Maggi despite ups and downs in Valencia: “That was really fun!”
Giorgio Maggi experienced a roller coaster of emotions at the NWES opener in Valencia, Spain, in May – Although he didn’t achieve his personal goals, he had a lot of fun in the car
“I’m not completely satisfied with the result, but it was huge fun,” says Giorgio Maggi after the May 2022 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (NWES) opener at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain. The Swiss driver competed for the first time for Team Race Art Technology and experienced two completely different race days.
The race weekend started on Thursday with the pre-season test on the approximately four-kilometer race track. After just a few laps, the new tires blew up, which is why Maggi was unable to test the Toyota Camry on fresh tires. Accordingly, he took a cautious approach in the two free practice sessions on Friday, finishing 16th in each.
“It was all new after three years with Hendriks Motorsport,” the 24-year-old says of his change of scenery for the 2022 season. In Q1, Maggi drove into the top-10, which was enough to qualify for Superpole, in which the top-10 drivers from the 15-minute Q1 battle for pole position. Ultimately, Maggi finished ninth, which gave him a starting spot on row five.
The first laps in qualifying went very well,” Maggi reports. “I wasn’t at the limit yet and there was still some way to go with the setup, but overall it was very good. Then in Superpole it was different. In the cold car, I had no grip on the rear axle.” So it was with mixed feelings that the Swiss then went into the first race of the 2022 NWES season.
The rounds of the EuroNASCAR PRO Championship had a distance of 18 laps each in Spain and Maggi was set to push his way towards the top on Saturday. Under the blazing Spanish sun, Maggi made up two positions in the race to ultimately finish seventh. That was also good enough for second place behind Tobias Dauenhauer in the Junior Trophy for drivers up to and including the age of 25.
However, Maggi could have done much better: “When I was fighting for fourth place, the safety car came out. At the beginning the car felt good, but in the course of the race I lost grip on the rear axle. That’s why toward the end of the race I had my problems holding my own against the competition.” However, Maggi said he was ultimately satisfied with seventh place.
In the second race, things did not go according to plan for Maggi. Not only did he get a penalty for a false start, but he also had to deal with a malfunction in his braking system. “I was glad I could cool it down during the caution, because I’m not sure I could have finished the race under green”; says the Swiss, who ultimately finished 18th overall and took sixth place in the Junior Trophy.
With a solid result in his luggage, Maggi will travel to Brands Hatch in the UK on June 11 and 12. The track near London is home to the ninth edition of the very popular American SpeedFest. Maggi certainly wants not only to have fun there again, but also to build on Saturday’s strong race in Spain and knock on the door of the top-5.
