Alex Cascatău Set To Skip Spa-Francorchamps Round, Focuses On Round 3 Return In Zolder
The hefty crash that took out the Baticonsult Racing Norma M20 FC at Hockenheim in May is still producing repercussions, Alex and Alain Berg opting to forgo the trip to the Ardennes forest for what is the second round of the 2021 GT & Prototype Challenge season.
If everything had gone according to plan at Hockenheim, in Germany, Alex would now be packing in time for the second round of the 2021 GT & Prototype Challenge. Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the legendary host of the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix, will also be the temporary home of the GT & Prototype Challenge paddock this coming weekend. On a track where Alex has enjoyed success in the past, winning his first-ever Belcar race, Baticonsult Racing was supposed to continue its fierce battles with Deldiche Racing.
Sadly, things didn’t go according to plan during the opening weekend of Baticonsult Racing’s second season in the CN ranks and, as a result, the team is forced to miss the action this weekend in order to better prepare for the upcoming races in July and August. While this is yet another setback that further derails the team in its quest to defend its crown, a lot of careful thinking nestles behind this late call.
Indeed, the team was able to put the car back together following Alain’s major crash which occurred during the first race at Hockenheim but, as discovered during Sunday’s Belcar run, it had definitely seen better days.
While that chassis was one that Baticonsult Racing had loaned from Team Krafft, the situation still pushes the team’s budget to its upper limits considering that it comes right after the engine failure which occurred during pre-season testing. Having taken all of the above into consideration, the team elected to cut no corners in preparing the car rather than show up at one of the world’s most daunting road courses with a car that’s been haphazardly put together.
Deldiche Racing is bound to take part meaning Alex and Alain’s rivals will vault further ahead in the standings but the duo has five more rounds to mount a comeback – including one more visit to Spa in chilly October. With over a month to spare, the team aims to be back in action at Zolder for round three. That race meeting is scheduled for July 16-18.
It’s pointless to hide my sadness at not being able to go out and race at what is my favourite race track but, at the same time, we always knew that getting the car ready was going to be complicated with these tight deadlines and financial implications of our disastrous start to the season. The things that happened at Hockenheim only added up and made things even more difficult. At the end of the day, I believe the team’s decision to focus on Zolder is the best call as we can’t afford to go out there with a car that isn’t fully ready and experience even more issues. Our job to get back in front will be tough, and I don't know if we'll have enough races left to still fight for the championship but, at the same time, the only way we're going to have a shot is only if we return with our own car and our tried set-up. After round 1 I'm convinced of that, and I hope we'll have a trouble-free season from now on, as we should have consumed all the "bad luck" at the start.
2021 GT & Prototype Challenge Calendar
1. 21-23 May – Hockenheim
2. 4-6 June – Spa-Francorchamps
3. 16-18 July – Zolder
4. 6-8 August – Assen
5. 17-19 September – Assen
6. 16-17 October – Spa-Francorchamps
7. 29-31 October – Assen
Photo credit: Dennisnoten.com Photography
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