We knew he was quick. You don’t win Hillclimb championships if you aren’t. We also knew he was fast on the track as he proved this at Mugello last year on his debut in the Trofeo. However, nobody could have imagined him dominating as he did. David Baldi, from Tuscany, had turned up the pace ever since free practice and was always in the leading places in terms of lap times.
The only drivers able to put Baldi under any sort of pressure were Stefano Gai and Lorenzo Casé but he managed to get the better of both of them. In the end, his main rival was… himself. In Race 1 and holding a big lead, he began experimenting with the EBD and didn’t realise Manuel Villa was closing in fast.
In Race 2, the Tuscan showed he had learned his lesson and, having set a scorching pace right from the start, he comfortably held off the pack.
It was a surprising opening weekend and things will be just as interesting in two weeks’ time at Monza in the next round.
