Suzuki Cup: Flammer swings the hammer

In business circles, you would call it return on investment. From a sporting point of view, Patrick Flammer's participation in the Equipe Bernoise slalom test days at the end of March/beginning of April paid off. His absence from the season opener of the Suzuki Swiss Racing Cup 2023 two weeks ago in Bière had no effect, because on the familiar airfield course in Ambri, the 31-year-old from Glarus was able to show all his routine and triumph on both race days.

Multi-competition for fractions of a second
However, it was once again a brutally close affair at the top of the two classifications, which also surprised those involved. The best have obviously moved even closer together. On Saturday, the top four were separated by just four hundredths of a second after the first race run, and after the decisive second run, the leading six-pack was not a second apart with a running time of 1'49.

The other day, on the again 2730 meter long course with 17 changed gates, a similar picture was shown with five riders in 97 hundredths. So it is not a matter of course that the winner was the same twice.

Fourth Suzuki victory in Ticino
Patrick Flammer had already won here in 2021 as the first driver with the hybrid model and once landed his first ever victory with the old Swift Sport. Now he scored full points for his own Flammer Speed Team for the first time. For the managing director of a garage in Glarus, it was the best advertising on his own behalf.

Patrick Flammer: "I just did my best and didn't put too much pressure on myself. That worked out. I was sovereign, although I was lucky that Fabian Eggenberger scored a goal shortly before the finish on the second day."

Duel at the top of the table
Next to them on the podium on both days were Sandro Fehr and Marcel Muzzarelli, only in different order (middle gallery left, podium Sunday). Fehr managed on Saturday (upper gallery left) to turn an inexplicable deficit after run 1 into second place with a second time two seconds faster, 0.14 behind Flammer and 0.15 ahead of "Muzz". The other day, Muzzarelli (top gallery, right) was just seven hundredths short of Flammer, Fehr 0.18. Both could live well with these results.

Marcel Muzzarelli: "Timing-wise, everything is so tight that the slightest mistake can have an impact. That's why I'm completely satisfied."

Sandro Fehr: "Tip-top, I didn't expect to be able to improve so much in each of the second races. You have to go all out - either you can or you can't. That was important for the championship."

Because Bière winner Michaël Béring (middle gallery center) lost many points with places 5 and 7, only Muzzarelli and Fehr are only separated by two points at the top of the table.

Michaël Béring: "My rhythm was actually good again. Unfortunately, I gave both races away in the second run in each case. I will then try to do better again in Frauenfeld."

The master wanted to do it too well
At the next two races as part of the ACS Thurgau car racing days, Fabian Eggenberger (upper gallery, center) will once again take to the wheel of the Suzuki Swift entered by Cup coordinator Christian Zimmermann. There is no question that the reigning champion wants to take revenge for the bad luck in Ambri and score full points for the first time for the new Team 77 of 1977 veterans Eggenberger, Zimmermann and Danny Krieg. The latter already practiced in Ambri as a double starter with Eggenberger, but did not get beyond the ranks 13 and 12.

Fabian Eggenberger: "On Saturday I couldn't go on tutti after two gate mistakes in the first run, so fourth place wasn't bad in the end. On Sunday I wanted to go nice and clean through the last gate combination and still hit a tutti with the rear axle. That was annoying."

Several people with potential in the midfield
Reto Steiner (middle gallery on the right), who took over from Patrick Flammer at the wheel, also gave a good performance with 6th and 4th places. The man from Schwyz will score points for the Flammer Speed Team in Frauenfeld before it's the turn of the boss again in Bure and, as in Bière, Alexander Ullrich at the end. The championship podium is still well within reach for the trio if no one makes a mistake. Rico Thomann and newcomer Stefan Glanzmann achieved good midfield positions in both races. With an exploit, they too could soon be on the podium.

Of the people in the second half of the rankings, Fabio Corezzola (bottom gallery, right) must have been the happiest on Saturday, as he finished twelfth among 16 competitors, his best result so far. After a crash into the meadow in Sunday's first run, he lacked grit thereafter. Marcel Landolt (bottom left gallery) made it into the top ten twice in tenth and ninth, while Cédric Moulin and Fabio Gubitosi (bottom center gallery) only managed this on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

auto.suzuki.ch/suzuki-swiss-racing-cup