Regular visitors to this site will know that Adrian Zaugg is a contributor. The former A1 GP, GP2 and Red Bull Young Driver is currently competing in the European Lamborghini Trofeo series. His most recent race meeting was in Belgium. At this event he hosted South African Michal Mechant as a VIP guest. Race fan Mechant is a Capetonian living and working in Belgium and tries to get to any car-related event he can. He was keen to share his experiences with CAR:
When my alarm went off at 05h05, I knew it was going to be a good day. After a three hour train journey from Antwerp, on the Flemish side of Belgium, I was finally at the world-famous Spa-Francorchamps (in the French quarter). It was a muggy day, there was thick cloud cover and a thunderstorm seemed to be brewing above.
Adrian Zaugg was kind enough to provide a fellow South African with a Paddock Pass for the day and I felt like a kid in a candy store walking through the paddock and pit area, seeing all the team transportation trucks and supercars. As it was the 24 hours of Spa endurance event I could hear the sound of the Formula Renault cars buzzing around the track.
I found my way to the Bonaldi Team where I found Mr Zaugg. He was busy preparing for his race at 10h30 but we still managed to have a chat, he is quite patriotic about SA and his helmet has our national flag as part of the design. After showing me the cockpit in his car it was time for his race to start. Hearing the rumble of a race spec Lamborghini – an amazing sound – he was off to the front row of the starting grid as that’s where Adrian finished in heat one the day before.
Making my way to the first corner to see the race action up close the mother of all lightning displays started and a torrential down our, left me soaked. But that didn’t stop me. The race started behind a safety car and after a couple of laps went by the rain stopped the race started proper. Wanting to get a different perspective of the race I went up to the Pit Brasserie and watched the remainder of the race from above the pit lane, having a view of the last chicane (the Bus Stop), the start straight and the pits.
Zaugg managed to pull off a great overtake to take the lead. The mandatory pit stop was quite interesting to witness from above, watching how the drivers swapped positions scrambling in and out of the car. His team mate, De Noro, races in the Pro-Am championship and is not as quick as Adrian, and as a result he dropped to 6th place where they finished the race.
After the race was done Zaugg, his team mate and I had a catch up about the race and his team mate admitted the car was perfect but he just isn’t fast in the rain. Walking around the mobile home and speaking to some of the team members one realises how close knit they are – there is a real positive spirit, like they are a family. The owners of the team, the Bonaldi family, were very friendly and headed off to Brussels to have some mussels (not kidding). Meanwhile the drivers and I finished of the day with lunch in the Super Trofeo canteen with the rest of the team members.
All in all it was a really amazing experience, and although I was at Spa-Franchorchamps in 2010 for the Formula 1 as an ordinary spectator it was really something else being up close in the paddock area. Spa is a really special place, which every petrolhead needs to visit at some point in their life!
