Berg-SM: Neff does not defend the title 🎥
IS-AUTOS IN THE VIEW OF TK This weekend, the 2019 Mountain Championship begins in Hemberg. Since Frédéric Neff is staying away in protest, there will certainly be a new touring car mountain champion. The favorite is Ronnie Bratschi. Reto Meisel (2016) was followed by Frédéric Neff in his modified Porsche 996 GT3 R as Swiss touring car mountain champion in the past two years. Prior to that, Albin [...]
Reto Meisel (2016) was followed in the past two years by Frédéric Neff in his modified Porsche 996 GT3 R as Swiss touring car mountain champion. Before that, Albin Mächler took the title three times in a row with his standard BMW. The latter's predecessors also no longer compete, or only rarely and without ambition.
It is therefore certain that there will be a new champion from the various touring car divisions in 2019. Neff has not only withdrawn his entry for Hemberg, but has also decided against further starts in other hillclimb races. Only Ayent-Anzère and St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers are on the Bernjurassier's Swiss schedule. Otherwise, he mainly races in neighboring France.
Tighter controls on IS cars
The two-time champion was planning to do so this year anyway, but his departure from the Swiss scene has another reason. A few weeks ago, Auto Sport Schweiz sent a letter to all drivers from the Interswiss group, informing them that future inspections by the technical commissioners would no longer focus solely on safety-related aspects.
A large number of IS vehicles no longer comply with the IS regulations in areas such as the transmission tunnel, the spare wheel well and the bulkhead, as well as in other details. Those who do not comply after initial complaints must later reckon with reallocations (e.g. to Group E1) or protests. Since these adjustments are associated with high costs or are no longer feasible at all, there could be a noticeable thinning out of the IS group, which is popular in itself.
First watch, then intervene
Neff assures that his Porsche complies with the IS regulations. However, he now disagrees with ASS's approach. The admission of Meisel's Mercedes SLK340 in the E1 was already a thorn in his side, as this car would otherwise have to start in the E2-SH group throughout Europe.
Frédéric Neff: "In E1, people can do what they want, although some cars don't comply with the French-language regulations that serve as a basis. In our case, ASS watched for years, and now they want to enforce the regulations. I'd rather race abroad, where they're happy for every competitor, even if I can only finish fourth or fifth in the GTTS there."
The crown favorite comes from Group E1
After Neff's departure, only Bruno Sawatzki and Willi Jenni are realistic IS group winners, at best Seppi Koch (Kadett), Urs Banz (Ascona) and Dominic von Rotz (Audi). But just: Their cars have to comply with the rules, and they also have to start everywhere and score well.
The 2019 touring car mountain champion is therefore more likely to come from the E1 or SuperSeries group, with the sword of Damocles always hovering over the latter due to the insufficient number of participants. In Hemberg there are just the necessary eight, in 2018 there were twice less. So last year's runner-up Ronnie Bratschi is the logical crown favorite.
Day victory for Bratschi in Wolsfeld
The man from Uri is taking another run at the SM title, having already been FIA E1 Cup winner three times. Bratschi takes his opponents Roger Schnellmann (who will not be driving all the races) and Thomas Kessler on another high-horsepower Mitsubishi Evo VIII seriously, but he fears the defect witch more.
Where it spared him completely in the past, he was unbeatable. Like on Whit Monday in Wolsfeld, where he won the round of the German and Luxembourg hillclimb championships - as the day's winner, of course, ahead of all the sports and racing cars. For him, this was the first overall victory under regular conditions, after he had profited in 2016 in Verzegnis (I) as the leader of the touring car classification from the cancellation due to bad weather.
Ronnie Bratschi: "The track in Wolsfeld is similar to the one here in Massongex, i.e. very undulating and narrow. When I was only just in front after the first race, I exchanged the four race-old tires for new ones. That's how it worked out with a new touring car record."
In the addition of the three times (3'06.058) on the only 1.64 kilometer long distance the Swiss relegated the fastest German Christian Triebstein in a Dallara F3 by 2.7 and the Frenchman Anthony Loeuilleux in a Tatuus Honda FM by 4.1 seconds on the places of honor. Bruno Ianniello, who had also won the day here in his Lancia Delta S4 in his prime, came in 17th overall, 16.7 seconds behind.
Record holder at four Swiss hill climbs
The path to the 2019 Swiss touring car mountain championship therefore logically leads via Ronnie Bratschi, as long as the technology doesn't play a trick on him and he doesn't lose the desire for it because of that. In Hemberg, he has held the absolute touring car record since last year in 57.83. He also holds the records in Massongex, Anzère and Oberhallau.
