Bacheta claims F2 title for Comma in season finale

02/10/2012

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In a weekend of high drama and nail-biting tension, Comma's flag bearer Luciano Bacheta finally sealed the deal to become the 2012 FIA Formula Two champion and win not just one of the biggest and grandest trophies in international motorsport, but with it, an official test drive with the Williams Formula 1 team. 22 year old 'Luchi' from Brentwood, Essex, made clear his intentions with a record-breaking run of four consecutive victories at the very beginning of the season, but he was under threat throughout the sixteen race series from the 15 year Swiss prodigy, Mathéo Tuscher............with whom he just happened to share a pit-lane garage!

Such close proximity on occasion gave the appearance of them being amiable team-mates, but the deeper truth was that from the earliest stages of the championship, both drivers sensed that the other was likely be his principal rival for the title. Other drivers had their winnings moments, but the spotlight rarely strayed for long from the absorbing contest which was played out to a suitably tense climax at Monza, one of motor racing's most iconic venues.

Race 1

Following two busy days of official practice, Saturday's damp qualifying session for 2012's penultimate confrontation ran perfectly to script, with Tuscher stealing pole position from Bacheta in the dying moments of the session by a little under two tenths of a second. Poland's Kevin Mirocha and Switzerland's Christopher Zanella filled row two, with quick Brit Dino Zamparelli and Alex Fontana of Switzerland next up on row three. Romani's Mihai Marinescu and Axcil Jefferies of Zimbabwe on row four were both within a second of pole, the top ten being rounded out by newcomer Harld Schlegelmilch of Latvia and Hungaroring Race 2 winner, Markus Pommer of Germany.

Fully wet conditions for the race set the scene for some of the most exciting racing of the season amongst the front runners. Bacheta made a great start to lead after the first chicane, with Tuscher losing out to Mirocha, who then promptly dispossessed Luchi half way round opening lap. With the leaders all battling through one another's spray, Zanella then also found a way past Tuscher, only for the precocious teenager to turn the tables with a top-drawer passing manoeuvre on both Zanella and Mirocha at the Parabolica. Conscious of his solid points lead, Bacheta opted to play cautious percentages, but he was having his share of problems with grip and was still concerned to watch from fourth place as Tuscher made a decisive break from the front which he maintained to the flag with Zanella and Mirocha taking the minor podium honours.

Although Tuscher brilliantly did everything he had to do, the outcome still left him 20.5 points adrift of Luchi in the championship table. The odds between the two had been marginally reduced, but the championship bubbly would have to remain uncorked until the sixteenth and last race of the year.

Race 2

Mild controversy, which in less sunny conditions might have had much more serious implications, surrounded the final reckoning for grid positions. While others turned a blind eye, Bacheta played it straight and fell victim to waved yellow flags on his 'boost' lap just as he was set to claim a certain front row - if not pole - position. A resulting seventh grid spot to Marcus Pommer's pole would have been more worrying had not Tuscher fared little better, lining up just one place ahead of Luchi. Not that either driver's nerves were significantly calmed. Middle of the pack is not a comfortable place to be when everyone's mind-set is in end of term 'let's just go for it' mode, and Zanella on the front row could still theoretically deprive Mathéo of second place in the championship.

In the event, everyone was on best behaviour, and after Pommer lost a lap following a punctured tyre, the race became something of a stand-off between the major players. Luchi had worked his way up to a controlled third place by lap five, at which time Zanella, ahead of Mirocha, was having an untroubled run in the lead to the chequered flag. Tuscher faltered and dropped three places in the early laps, but then set to work and quickly repaired the damage by lap eight. That was all he needed to secure his runner-up spot behind Comma's delighted hero in the championship and claim a truly impressive 'Rookie of the Year' award in his debut F2 season.

Luciano had carried Comma's colours at the top of the table from first to last, he's done himself and Comma very proud indeed, we wish him all the best for his Williams test drive.

In addition to sponsoring Luciano Bacheta's No 4 car in the series, Comma has been Technical Partner to FIA Formula Two, and the exclusive supplier of engine oils, coolants and maintenance chemicals to the championship since it was launched in 2009. Throughout that time, all of the identical 500bhp Williams F1 designed Formula Two race cars have been lubricated, cooled and serviced with maintenance products supplied by Comma.

You can read detailed 2012 race reports, view the complete championship standings and keep up with all the other latest FIA Formula Two news at the excellent official Formula Two website.