Seventh victory for Christian Merli in Limanowa/Poland
Racing his Osella FA 30 Judd LRM at the 14th edition of the Hill Climb Limanowa, southeast of Krakow in Poland, Christian Merli scored his seventh victory in the seventh of ten rounds of the European hill climb championship. The Scuderia Vimotorsport driver has won all championship rounds to date: France, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Czechia, Italy and Poland. Merli is currently leading the Category 2 ranking of the European championship (sport racing cars) with maximum points (175).
A few words before climbing onto the podium
“I’m very happy, and our FA 30 is doing well. Unfortunately we had rain in the practice runs on Saturday, and it was only in the free practice run today that we found the right setup in the dry. We took an excellent time in the first race run, and we also managed to win the second run even if it was slippery.”
The race programme at Limanowa
“Saturday started 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 the two race heats. The track is 5.493 km long. It’s fast with a couple of hairpins and a series of double bends to be taken in high gears. The next European championship round will be in Switzerland in mid-August.”
Practice
The sky is overcast for the first free practice. Merli tops the timesheet in his Osella FA 30 Judd LRM. The first official practice run takes place in the rain. The surface is slippery, crossed by rivulets of water. Trnka from Czechia in his Norma M20 FC finishes first, with the Scuderia Vimotorsport driver second. The second official practice run begins under a cloudy sky, but the rain sets in again before the last few touring cars take the start. Dancing in the rain, Christian finishes first. In the free practice run on Sunday morning he scores the best time too.
The race
In the first race run the Osella driver finishes first, followed by Trnka and Hin (also Osella FA 30). The second run takes place in the afternoon, under a cloudy sky. The ranking is identical to that of the first run, and Christian Merli conquers his seventh consecutive win in the seven rounds of the European championship so far.
The podium on accumulated times
1st Merli (Osella FA 30 Judd LRM) 3’46”098, 2nd Trnka (Norma M20 FC) 3’51”664, 3rd Hin (Osella FA 30) 4’07”374.
The 2023 European Hill Climb Championship calendar
16 April: Col Saint-Pierre (France), 30 April: Rechbergrennen (Austria), 7 May: 51st Subida al Fito (Spain), 21 May: 42nd Rampa Internacional da Falperra (Portugal), 4 June: 42nd Ecce Homo Sternberk (Czech Republic), 18 June: 62nd Coppa Paolino Teodori (Italy), 2 July: 14th Hill Climb Limanowa (Poland), 20 August: 78th Course de Côte de Saint-Ursanne (Switzerland), 3 September: 29th GHD Ilirska Bistrica (Slovenia), 17 September: 42nd Buzetski Dani (Croatia).
Translation by Ruth Scheithauer