Team Principal for Romeo Ferraris in the FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup, Michela Cerruti, presided over the squad’s first King of the Weekend title in the FIA era last time out at Zolder and now looks forward to her team racing at home in Vallelunga for Race IT.
A former racer herself, with experience in touring cars, GT racing and even Formula E, Cerruti gives an insight into the current state of play with Romeo Ferraris in FIA ETCR.
Whilst team driver Maxime Martin was victorious in his home Zolder event, this week’s action in Vallelunga will be a home event not only for Cerruti and the squad, but also drivers Giovanni Venturini and Luca Filippi. The Italian driver pairing as well as Martin and Bruno Spengler expect to be in the tick of the action.
How great was Maxime’s King of the Weekend win in Zolder?
The King of the Weekend of Maxim was for sure a good achievement for us something that we were looking for since the beginning of the season. We knew it was possible. but there were many, many things happening and a bit of bad luck during the previous weekends. And we were, let’s say close in some other occasions, but we couldn’t achieve it. So, for sure, a good result for us. And to be honest, is normally I wanted to have more. But next step, it will be for sure to have the manufacturers title as well.
Vallelunga is the home event for the team – what are the home advantages?
Well to be in Vallelunga is for sure an emotional event for us, because it’s the only event that we have in Italy. And we are building something also to welcome people to come and visit us and see the series. We hope to give a very good show to our guests. And to be at home always gives you a good feeling. I really hope that this good feeling will also be the same of our local drivers, Giovanni and Luca, who I will hope they will have the same push that, for example, Maxine, as is in his home race. And I’m sure they can do very well.
How would you describe the team’s season so far?
The season has not been very easy so far. But we have always showed, since the beginning, that we had a very good pace, a good car, even if we missed a bit of consistency, both sometimes from our side, in managing properly the sessions because you have really a small amount of track on time, but on the other side, we’ve always showed that the pace was there and the performance was there. And in fact, this happened fully, in Zolder with Maxim’s win, but we know we can do more. The season was sometimes satisfying so far, but sometimes it’s not enough for me. I’m sure that from this victory in Zolder, we can do better and better. And it was really motivating to go on in the best way.
What are your objectives for Vallelunga?
In Vallelunga, for sure, we want to make a step forward, which means to have the manufacturers’ crown as well as King of the Weekend. So far only CUPRA has achieved this result. So we think it’s also the time that someone else stole it from them!
Have you driven the Giulia ETCR car? Around Vallelunga?
I’ve driven the ETCR car in Vallelunga, only one occasion at the very, very beginning of its development. I cannot say that I fully know the car and I fully know how it feels to drive this car. But I know from my drivers that it’s a really cool, really fast car. It’s a very heavy car. But on the other side, you don’t really feel that sensation of driving something so heavy. Because it’s really pointy and it’s very agile. We just try to keep improving the car session after session and we hope we can show more improvement for our home race.
