Christian Merli wins in Croatia
Behind the wheel of his Osella FA 30 Judd LRM Christian Merli obtains the sixth overall victory this season. In the tenth and final round of the European hill climb championship he clearly dominates the 43rd edition of the Buzetski dani hill climb on the 5.001 km track in northern Istria in Croatia.
The interview
“I’m very happy to have won the final race with the most powerful car in the history of hill climb since 2009, the Osella FA 30, and we’re going out on a high note. I’d like to thank Enzo Osella for this amazing adventure. Unfortunately from January 2025 onwards I won’t be able to take part in the European championship with this car anymore because of the new regulations. I’ll take my interests elsewhere. It has been a fantastic year; we dominated six out of nine races and won the “Best Performer” title of the 2024 season. We also won the single-seater group E2-SS. Despite winning six out of nine races outright, we can’t claim the championship title. The regulations are complicated. We’ve got the same number of points as Schatz, 200, and it seems that for a question of jokers I can’t be European champion. I’ve asked the Federation for clarification and I’m waiting for a response. First it said that you could leave out one race and drop another. That’s what I relied on when I was in Colorado for the Pikes Peak hill climb, and then subsequently I dropped one first place. I’ve done my best and I’m happy. Now I’m waiting for a reply.”
The weekend in Croatia
With his Osella FA 30 Judd LRM Merli tops the timesheet in the first practice session, followed by his team colleague Hin. Schatz (Nova Proto NP01) comes in fourth. In the second session on Saturday Schatz is first. Rain looms when Christian is at the start. Hin damages his Osella. The race is interrupted and it begins to rain. The champion from Trentino returns to the paddock to put on rain tyres. He finishes ninth.
In the first race run the surface is humid. Hin, with competition number 2, crashes his Osella. Merli, who is already on the track, gets red-flagged and returns downhill to restart. He obtains the best time; his direct opponent, Schatz, is 0”583 behind. For the overall classification in the European championship the times of the two race runs are added together. In the second race run the Scuderia Vimotorsport driver is 0”630 ahead of Schatz and conquers the sixth overall victory this season. He has in fact won in Portugal, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Slovenia and Croatia. Not to forget the fantastic victory at Pikes Peak in Colorado/USA.
The podium on accumulated times
1st Merli (Osella FA 30 Judd LRM), 2nd Schatz (Nova Proto NP01) 1”213 behind, 3rd Iraola Lanzagorta (Nova NP01) 2”341 behind.
Translation by Ruth Scheithauer