Six times world Formula I champion, Guido Cappellini (Mercury 2.5/Dac) of Italy, scored his second victory of the season with the Grand Prix of Italy at Campione
Six times world Formula I champion, Guido Cappellini (Mercury 2.5/Dac) of Italy, scored his second victory of the season with the Grand Prix of Italy at Campione, Lake Lugano, on Sunday, May 19. The result mirrors his success in Portugal two weeks earlier and gives him a lead of 16 points in the championship and a total score of 40.
Even with nine rounds still to run Cappellini must be top favourite to collected his record setting seventh world Formula 1 title. Although his winning form was hotly contested at Campione his success was greatly assisted by past experience on this particular Italian circuit.
Conditions on this wide expanse of water were extremely testing. While the opening lead was taken up by fellow Italian Fabio Comparato (Mercury 2.5/Dac), it was not long before several incidents occurred on the circuit forcing restarts. Frenchman Phillippe Dessertenne (Mercury 2.5/Dac) and Portuguese driver Durarte Benavente (Mercury 2.5/Burgess) were the first to come together on a turning marker. While the crash forced Benavente to retire the Frenchman was able to rejoin the contest after losing two laps. He later finished ninth. The restart saw Comparato once again in lead only to lose out after the next restart when defending champion Cappellini moved ahead: Comparato slipping back to fifth. With the fleet now thinning American Scott Gillman (Mercury 2.5/Burgess) joined the leading pack just ahead of fellow American Mike Seebold (Mercury 2.5/Seebold). By the closing stages Fabio Comparato had once again made good passing the two Americans and firmly establishing himself behind the eventual winner, but no matter how he tried, couldn’t catch the flying Guido Cappellini. The several restarts depleted the fleet to such an extent little more than half the original line-up were still racing when the finisher’s flag dropped.
