Superleague headed to Jarama
The football-themed motorsport series returns to action at the Madrid venue with more wheel-to-wheel racing on-track between some of the world’s most revered football clubs and some fantastic entertainment off it, including concerts by 80’s legends Simple Minds and Spanish rockers Pignoise.
Tottenham Hotspur head to Jarama leading the Superleague Formula table by 54 points from AC Milan, with Belgian giants RSC Anderlecht in third. Each clubs’ driver, Craig Dolby, Yelmer Buurman and Davide Rigon respectively, is expected to be a front runner again this weekend.
However, La Liga outfits Atlético Madrid and Sevilla will be hoping home advantage will help them climb the table. Both clubs are currently tied on 106 points and sit 11th and 12th in the standings.
Atlético’s MarÃa de Villota enjoyed her best performance of the season at Magny-Cours in the last round and having visited the Rojiblancos’ Vicente Calderon Stadium last week to promote the race, the Madrid-born driver is counting on the club’s fans to roar her to success.
Marcos MartÃnez carries the hopes of Sevilla on his shoulders, the Superleague Formula rookie hoping to repeat the Andalusian club’s two podium finishes at Jarama last season, while Borja GarcÃa may be representing 18-time Portuguese champions Sporting Club de Portugal, but the 27-year-old Spaniard is also hoping to impress at his home event.
MarÃa de Villota, Atlético Madrid: “I think there will be a lot of Atlético fans at the track this weekend. We won the Europa League this season so the whole club is on a high at the moment. Jarama is my home track, I know it quite well and I like it. It is quite technical and for the drivers who have never been here before it will be tough. Personally, I was happy with my lap times and overall performance in Magny-Cours. I’m quite inexperienced compared to a lot of the other guys, but I feel I am getting better with every race, so hopefully that continues this weekend."
Marcos MartÃnez, Sevilla: “Jarama is a really tricky circuit, very bumpy and quite technical. With such a fast and powerful car that has so much downforce, it will be very exciting and a real challenge for the drivers. I’m happy because this is my home race and I know it well so I’m really looking forward to it. There are a lot of good drivers in Superleague Formula though and they know the circuit too, so I will have to fight hard!"
Borja GarcÃa, Sporting Lisbon: “It is seven years since I raced at Jarama, but I have won there before in F3. It will be a different proposition altogether in the Superleague Formula car though. It will be a challenge, especially in the second race which has a fully reversed-grid. I’ve known the other Spanish drivers for quite a while and there is a nice friendly rivalry between us. We all want to do well in front of our home crowd and it is very important for me to get a good result for my friends, family and of course for Sporting."
Meanwhile, several Superleague Formula drivers will be heading to Jarama fresh from the challenge of competing in the world’s most famous endurance race, the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Olympique Lyonnais’ Sebastien Bourdais took a fine pole position for Peugeot Sport in the 78th edition of the Grand Prix of Endurance, but saw his challenge end early in the race through suspension failure, while fellow Peugeot driver, Bordeaux’s Franck Montagny, led for the first half of the event until suffering engine failure on Sunday morning.
Roma’s Julien Jousse (Luc Alphand Aventures) was also forced to retire after running strongly in the GT1 class, but Galatasaray’s Tristan Gommendy (WR/Salini) did make the checkered flag, finishing eighth in the LMP2 category.
The four Frenchman will now be looking to quickly re-adjust to a very different style of racing at Jarama this weekend.
The race format in Spain again sees two, 45 minute races followed by the five-lap ‘dash for the cash’ Super Final. As well as the concerts, there will also be a host of other off-track activities, while €1 from each ticket will be donated to the Fundaci¢n de Atlético Madrid charity.