LIVERPOOL FC MAINTAINS SUPERLEAGUE FORMULA LEAD
Hitech-run Liverpool FC maintained its lead at the head of the Superleague Formula by Sonangol league table with two steady drives in the penultimate rounds at Monza last time out. Spaniard Adrian Vallés finished fourth and fifth in the two races, to give the team a 49 point advantage with two rounds remaining.
The weekend started well for the Silverstone-based team with FC Porto’s Tristan Gommendy quickest in his group just ahead of the Liverpool FC car of Vallés and the FC Midtjylland car of Kasper Andersen eighth. However in the second session, despite an even quicker lap, Gommendy was fifth fastest, two places ahead of Andersen, while Vallés could only manage 12th.
Saturday’s qualifying proved disappointing for the leaders, Vallés forced to start eighth for the first of the two 45 minute plus one lap race. But in true storming style, the early season pace-setter drove a superb race, slotting into fifth place at the first corner with his chief title rivals Tottenham Hotspur behind him.
After dropping back to seventh before the pits stops, a stunning move to repass the Spurs car also netted another place as the Spaniard swept ahead of the FC Basel car around the outside at the chicane to put the 23 year-old back into fifth place. A lap later Adrian moved ahead of the Galatasary car into fourth before the compulsory pit stop, which he held to the flag.
A solid drive from Gommendy enabled him to make a good pass on the Tottenham Hotspur car before locking up under braking for the chicane, narrowly missing the back of Vallés. The Frenchman found a way past Corinthians over the closing stages to finish seventh.
For FC Midtjylland and Andersen, the race proved disappointing, after a brake problem in qualifying put him in a lowly grid position. A gearbox problem in both races cost Andersen dearly, the Dane finishing 12th in race one.
The weekend’s second race featured another strong drive from Vallés, the triple race-winner comfortably matching the times of the leaders and easily up into fifth chasing fourth place at the finish.
A strong drive by Gommendy saw him into sixth place. However three laps from home, his engine failed forcing instant retirement, effectively costing FC Porto fourth in the championship. There was disappointment for FC Midtjylland too; the recurring gearbox problems eventually forcing Andersen out of race two.
Liverpool FC has maintained its lead at the top of the points table, ahead of Tottenham Hotspur and Olympiacos, moving ahead of FC Basel for third. FC Porto is currently seventh with FC Midtjylland 16th. The team now heads to the Jarama circuit in Spain for the final two rounds of the series, over the weekend of 7/8 November.
Championship positions after eight rounds: 1. Liverpool FC 350, 2. Tottenham Hotspur 301, 3. Olympiacos 259, 4. FC Basel 253, 5. Corinthians 249, 6. RSC Anderlecht 247. 7. FC Porto 241, 8. AC Milan 236, 9. Rangers FC 203, 10. AS Roma 196.