F3000 Italia 1999

After qualifying, the front of the grid was filled by a mixture of experience and new talent. Marcelo Battistuzzi, making his debut in the series after his International F3000 team Portman Arrows had quit, set pole position ahead of the impressive Ananda Mikola. Vallelunga winner Marco Apicella qualified third and Giorgio Vinella was fourth. Two rookies made up the third row; the Italian Gabriele Lancieri was fifth and Poland's Jaroslaw Wierczuk a surprising sixth. Paolo Montin was denied the chance to repeat his Vallelunga form, a dirty fuel filter depowering his engine of about 20hp. Missing from the entry list was Polo Villaamil, racing elsewhere in the International series, and Darren Turner, who was replaced by Battistuzzi at Redgrave.

As the lights changed Monaco's Marco Apicella made the best start, leading for the first lap from third on the grid. Behind, Mikola ran into a fast-starting and sharp-braking Mark Shaw, slightly damaging his front left suspension, causing understeer, and forcing him to drop to fifth. Bad luck soon ended Apicella's day, as on the second lap gearbox problems struck. Thus Redgrave's Marcelo Battistuzzi took over the lead again and controlled the rest of the race.

On the fourth lap the Durango pair of Wierczuk and Paolo Montin did themselves no favours; Montin dived inside of Wierczuk at the Ascari chicane, the two collided and Wierczuk spun around. The Polish driver retired immediately while Montin rejoined before abandoning his car at the Goodyear chicane. The race then settled down, Battistuzzi in control at the front, until behind the leaders there was drama in the form of a nasty accident. Ananda Mikola was battling with Gabriele Lancieri when the two Lolas touched entering Lesmo on the 23rd lap, as the latter attempted to pass for fourth place. Both cars careered off the track at approximately 150mph, and Mikola was injured by a suspension strut piercing his foot.

His cut leg required several stitches. The finish was therefore held behind the safety car as the Indonesian was extricated from his car. Battistuzzi thus took a full ten points from winning on his F3000 Italia debut, setting himself up as a favourite for the title and sharing the championship lead with Apicella. Giorgio Vinella, again taking a good points finish, was third ahead of Werner Lupberger and Mark Shaw. Riccardo Moscatelli took fifth on the road, but a time penalty for jumping the chicane was imposed and Cesare Manfredini gained the two points. Moscatelli had to be satisfied with one point for 6th. Giandomenico Brusantin was the last of the runners in seventh, while Mikola and Lancieri were classified eighth and ninth.

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