season that Astromega has enjoyed for some time - lets keep it up!!

1^st            R. Sperafico                         Durango               53:24.481
2^nd          M. Haberfeld                         Astromega            53:25.219
3^rd           R. Mauricio                           Red Bull               53:28.381
13^th         R. Nguyen                             Astromega            53:35.841