More than 38,000 spectators watched the first race of the 2012 FIA GT3 European Championship in Nogaro, France. Swede Max Nilsson competes for the HEICO Gravitiy Charouz team this season, sharing a Mercedes Benz SLS AMG GT3 with Finn Mika Vähämäki. He used the first days of the week and both free practice sessions on Friday for extensive tests of the car and the tyres. “The Pirelli tyres are not bad but it seems that there are differences in the characteristics of the tyre sets. Predicting this is difficult for the team and the driver”, criticises Max Nilsson.
The weather conditions for both qualifying sessions on Saturday were difficult. It drizzled and the strong winds dried parts of the track. Considering these conditions, Vähämäki and Nilsson reached a good fourth start position for the first race on Sunday and P8 for the second race on Monday.
Max Nilsson started the first race on wet tyres. Shortly after the flying start his gull-winged car was hit by another car. Despite recovering quickly he lost a few places. However, he had managed to move up into P6 again by the driver change after the first half of the race. During the pit stop the team changed to slick tyres, even though parts of the track were still very wet. However, Vähämäki managed to warm up the tyres and drove across the finish line in P6.
Given the sunny conditions on Monday the teams sent their racing cars out to the starting grid on slick tyres. Vähämäki started the race from start position P8 and gained a few places. Nilsson took over the SLS during the mandatory pit stop. Struggling with the deteriorating tyres he was not able to push forward. “After the pit stop I experienced a little understeering but managed fine. However, after a few laps the tyres suddenly started to deteriorate and the car became difficult to drive. I tried to defend my position but ended up losing a few places. The Ferraris are too fast on the straight. I simply did not have a chance”. The car crossed the line on P5 at the end.
Nevertheless, the duo Mika Vähämäki and Max Nilsson had a positive start into the European Championship. Both pilots scored 18 points in Nogaro and are fifth in the driver championship.
The next race will take place in Zolder, Belgium from April 20th to 22th, 2012.
Source : Max Nilsson