Double podium in Monza: Title hopes still alive

Stefan Riener made an impressive return from the summer break in the Formula Renault 2.0 ALPS Championship at Monza. The Austrian finished on the podium in two races out of three. He secured vital points in the championship fight by finishing fourth in the first race. The Koiranen GP youngster leaves Monza ranked third overall, just a few points adrift of the top spot.

Stefan, two third places on race Sunday is an excellent result. Did you expect it?
I’ve already achieved a couple of podiums this season but I never expected it, especially in the third race. I lined up in eighth place on the grid, because of the reversed grid rule, and my tyres were fairly worn after the second race. But I got away really well and immediately moved up a couple of places. It was a pretty action-packed race with a few accidents. I’d just overtaken the driver in third place, when there was a crash directly behind me. Several cars had collided with each other. That benefited me, because I had clean air to the rear. Had the tyres been in better shape, I might have done better than third place, but I’m happy with the result.

You finished on the podium in the second race, having started fifth on the grid. Another top-class performance…
Yes, I’ve been especially pleased with my starting this weekend. I immediately overtook the driver directly in front of me to move into fourth position. The top four were very tightly bunched, especially in this race, so there was no room for error. It went very well. I put pressure on the driver in third place after a safety car period. I knew that my race pace was good enough for a podium. The guy in front of me misbraked in the first chicane, and I overtook him. That enabled me to clinch a podium, but best of all, it earned me a lot more points towards the championship.

And did you really push the boat out to celebrate after your successful Sunday and P4 in Saturday’s race?
A little bit, but the points are not totalled up until the end, and there are still a lot to pick up. The two podiums have done me a power of good and given me great confidence for the upcoming races. I’d fallen back a little in the championship fight after my no-fault accident last weekend in Belgium. I’m now back pitching for the title after the super weekend in Monza. I’m only 16 points adrift of first place. I can make that up on a race weekend. We had a new car for the race at Monza, as the old one had been giving us problems. I got on with it really well right from the start. I’m certain that things will continue to go just as well.

You achieved your superb result at the world famous circuit in Monza, of all places. How did you cope with the fastest track on the calendar?
Very well! Monza is one of my most favourite tracks, in part, because of its great motor racing history. I was strong here last year and finished on the podium. This time, I was able to improve my performance even more. I can manage the many chicanes and high-speed corners extremely well. It would probably be even more fun in a faster single-seater car, and that may yet happen…

There was a real heatwave in Monza this weekend. Temperatures nudging 40 degrees were really challenging for fans in the stands. What was it like in the cockpit?
You could really feel the heat. Sunday especially with qualifying and the two races that followed was a challenge. The 30-minute races are very intense and you have to be fully focused all the time, but I kept going to the end. I could even have contested another race. Such conditions are exceptional but were no problem for me. Fitness will not let me down, for sure! I’ve prepared hard since the winter and am in great physical shape.

You will be racing again in just under two weeks in Italy. How do you rate your chances at the race weekend in Misano?
We tested last week in Misano. It went really well, even though we used the old car. My times should be even better with my new car, so I’m very confident. Misano is a proper bike track. You can see that from the flat kerbs in particular. We can also run over them at full speed in a formula racing car to gain vital tenths of a second. I like the mix of fast and slow turns. I think I’ve got a good chance of winning if I can just coax a bit more out of the car in qualifying.