05.07.2003 (lil), Press release Team Coloni, Formula 3000

French Grand Prix – Race Report
Magny - Cours (F) – July 5th 2003

F.I.A. F.3000 International French Grand Prix gave to Coloni Motorsport another beautiful podium, taken at Magny Cours by Brazilian Ricardo Sperafico.

The BMW-WilliamsF1 tester, started from the fourth place, after the green light immediately earned one position, overtaking Janis. Sperafico then managed very well his race, in spite of some understeer problems which hindered him, and he finished lonely third, taking six precious points.

Zsolt Baumgartner instead took the ninth place: after a good start, the Hungarian had some set up problems in the fast chicanes and he finished ninth, just out of the points, which would have made even more beautiful the race of the Italian team.

Ricardo Sperafico, 3rd: “I’m pleased only with the 3rd place, who allows me to earn 6 important points for the Championship. I don’t take a victory since Austrian GP and at Silverstone I want and I must win. After the qualifying we had made some set up modification to solve an oversteer problem and to try to save the rear tyres: but in race, after 10 laps, I had an understeer problem. Because of this trouble I couldn’t be as quick as the leaders and so I couldn’t attack the second place. Now we have to work on the car in order to get the small improvements needed in sight of Silverstone”.

Zsolt Baumgartner, 9th: “I didn’t make a bad start, especially in the first meters I made a really good sprint, but then on the first corner I was in the wrong side and I lose several positions. Later I began to have some problems in the two fast chicanes, the car was a bit ‘heavy’ to drive. I’m sorry I didn’t finish in the points after a good qualifying”.