Differing fortunes for Rattenbury & Meyrick at Monza by Robert Allender

Jake  Rattenbury and his teammates in the Mtech(GBR) Ferrari 458 Italia finished 11th on the road  and could only rue a missed opportunity, after Jake (who is studying at Swansea Uni in between races!) picked up a puncture that proved costly as Jake had to limp around most of the lap before making an un-scheduled pit-stop.  'But for that we could have had a podium finish!' However there was joy for the team after post-race scrutiny moved them up to 10th in Class and gave them a welcome point!

See a report on Jakes' Monza Race by Baz Scott here

Photo above- close action going into the Parabolica -

Below - the Gulf Racing UK McLaren 12C

Andy's mixed Monza by Emma Buxton

WRDA member Andy Meyrick had a weekend of mixed fortunes at the first round of the Blancpain Watches Endurance Series at Monza, as strong lap times and good set up in free practice were marred by a small electrical issue and contact in the race.
 

In free practice, Andy was first out on track in the Gulf Racing McLaren 12C GT3. As the Pro driver in the Pro-Am pairing with Gulf Racing team co-owner Mike Wainwright, Andy looked to get a feel for the car and work on set up for Mike. Andy headed out for the pre-qualifying session, which he led for the first few laps, finishing in P4 overall. However in qualifying with 60 cars on the track, traffic problems held the crew back, to eventually start  from 19th on the grid. Andy said  'The car felt great in warm up and qualifying. It’s a shame I couldn’t get a clear run, but that’s what happens when you race in such a large and highly-competitive championship.'
 

In the race Andy and Mike pushed hard, but electrical problems meant they were forced to pit several times, leaving their car more than three laps behind. In a bid to regain the lost places, Andy pushed too hard resulting in contact and the end of the race for the British pair.  

Emma Buxton, emma@emmbuxton.com +44 (0)7525 150625

For further information about Andy please visit www.andymeyrick.com and follow @AndyMeyrick on Twitter.

For information about the Gulf Racing UK visit www.gulfracing.com