Ongaro beats impressive Polito as Italians dominate SIGP

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro has won the SIGP in Xiamen, China, the World Champion being made to work hard for his latest race victory by a very impressive Mattia Polito.  Describing the race himself afterwards as the ‘the hardest final of the year’, Ongaro and the Sworkz’s Polito provided all the entertainment as they quickly established themselves the class of the field in the 45-minute final.  With Xray pairing Bruno Coelho and David Ronnefalk no match for the Italian duo, Top Qualifier Polito led the way from Ongaro with the first lead change coming during the second of fuel stops, the drivers one lap apart in stopping.  With the pair running nose to tail and at times side by side, the middle third of the race would get plenty of reactions from the crowd.  With Polito leading as the race entered the final 15-minutes, the 21-year-old would suffer a roll over that handed Ongaro a lead he would relinquish and second mistake later in the lap cost Polito a total of 6-second which despite a valiant effort he wouldn’t recover.   In the end just 10-seconds would separate them while 2-laps down Coelho crossed the line to complete the podium at the 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track.

Reacting to his win, Ongaro said, ‘that was definitely the hardest final of the year for sure.  I think also harder than the main of the Worlds in Spain but anyway it was good, it was a great fight with Mattia.  We were super close together and faster than the others too so we are super happy as a team for Matrix, and for me because everything was on point today.’  The 23-year-old continued, ‘From where we started on Tuesday today was better for sure.  It was not an easy race here but we did our best.’  Asked about his late mistake, the evening light beginning to fade, he replied, ‘I couldn’t see the car cause it was a little bit dark and there was traffic, but anyway it was a great final.’

Impressing many with his performance this weekend, Polito summed up the final with, ‘It was good.  Ongaro was fast but we fight from the start to the finish.  I made three mistakes but this track is difficult so I am really happy with this result’.  Having claimed 3rd place in eBuggy on this his first visit to the SIGP, he said, ‘2 podiums for my first time here is great so I think maybe we will be back next year.’

With the SIGP bringing to a close a busy two weeks in China for Coelho, him winning the FEMCA Touring Car last weekend in Foshan, on the final he said, ‘It was a very tough final, the conditions are super difficult out there, it was a very hard 45-minutes.  I was super tired, the muscles in my hand felt a lot of pain.  I don’t normally drive that much.  I drive 15-minute a day normally in electric, today I was 10 minutes for each of the eBuggy races, then 10-minutes warm-up, 25 for the Semi plus 45 in the final, I was really super tired.  Half of the final I could not feel my hands and I felt a little dizzy so it was pretty intense.’  Asked about his car he replied, ‘we lacked a bit of something that we still have not figured out but the guys up front they were one step ahead of us.  Even without all the mistakes I did it wasn’t possible to fight with them cause they were one step ahead of us.’

Enjoying the win in eBuggy ahead of Ongaro and Polito, on the Nitro final Ronnefalk said, ‘Well it was better than the Semi Final for sure cause in the Semi I really had a tough time but then at the start of the Final I felt in the warm-up the car was definitely better yet no grip.  We tried to stay in it but at one point it looked like they had a lot more traction than us in the Main so no chance.  You are trying so hard to make the perfect line but then the car is just moving around and doesn’t go forward.  Looking at the best lap after it’s pretty clear they had an advantage over us today in the afternoon.’  The former World Champion continued, ‘I was trying many times to reset and refocus but it was really tough as even when I was making clean laps it was just slow and I didn’t make up any ground.  It’s what it is, I am still pleased with the win I got in eBuggy.  I’m happy about going back home and finishing off the year with at least one win, it’s always a good feeling moving in to 2025.’

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