Starting from the Friday free practice, Marco Bonanomi was immediately one of the fastest drivers and Sunday finally came the expected result in the race: in the third race of the Italian F.3 Championship on the Magione track, Bonanomi took a very precious second place, the second European podium for the new Lola-Dome F106/03 after the one obtained by Christian Montanari in Binetto. Also the Dome Cars Ltd could immediately brighten up on this second podium, thanks to presence in Magione of the Managing Director, Tadashi Sasaki.

After the first moments of the race, when he lost one position, Marco stayed calm and with an exciting overtaking in the outfield line passed Berton, starting then to fight with Galeffi. Bonanomi exploited well a difficult overtake of Galeffi on a lapped car and he did pass him, earning the second position and achieving his first podium in a single-seater car, even more precious given that this podium came on a hard and technical circuit like Magione.

A week end to forget instead for Montanari: Christian, started from the ninth position, had to fight hard in the field on the first lap. On the “Vecchi Box” corner, one of the hottest and most difficult spot of the circuit, a car spun and damaged seriously the rear right suspension of the Lola n.21, ending before the time Montanari’s race.

The result achieved in Magione by Coloni Motorsport is a success obtained thanks to the continuous work of development done by the team and drivers, Montanari and Bonanomi, that also in the past week continued to work incessantly on the F106/03. After a well earned period of rest, Coloni Motorsport will go back to work to prepare the Imola race, scheduled on May 18th.

Tadashi Sasaki, Managing Director, Dome Cars Ltd. : “I’m very satisfied with this results and with the ones obtained in the first races. Coloni Motorsport did a good job: our car is a newborn and is normal to have some troubles, but thanks to Coloni’s experience we solved them quickly and for this I want to thank the team and I’m satisfied with their collaboration. I’m also happy with the two drivers, Bonanomi and Montanari, who showed to have good skills. Dome so far was used to work with great constructors like Honda and Toyota, but now we also started to work as constructors, building a new F3 car. In Italy we chose to co-operate with Coloni Motorsport because, knowing the way the Italian team works, I can be sure that every trouble will be resolved easily. We came in Europe with the will of learning, knowing that it won’t be easy beat the cars build by Giampaolo Dallara that I really admire, but I’m sure that the co-operation for the development of our single-seater with Coloni will help us to achieve our goals”.

Marco Bonanomi, driver: “It was a superb race, wonderful. I’m very happy because the Magione second place is my first podium on a single-seater. I’m satisfied both for me and for Coloni; this Lola-Dome project is growing very rapidly, we’re developing the car with excellent results. The race was exalting: Ippoliti, ahead of me, had a bad start and I was slowed losing one position, but on the first lap at the Curvone’s breaking point I did pass Bertone in the outfield, exploiting well the lapped cars. Earned the second position, I tried to maintain a high rhythm without pushing in order to finish the race and collect the more information I could about new particulars we introduced in Magione and which will be brought also in Imola, where I hope to confirm this result”.

Christian Montanari, driver: “Unfortunately it was a bitter week end for me because during qualification I couldn’t obtain a good time. I’m sorry for this result, given that I made a very good start and I was able to overtake a pair of drivers, but in the “Vecchi Box” corner I was hit by an opponent and my rear right suspension was damaged. I’m sorry but however I’m confident for Imola, where I think to make a good race”.