time champion Guido Cappellini and become only the second
person to win four championships on the bounce, but team
manager Philippe Dessertenne has stated that ‘the pressure
on them is probably greater than ever if they are to maintain
their top billing’.
It has been a fascinating rise to the top for Chiappe, who after
making his debut in 2002 had to wait 11 years and 86 races
for his first victory, which came in Kiev in 2013, and another
year for his first pole position, in Abu Dhabi. His three-year
title winning run since 2014 has seen him add a further 6 race
wins and 10 podiumfinishes to his total podium tally of 29. He
will line up in Portimao looking for his Grand Prix hat-trick in
Portugal and a second straight win on the Arade River circuit.
PeterMorin, Chiappe’s son-in-law, is an experienced racer and
by no means a ‘rookie’ and has been part of the team for many
years. He has won multiple French Championships in S3000
and World Endurance Championships, he finished runner-up
in theF2WorldChampionship in2014and alongsideChiappe
has won the Rouen 24hr four times.
So where is the challenge to Chiappe and CTIC F1 Shenzhen
China in 2017 going to come from?
The team ran a series of tests in March and early April
ahead off the season opener, with Selio looking to take a
third consecutive pole position in Portugal and his first win.
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