Zele Racing driver Tamas Pal Kiss finished second in Saturday’s AutoGP World Series race in Monza to reduce his point deficit in the overall standings
Title contender Kiss only started from row three following breaking problems in qualifying and even dropped further down the grid in a hectic starting phase at the Autodromo Nazionale.
However, the Hungarian once more proved his enormous speed, but also his routine and stormed through the field to finish runner-up. Crossing the line, Tamas was exactly one second behind race winner Markus Pommer and much quicker in the dying laps.
Team boss Michael Zele was happy about another podium finish from Kiss: „One more lap and Tamas could even have snapped up victory. The car was good, but unfortunately there was just not enough time to overtake Pommer.”
In the overall standings Kiss now has 93 points, having reduced the gap to absent leader Kimiya Sato from Japan (114) to 21 points.
Zele rookie Christof von Grünigen had an unlucky day. The young Swiss, who had shocked his rivals by placing his car on the front row in qualifying, had a bad start and went off the track in the first chicane. When he had eventually found his rhythm again, Loris Spinelli crashed into him from behind pushing the Swiss into the gravel. “It’s a pity, because it could have turned out really well”, CvG was disappointed.
“Christof was certainly a little nervous ahead of his first AutoGP race, so his start was not impressive. Then a rival rammed his left rear wheel and his race was over“, Zele added.
Venezuelean rookie Samin Gomez continued improving over her first AutoGP weekend and finished a respectable ninth. “Pity that Samin didn’t make P8, because then she would have had Pole on Sunday. But she showed a solid performance in a car that is much stronger than she was used to.”
