Team Rosberg rapid but unlucky in FIA GT3 European at Zolder

Team Rosberg was struck by bad luck at the FIA GT3 European Championship season finale at Zolder, Belgium. Although the two driver pairings of Gregoire Demoustier/Michael Ammermüller and Stéphane Lemeret/Kenneth Heyer posted fast lap times throughout the entire weekend in their Audi R8 LMS they were unable to score any points in the sixth and final event of the year. Both free practice sessions around Circuit Zolder promised great things. In first free practice Demoustier/Ammermüller recorded the best lap in 1m 31.321s and were therefore almost a second quicker than the second best team. Their Rosberg team mates Lemeret/Heyer also showed good form: Fourth place. In second free practice a similar picture: Demoustier/Ammermüller in fourth place , Lemeret/Heyer directly behind with the fifth fastest lap. In qualifying for the first race contrasting fortunes for Team Rosberg. While Lemeret/Heyer confirmed their excellent form with second on the grid, Demoustier/Ammermüller were very unlucky. Along the back straight the R8 LMS collided with a competitor’s slow moving car. The car was damaged beyond repair after hitting the barriers. Participation in second qualifying and both races was out of the question. In the first of two races Stéphane Lemeret defended his second position up to the obligatory driver change. Shortly before the Belgian has already radioed the Rosberg pit to report a problem with the steering. Kenneth Heyer took over the car before having to retire from the race a little later with faulty steering. Before the second race the team changed all the relevant parts and started with new enthusiasm – but, however, from 15th on the grid. After only a few laps the steering problem from the first race reappeared and the car came to the pits. Further attempts to repair the problem were unsuccessful. "We are very unhappy. The car handled superbly. Without the steering problem in the first race we would certainly have finished on the podium,” said Kenneth Heyer disappointedly. "All was not lost despite the bad grid position for the second race. We set very quick lap times when the car was still running perfectly.”Rosberg Team Boss Arno Zensen’s summary of the FIA GT3 year 2010: "The season ran anything but perfectly, We never really got any momentum. I felt the lap times in free practice and qualifying here in Zolder showed great potential that we could conclude the year on a high note – but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

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