As a business card, it was more than promising. In the first track experience in the new structure led by Rodolpho Mattheis, Prati-Donaduzzi Team showed strength in the extra training that opened on Thursday in Goiânia the opening schedule of the Stock Car's 2017 season. Júlio Campos, again along with Antonio Pizzonia from Amazonas, was the 4th best of the two sessions, both dominated by Daniel Serra (RC), who established the fastest lap in the first session with a time of 1min24s387. Pizzonia, still resenting the year practically stopped in 2016, was the 17th in the morning and the 14th in the afternoon.
Prati-Donaduzzi Team is back in Stock Car after a gap year. Therefore, the encouraging results of a day marked by the strong heat in the capital of Goiás - ambient temperature above 30 degrees - were received with satisfaction. " It was very effective in terms of engagement. I think we did well to get together at the Petropolis headquarters with the various people who have also arrived recently." The interaction was very cool and, if the preseason was not guiding, it was inside the workshop and allowed us to come here knowing what we needed. We already expected the car to be fast all year round. We left quickly right away and our schedule was already changing the engine to test the reserve. Unfortunately, we lost 15 minutes inside the pits and when we left there was a crash in an engine sensor. In addition, two red flags interrupted the session. I could only complete a lap with the best tyre we had. There have been a lack of adjustments, but we are happy to be among the top five, which is our goal for the year”, explained Campos, after setting the mark of 1min24s743 in the afternoon.
Pizzonia said he was pleased with his return to the category in a team with such good history. "I've got to have a little patience because I'm going to need a certain amount of time to recover because of the long time away from the track, the longest during my career. I think I may need two or three races to get back to my normal pace, but I'm adapting well and excited about what we presented today". His best lap was 1min25s119, also in the afternoon.
The technical director of Prati-Donaduzzi also celebrated the kick-off. "Pizzonia´s speed impressed me for those who have been standing for so long." He came face-to-face without the overtaking button, which presented a problem and caused him to lose about four tenths of a second over his competitors. In the first session, he should have made a top 5. It was quite encouraging, he is calm and conveys accurate information. We started the work with speed and this makes me hopeful for the year. Júlio also ran quickly right away. We tested different lines because throughout the championship we will not have that opportunity and it seems that we already have a path with potential. In short, we started well. The team changed the engine in an hour and a half and we are already consolidated in relation to the performance of each of the engines”, he said.
The cars will return to the track on Friday for a single session of free practice, divided into two groups of 15 cars. The definition of the grid, as usual, will be known on Saturday, but with a new sports regulation inspired by the Formula 1 model - three sessions, two qualifying sessions and the last reserved for the six fastest in just one lap. On Sunday, the double round will open at 1:00 p.m.