The lead is hotly contested at the FIA ETCC in Le Castellet

As in the preceding week at the Slovakiaring, the RAVENOL SAN team came in second in the 5th and 6th races of the FIA European Touring Car Cup Super 1600 class in Le Castellet in the south of France from the 26th to the 28th of June. In hot summer weather with temperatures of around 30° Centigrade, two extremely exciting and fiercely competitive races took place in which SAN pilot Ulrike Krafft was able to hold on to 2nd in her Ford Fiesta 16 V on the 3,841km Circuit Paul Ricard. Now half-way through the season, she has 54 points and is in second table place with six races to go, with every chance of coming top in the Championships.

On Saturday morning in free training, Ulrike nearly beat her 1:49,916 minute pole best lap time, set last season, missing out on beating it by only 1/10 of a second. In midday Qualifying she was able to improve on this, with a lap time of 1:49,592 minutes, but this was sufficient only for third on the grid in the end.

For the first time this season, both Sunday races did not take place one after the other, but instead,  one took place in the morning and one in the afternoon. Sunday was the hottest day of the week-end, and accordingly both races were quick-tempered events as far as the pilots were concerned. There was a hard-fought race between the three top pilots of Ulrike, Niklas Mackschin and Gilles Bruckner, particularly in the second race, in which the tension and fighting spirit was hard to beat. The lead changed lap after lap in spectacular fashion. What finally tipped the scales were the overtaking maneuvers of the more powerful vehicle over the other classes, which eventually split the trio. Nevertheless, Ulrike was able to assert herself in both races, achieving second place in both. "They were two strenuous races and I'm happy with my good result“, said the relieved 31-year-old certified engineer, as she spoke to me on the podium.

All of the teams and drivers will be able to enjoy a 2-month summer break before the next event at the beginning of September in Brno in the Czech Republic.