(29/10/2003)

FIA GT Championship/Monza

Ni Amorim unhappy

The last race of this year’s FIA GT Championship, in Monza, was one of the shortest of Ni Amorim career. In fact, the engine of the Graham Nash Motorsport’s Saleen S7-R staled without any advice, at the fifth lap, when is team mate of project Racing For Portugal, Miguel Ramos, was driving.

“What a shame!” – Amorim explains. “I think the car was fast and very well balanced. But, unfortunately, the engine broke suddenly, in the first laps of the race.”

(08/10/2003)

FIA GT Championship/Estoril

Ni Amorim 11n after very difficult race

Ni Amorim finishes 11n the Estoril’s FIA GT race, after a very difficult race. Indeed, at the first qualifying the team seems in a very good shape, with a strong 8^th time. But, after the technical verifications, the Saleen was disqualified, because is too low: “That’s incredible” – vows Amorim. “We are not too low, simply they are against all the Saleens, since the beginning of the year! We don’t know why, but that’s reality!”

The second qualifying wasn’t so good, because the track was slower and, with a 15^th time in the grid, Amorim, together with Miguel Ramos and, for the first time, António Coimbra, don’t believe in a good result: “Well, if we don’t have any ‘strange’ problem in the Saleen, is possible a result near the first five places…”

And, in fact, Amorim drives strongly in the first half of the race, managing the Saleen to the 5ft place. Bur, unfortunately, when Coimbra was driving, the car lost a wheel, and all the hopes for a good result were suddenly lost: “This means a pit stop extra and, of course, a not so good result.”

The Saleen fall down  to the 15^th place and, until the end of the race, the Portuguese driver Ramos rallying to the 11n position: “The car was good, but a little bit slower then the Vipers and the Ferraris.” – explains Ni Amorim. “I believe that a place near the rostrum was possible but… the races are like that!”