Sport: Eric Berguerand remains with the Lola
SPORT Rumors persist that five-time mountain champion Eric Berguerand is switching to an Osella FA30. But the man from Valais stays with his Lola. Nevertheless, you will see several big Osella at Swiss hillclimbs this year. "Rien du tout - nothing is wrong with it, Eric Berguerand replies to the question how it stands with an Osella FA30. [...]
Rien du tout - there's nothing wrong with it," replies Eric Berguerand when asked about an Osella FA30. Marcel Steiner became Swiss mountain champion from 2010 to 2012 with such a wired racing car. And Christian Merli from South Tyrol set several records with his Osella FA30 at European Championship races in 2017, including in St-Ursanne-Les Rangiers.
With posts on his Facebook page, however, the Valais native fed these rumors himself, partly because he had put the Lola FA99-Cosworth based on a former Formula 3000 race car up for sale.
Eric Berguerand: "I'm staying with my Lola-Cosworth. The car runs very well and costs me practically nothing more. After all, I won the 2014 FIA Hill Climb Masters with it. If I had the money, I'd buy something other than an Osella..."
However, two or three of the Italian racing sports cars will be seen on Swiss mountains in 2018. Joël Volluz, who had a serious accident in St-Ursanne in 2016, is so far advanced with the reconstruction of his Osella F30 that his comeback can be expected in the summer.
An Osella FA30 for Christoph Lampert
Christoph Lampert from Vorarlberg is switching from the Osella PA2000, with which he finished third overall at Gurnigel 2017, to an FA30 with a three-liter engine. The car was bought by his sponsor Rauch and will be driven by Merli or himself. Lampert will primarily drive it in Austria, but does not rule out Swiss races (such as Oberhallau).
Simon Hugentobler changes from the Reynard F3000 to an Osella PA30. With his new "dream car", the man from Suhr will thus be racing in the same class (E2-SC-3000) as defending champion Marcel Steiner in the LobArt, but will not contest the entire championship.
His son Robin Faustini, on the other hand, has a full SM program planned. Depending on his impressions during comparative test drives with the older Reynard 92D (which Markus Bosshard was allowed to drive in 2017) and the newer 97D (which his father drove until now), the 20-year-old will opt for one chassis or the other.
Since Thomas Amweg is also planning a full season with the Lola B99/50-Mader, one can say with great anticipation: Something is also going on at the Swiss mountains in 2018. Even if Eric Berguerand doesn't show up with an Osella FA30...
