Christian Merli at Ilirska Bistrica in Slovenia

Christian Merli (Osella FA 30 Zytek LRM) and Simone Faggioli (Norma M20 FC) will be fighting out the European championship title 2021 in the final two races, Slovenia and Croatia. Merli, having won in Spain, the Czech Republic and Poland, is leading the ranking after five rounds with 125 points, followed by Faggioli at 100.

A race against time to fix the engine
“After the engine suddenly went out in Calabria, we’ll now be working long nights to get everything ready, and I’m sure we’ll be exhausted by the time we get to Slovenia. We’ll be aiming first of all to win Group E2-SS, the single-seaters.”

The Bistrica track
“A race in north eastern Slovenia, close to the Austrian border. There are three practice heats and two race heats on the 5.010 km track, which starts with a fast mixed section with bends to be taken at full throttle. After the first kilometre there is a new roundabout, and then you brake hard for a chicane. Next, a brow and a brief dip, then demanding 3rd and 4th gear bends going uphill. A left-hand hairpin bend, then two more hairpins alternating with two straights and a wide right-hand bend followed by a fast straight with half-way through another chicane. Then a left-hand bend at full throttle leading to a challenging 4th gear right-hand corner. Shortly thereafter, the finish line.”

The remaining rounds of the European Hill Climb Championship
29 August: 27th GHD Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia), 19 September: 40th Buzetski Dani (Croatia).

Ruth Scheithauer