Italian ace Guido Cappellini is now firmly on course for his seventh world Formula I title - an achievement which will even put the score of motor racing's Schumacher in the shade
Italian ace Guido Cappellini is now firmly on course for his seventh world Formula I title – an achievement which will even put the score of motor racing’s Schumacher in the shade.
Driving his regular Mercury powered Dac outfit, Cappellini won the fourth round of the series at Cagliari, Sardinia, on July 7. He swept his two main challengers aside to finish the meeting with a clear lead of 41 points over American Scott Gillman: his nearest rival on the championship table.
He has now won three of the four Grand Prix held so far this season, virtually unique in the history of circuit racing.
An estimated 20,000 spectators watched the Italian take the early lead. He remained unchallenged in the opening laps until fellow Italian Francesco Cantando (Dac/Mercury 2.5) began moving up. Cantando drove a hard race until he was running bow to bow with the defending champion. He held this position for the next nine laps but spun out on the 17th ending his day and any chance of tipping the scales in his favour.
Cappellini took the lead once again on the restart leading Saudi Arabian driver Laith Pharaon (Dac/Mercury 2.5) lying second by a massive eight seconds. Scott Gillman in his new Mercury powered Abu Dhabi rig lay third.
This trio moved further ahead of the remaining fleet when the race was suddenly flagged to a close after Italian Vencenzo Polli (Dac/Mercury 2.1) submarined at the open sea end of the course. In light of this accident officials decided the increasing winds were making surface conditions too hazardous and hence terminated the contest. Cappellini’s Sardinian win was the 44th of his Formula 1 career and with such a points lead and six heats remaining there will need to be a dramatic reversal in his fortunes to alter what is becoming a repetitive outcome.
The sixth round, the Grand Prix of Germany, will take place in Straulsund on August 4.
