Christian Merli racing at Limanowa/Poland

Christian Merli has arrived at Limanowa, southeast of Krakow in Poland. On Sunday he will race his Nova Proto Cosworth, prepared by Swiss tuner Heini Mader, at the 16th edition of the Hill Climb Limanowa, the seventh of the ten rounds of the European hill climb championship.

In his first season with his new Sport Car, the Scuderia Vimotorsport driver has obtained three victories so far, in Portugal, Czech Republic and Italy. The multiple European champion currently leads the ranking in Category 2. There should be a fierce battle with the fast French driver Kevin Petit and the Spaniard from Bilbao, Joseba Iraola Lanzagorta, both in a Nova Proto Turbo.

The race programme at Limanowa

“Saturday starts with a free practice run to check the car and the track. Then two official practice sessions and another free practice run. One more optional practice session on Sunday morning, then two race heats. The track is 5.493 km long. It starts with a slippery right-hand bend. In fact, the surface is slippery for almost half of the track. The track is fast with a couple of hairpins and a series of double bends to be taken in high gears. It’s a great event and we hope for good weather. We won here in 2016, 2017 and 2018, and in 2021 we took the victory establishing the new record of 1’49”841. Three wins in the last few years. We’ll do our best as always.”

The FIA European Hill Climb Championship programme

13 April: Col Saint-Pierre (France), 27 April: Rechbergrennen (Austria), 11 May: Rampa da Falperra (Portugal), 18 May: Subida al Fito (Spain), 1 June: Ecce Homo (Czech Republic), 8 June: Trento – Bondone (Italy), 20 July: Limanowa (Poland), 3 August: Osnabrück (Germany), 17 August: Saint-Ursanne (Switzerland), 31 August: Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia), 21 September: Buzetski dani (Croatia).

Translation by Ruth Scheithauer