Suzuki Cup: The title is just a matter of form

Marcel Muzzarelli's recipe is simple and difficult at the same time: first make a clean first run and then really attack in the second. The problem with his opponents: Most of the time, the man from Graubünden, who has made his home in Thurgau, is already so fast in the first run that he puts them under pressure, while he himself doesn't have much left to lose. After all, to become champion, he didn't have to win all the time after finishing second in the opening race in Interlaken and three consecutive victories.

A 14th place is enough for Muzzerelli
In Drognens, "Muzzi" was in fourth position after the first run and then surged ahead to second place. Only Fabian Eggenberger was even faster, as in training. With a 16-point lead over the man from Zurich, who could make up only four points with his third win of the season on October 5 in Ambri, Muzzarelli only needs a 14th place to win the title. Nevertheless, he does not want to know anything about it yet.

Marcel Muzzarelli: "Without a strike result, the championship is not finished until after the last race. I could get sick or have an accident on the way there."

Eggenberger wants to be runner-up
Of course, no one would wish that on him. For his closest opponents, he's already as good as the champion anyway. For his first pursuer, too.

Fabian Eggenberger: "Marcel is simply incredible, he is always first or second. It would be a shame if he didn't become champion, he can only beat himself. Since my first win in Chamblon, second place in the championship has been my goal."

Simeon Schneider, who is 18 points behind the leader in the standings and still has a theoretical chance of winning the title, will challenge him in any way he can in Ticino. In Drognens, the Zurich native was "a bit too slow everywhere" in the first run, and in the second the line was not clean enough. Nevertheless, it was enough for third place.

Zimmermann's goal error disregarded
Still second behind Eggenberger in practice, Christian Zimmermann slipped to fourth position in the race. It could also have been first or second place for him if he had known that his goal error from the first run would not be noted in the rankings - another blunder by an inattentive track marshal. We are by no means lumping everyone together in the same pot.

Christian Zimmermann: "I heard the door bang on the car. Without a goal error, I wouldn't have driven to safety in the second run and a better time would have been in it."

Satisfied with themselves and the Suzuki world were Jean-Claude Debrunner and Mario Diethelm, who achieved their best results of the season with 5th and 6th places. Diethelm is already the best front-wheel drive rookie, as he previously drove a Suzuki WRX STi in LOC slaloms.

Fehr from the role
Losers of the seventh championship round, on the other hand, are Sandro Fehr and the Flammer Speed Team. Before Drognens, Fehr even had theoretical chances of winning the title, but after a disappointing eighth place, he will need a miracle in Ambri to even achieve a medal position. For himself, this is an unusual situation with which he is struggling.

Sandro Fehr: "In the last two years I drove the Swift faultlessly in L2. Now mistakes are creeping in under pressure. Somehow it's not the same now."

Flammer Speed Team without points
Flammer even has to accept a zero. Actually Martin Bürki should and wanted to drive in Drognens with the car of the Glarus team on the podium, but the registration went him or his administrator somehow under the ice. Nobody is perfect, which has the consequence that with Zimmermann a Flammer customer from Glarus advanced to fifth place in the standings. With his seventh place Ralf Henggeler moved up to the seventh position, passing Daniel Schneider (only P12).

Strong rookies and dashing lady
In the ACS section race on the Anneau du Rhin, which is not part of the Cup, Hannes Mahler - formerly victorious in the Mini Challenge - started for the first time with the Suzuki Swift of his life partner Barbara Baeriswyl and took a good eleventh place in Drognens.

Mathias Schläppi sat at the wheel of Claudio Kunz's car for the first time ever and immediately placed in a good midfield position in fifteenth place. His E1-Swift Evo 2000, with which he achieved top national rankings, needs a major repair after an engine failure on the Gurnigel.

Alexandra Mühlethaler finished 18th in the 36-strong field, her best result to date. She already shone on the same course at the Romont slalom in June with 19th place. The unofficial title as best lady of the year would already be secured for her - everything else will be decided on October 5.

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