Giacomo Piccini : “To be just behind the diesels”

Giacomo Piccini hails from Sansepolcro in Tuscany, just an hour down the road from Imola so he's batting on home turf this weekend. The MIK Corse driver is counting on the Italian event to score a good result in his no. 23 Zytek 09.

Being from Tuscany means you know Imola like the back of your hand?
“I live an hour from here but I haven't raced a lot on this circuit. I tested a Lola and did a GT race in the Italian Championship in a Lamborghini.”

MIK Corse started the 2011 season a bit late. Are you ready for Imola?
“We were not at the first round at Le Castellet as we were setting up the team's organization. Everything gradually fell into place. Zytek gave us a lot of help. Spa was a test, really. Everybody's pulling in the same direction and the times are starting to come down. Yesterday we set a similar pace to the LM P1 petrol-engined cars. The diesels are unbeatable.”

How do you feel in the Zytek 09?
“It's a fantastic car to drive, the best I've ever had. Before that I drove F3000s, GP2s, but this car's completely different. The aerodynamics, brakes - the lot's just fantastic! When you're on a qualifying lap it's like being in a single-seater, you have to get the best out of the car. The parameters are more numerous in the race. You have to double stint and hand the car back to your team-mate in perfect condition. Overall, there's a Le Mans Series ambience. It's a special championship with a real history.”

What are your aims for the race?
“We did a lot of work on the setups during the free sessions as we came here with the basic setup supplied by Zytek. Now we have to have more track time. Maximo Corte will do the qualifying. Our aim is to be just behind the diesels in fifth or sixth place. Then we'll see!”