Ronnie Bratschi: Fine-tuning instead of starting the season 🎥

After the accident on September 8, 2019 at the 50th Nat. Gurnigelrennen Ronnie Bratschi had to rebuild his fortunately not totally damaged Mitsubishi practically. On the weekend of April 18/19, 2020, he would have competed with it in the first round of the European Mountain Championship at Col Saint-Pierre in France, and one week later he would have gone straight back to the hunt for European Championship points at the Rechbergrennen in Austria.

For reasons that are well known, this will not happen in the next few weeks.

Ronnie Bratschi: "I would have been ready. Now I've just gained time. I'm using it to do other things on the car that I wouldn't have planned as updates until later in the season. It's also nice when you don't have to press..."

Self is the man
The three-time FIA E1 Mountain Cup champion does not want to reveal details of the improvements that have been incorporated into the car in the course of the rebuild in order to keep the competition in the dark. As a trained polymechanic, he has already procured all the spare parts he cannot make himself over the winter, so he is no longer dependent on suppliers.

It is safe to assume that the Mitsubishi Evo VIII will be better and more beautiful than ever, although no major differences will be seen in terms of bodywork. He is only cautious about the new engine from Eggenberger Motorenbau (Egmo).

Ronnie Bratschi: "The new engine from Egmo, which also has a new radiator, is installed. But we're not making any giant leaps with it, because it's no longer possible at this level. We may now use the previous engine, on which only the valve covers were damaged in the accident, as a reserve. Then, when one hill climb follows the other, we might still be happy about it."

It is completely unclear when the 2020 season will start
At the moment, Ecce Homo in Sternberk (CZ) on June 6/7 and the Coppa Teodori in Ascoli (I) on June 27/28 are still on the FIA calendar as the first races for the European Mountain Championship. However, it is hardly likely that the event bans and travel restrictions will be relaxed to such an extent by then that the participation of drivers from all over Europe and also spectators from abroad can be guaranteed.

With Hemberg, Reitnau and Massongex, the first three of eight planned Swiss races in 2020 have also been canceled. At the moment, Ayent-Anzère on July 25/26 is the first mountain race remaining on the calendar in Switzerland. However, Bratschi would only start there if the European Championship race in Limanowa in Poland did not take place on the same weekend.

After that, the big Osnabrück ADAC hillclimb in northern Germany is on the schedule for him - as it is for other Swiss drivers such as Marcel Steiner and Robin Faustini - although this is only a round of the FIA Hillclimb Cup. Thanks to the great hospitality and the financial incentive, however, Krethi and Plethi from Europe meet there. Since the preparations and sponsorship commitments are well advanced, the northern Germans can afford to wait until July before making a decision.

Ronnie Bratschi: "I think many other organizers don't want to take any risks and will cancel in the next few weeks. I would be happy if we could still drive somewhere this year, even if it's just at trackdays, so that we can try out the car properly. Until then, I'll be working on my new car in peace at home in my workshop - as one would always like to do."

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The short video from Rudy Course de Côte shows Ronnie Bratschi in May 2019 on his way to the day's victory at the Wolsfeld hill climb in Germany. He would have liked to start there again.

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