Middleton fails to hit top gear on Italy return

ITALY’S Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli did not bring the joyous return to race action Stuart Middleton had hoped for during round two of the Italian GT Sprint Championship.

The 22-year-old from Ashington was back on track just six weeks after sustaining injuries during the opening event of the 2022 campaign at Monza after being hit by a car in the pits - and just days after having a plaster cast removed from his left arm,

He raced to a sixth-place finish along with team-mate Alberto Di Folco in race one, the Italian set to start the second race encounter from pole position.

However, the No.6 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 ground to a halt shortly after heading from the pits to the grid – the result of a sensor failure on the engine.

Lamborghini GT3 Junior Programme racer Middleton pictured right) said: “I am speechless to be honest.

“In terms of the championship that is near enough impossible now.

“However, we will crack on when the season resumes and achieve the very best results we can. We will be going for nothing other than wins, we have nothing to lose.”

He added: “It was such an annoying thing to have gone wrong with the sensor but nothing anyone at the team could have done as the car fired up fine when it was checked before going out to the grid.

“In terms of my injuries it was not too bad.

“Misano is quite a physical track, though, with the slow speed corners and so I had to fight and hustle the car a bit.

“After free practice I was a bit sore, I had to compensate but I came through it OK.”