Tambay wins Imola Auto GP thriller

Euronova driver Filippi had started from pole, but ran across the Tamburello gravel on the opening lap and was unable to fend off the fast-starting Pantano (Super Nova) as he rejoined with dirty tyres.

Both Filippi and Pantano then made their mandatory pitstops early, on laps four and six respectively, while Tambay stayed out longer and enjoyed some quick laps on a clear track.

He was helped by Pantano rejoining right in front of Filippi and the Italian duo then starting a massive battle featuring multiple passing moves and some wild moments over the kerbs and gravel.

The dice finally ended when Filippi went off in a failed overtaking attempt five laps from the finish. But Pantano would not get his hard-earned podium either - spinning off at Tamburello while chasing Tambay a lap from home.

That left Charouz-Gravity man Tambay clear to take a poignant victory at the track where his father Patrick famously won for Ferrari in the 1983 San Marino Grand Prix.

With Pantano out of the way, DAMS' Edoardo Piscopo followed Tambay to the flag, with Fabio Onidi (Lazarus) completing the podium.

Duncan Tappy was fourth for DAMS, while Super Nova's Jonny Reid came through from his disappointing qualifying to take fifth ahead of Carlos Iaconelli and Stefano Coletti, who had tumbled down the order at the start. Eighth-placed Celso Miguez will start on pole tomorrow on the partially-reversed race two grid.

Pos  Driver             Team               Time/Gap
 1.  Adrien Tambay      Charouz-Gravity  30m47.566s
 2.  Edoardo Piscopo    DAMS               + 0.937s
 3.  Fabio Onidi        Lazarus            + 2.177s
 4.  Duncan Tappy       DAMS               + 3.437s
 5.  Jonny Reid         Super Nova        + 18.112s
 6.  Carlos Iaconelli   Durango           + 22.375s
 7.  Stefano Coletti    Charouz-Gravity   + 30.654s
 8.  Celso Miguez       RP                + 37.955s
 9.  Federico Leo       Trident           + 38.237s
10.  Stefano Bizzarri   RP                + 54.394s
11.  Giorgio Pantano    Super Nova          + 1 lap
12.  Luca Filippi       Euronova            + 1 lap

Retirements

     Fabrizio Crestani  DAMS             16 laps
     Julian Leal        Trident          12 laps
     Walter Grubmuller  Charouz-Gravity  10 laps
     Jan Charouz        Charouz-Gravity  1 lap