Recap The last Chapter: Malone also wins the European Championship
After winning the Italian title, the Marco Malone and FRT Racing 2 duo didn't stop, also claiming the continental title at the end of a dramatic final race.
The adventure beyond national borders began as a test to break in the new 2021 CRF 450 before throwing it into the Italian Championship fray, also taking advantage of the fact that the opening European race was on the "friendly" track of Ortona.
Therefore, at the end of June, Marco Malone and his team immediately got off to a good start, dominating Race 1 and renewing the duels that were already a key feature of the national championship. In Race 2, however, after taking the lead, the driver from Bellante was forced to slow down due to a mechanical issue, still finishing third. No big deal, as the European race had been specifically chosen to test the bike's reliability in race conditions.
But as they say, appetite comes with eating, and thanks to a rather limited calendar (3 stages) and the good results in the Italian championship, the team and driver decided to try and complete the European championship, participating in both the Spanish race in Forcarei and the final round in Castelletto di Branduzzo.
Therefore, at the end of August, the team and driver set off for one of the most remote places on the Iberian Peninsula, to face a race on a track never seen before. Although in a "rearranged" configuration, the team arrived in Spain with only the van, but still with everything necessary to allow Marco Malone to dominate from the first to the last lap of both heats. The Abruzzo driver gave no hope to his opponents, imposing his law of fast laps and proving untouchable for everyone.
The final event in Castelletto di Branduzzo came 15 days after the same track had crowned Malone and FRT Racing 2 Italian champions.
Given the scarcity of stages, Malone could count on a small advantage of 11 points, certainly not reassuring against the attacks of his direct pursuers. So he went to the track knowing that it wouldn't be easy, also due to the presence of a couple of rather fast wild cards who were free from championship constraints.
But as with the Italian championship finale, in this case too, Marco had the advantage that it was up to the others to push harder to overturn the standings, and a potential "man-marking" strategy would have been enough to guarantee him ultimate success.
Already in Race 1, the presence of the wildcards turned the fight for victory upside down. Malone, for his part, repeated the first leg of the Italian championship, remaining in vigilant control of the leading pack, confident in his point advantage and careful not to take unnecessary risks. The first race saw the Abruzzo driver take the checkered flag in fifth position, seeing his lead narrow to just seven points.
And the unfolding of Race 2 could be good inspiration for Ron Howard, the director of Rush, because the championship finale mirrored in some ways that fantastic Hunt - Lauda challenge of 40 years ago.
Malone starts badly and on the first lap is second to last. He pushes to catch up to the front, but on the third lap, he suffers a slide where the bike is quite damaged. Marco restarts, but everything seems compromised. Meanwhile, at the front, the battle rages, and the wild cards could unintentionally help Marco as they can snatch valuable points from those who need to catch up to the championship leader. Despite the damage to the bike, the FRT Racing 2 rider recovers one position, but the impression is that it won't be enough. The checkered flag arrives, Malone finishes sixth while the circuit announcer declares that the games are over and the title has gone another way. In the FRT Racing 2 tent, general despair reigns, and the classic polite phrases are already being heard but...
...but the race direction's calculations indicate that, in fact, that overtake secured the title! An incredulous Malone, going from despair to happiness in an instant, had to rush to the podium to be crowned European Champion, while around him, the unrestrained joy of the Emilian team erupted.
It's a powerful ending, and a title that came in a dramatic fashion, but ultimately the numbers clearly show that Marco Malone won half of the championship heats and that the second-place finisher on the top step of the podium in a European race never made it there.
The 2021 season for Marco Malone and FRT Racing 2 ends with a thrill, but above all with a double title, acknowledging the immense work done, fittingly crowned by the double final success. A memorable season for the FRT Racing 2 partnership and Marco Malone, and now, see you in 2022!
Photos and text by Marco Rimondi
