Top step of the podium for Christian Merli in Croatia

Christian Merli conquers the top step of the podium at the 6th Hill Climb Monsters event, held on the track of the Nagrada Grada Skradina hill climb in Croatia and commemorating the Hungarian driver Istvan Kavecz known as “Bongo”. At the wheel of the Nova Proto NP01 Cosworth, the driver from Trentino dominated the practice runs. He was second in the first race run and then in the second race run grabbed top place overall.

Interview
“A good race, and I’m definitely happy. A great second race run allowed us to win the top step of the podium. The event was dedicated to our Hungarian driver friend Kavecz, called “Bongo”, who is much missed. We were racing our Nova Proto NP01 Cosworth in the 6th edition of the memorial event. The track is situated between Zadar and Split, about 400 km from Trieste. It’s a gorgeous place, and the organisers are very hospitable.”

The weekend in Croatia

In the first official practice session on the 3.358 km track on Saturday, the Scuderia Pintarally Motorsport driver set the fastest time. Behind him were the Swiss driver Robin Faustini in the Nova Proto NP01 Turbo and Fausto Bormolini in the Reynard K02 single-seater. In the afternoon, the second session produced the same order of finish. Sunday saw the first race heat. It was a sunny day with a dry track, and Faustini took the win at the wheel of the Nova Turbo, which has around a hundred horsepower more than Merli’s Cosworth engine; 0”18 ahead of Merli. In the second race run Merli beat Faustini to the line. Based on the combined times, Merli claimed overall victory.

The podium on accumulated times

1st Merli (Nova Proto NP01 Cosworth), 2nd Faustini (Nova Proto NP 01 Turbo) 1”1 behind, 3rd Bormolini (Reynard H02) 4”34 behind.

Translation by Ruth Scheithauer