*The sound of a clipboard snapping in half echoes through the Freisinger pit box.*
We covered eight laps of Autodromo Nazionale Monza in seven minutes and forty-six seconds. Alexei Vasiliev wrestled the #77 Porsche GT3-RSR around every high-speed chicane, managing tyre degradation and traffic with the precision of a Swiss watchmaker. Yet, somehow, the top step of the podium slipped away by a mere 0.743 seconds.
Patrick "Paper" Head spent the final lap leaning over the telemetry screens with a magnifying glass, muttering about unsanctioned ballast. According to his calculations, the winning #02 SEGA car driven by Fernando Horta carried an aerodynamic advantage that defies both engineering textbooks and common sense.
Patrick "Paper" Head (Technical Consultant): Look at the rear wing mounting brackets. They are not even bolted down with standard metric fasteners. I suspect adhesive tape and pure psychological warfare.
Vasiliev brought the car home safely in second position, comfortably ahead of the DHL Racing pair of Emmanuel Collard and Tim Sugden, who finished third and fourth respectively. But finishing behind a side character like Horta leaves a bitter taste in the garage.
Alexei Vasiliev (#77 driver): The car felt balanced throughout the stint. We missed out on victory by less than a second, which is frustrating, but we will look at the data and return stronger.
Freisinger Motorsport pit radio transcript, lap 8:
Pit wall (#77): Alexei, gap to the #02 is under a second. Push now.
Alexei Vasiliev (#77): I am flat out through Parabolica! The tyres are gone!
Pit wall (#77): Just keep it on the asphalt, do not let DHL pass us for second.
