Comments from Coppa Shell Race-1 podium at Misano

Axel Sartingen claimed his second win of the season in the first Coppa Shell race at Misano. In the Am, after two third places in Valencia, Kirk Baerwaldt enjoyed his first victory of 2023.

Axel Sartingen winner Coppa Shell: “I took pole and held first place for the first two turns. Today’s race went very well also considering that the Misano circuit is very narrow and makes overtaking difficult. Because of this, unfortunately, we had a minor accident, but after the Safety Car came out, I still kept my race pace under control. Afterwards, the Safety Car entered again, but I couldn’t quite see what had happened. Throughout the race, I tried to preserve the tyres as much as possible so that I could speed up over the last two laps. The win and fastest lap brought me maximum points, and I would say that I am more than satisfied with the first day at Misano.

Fons Scheltema, runner-up Coppa Shell: “It was a beautiful race. I tried to push and avoid mistakes, but my time wasn’t good enough for a better result. I had a lot of fun. I am extremely happy.”

Manuela Gostner, third place Coppa Shell: “I am super happy because in qualifying, I had a few problems that forced me to go slow, and I started from thirteenth. I wasn’t too optimistic about this race, but there were some unusual situations up front. I successfully avoided the accidents and managed a few good overtakes. This third place is a wonderful present.” 

Kirk Baerwaldt, winner Coppa Shell Am: “It was a beautiful race, even with so many problems. During the first few laps, I was bumped and ended up in a spin. Fortunately, I got back on track and found myself in fourth or fifth position before fighting with the leaders again. After the Safety Car came out, at the restart, I managed to take first position and win the race.” 

Motohiko Isozaki, runner-up Coppa Shell: “I am delighted with the result. It was a fantastic race despite the many accidents. I am thrilled to be on the podium.

Henrik Kamstrup, third place Coppa Shell Am: “I think my result was in line with my performance. I had a few problems this morning during practice, and my time on some laps wasn’t great. Today, the situation was the same in the first phase of the race. Over the first few laps, I was in fifth, and after the Safety Car came on, there were some passes that made the race eventful and challenging. I am delighted with how I made up ground, finishing in third place.