+ CRT-Sport GR Supra victorious on debut weekend
+ Razoon – more than racing beats a clash to top Pro-Am
+ JSB doubles up in Am
+ Result, Race 2, Circuit Paul Ricard
CRT-Sport drivers Lucas Cartelle and Hudson Schwartz claimed a stunning victory in a breathless final GT4 Europe race at Circuit Paul Ricard, putting their new GR Supra on top on its first outing.
After SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm’s win earlier in the day, it means both brand-new GT4 Europe entries finish the opening weekend of the season victorious. Few would have bet on the GR Supra duo approaching the closing moments of the race, but a late safety car bunched the pack and gave Cartelle the chance to jump past the #12 Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport BMW that had led comfortably after strong stints from Gabriele Piana and Thomas Rackl.
The debut wins didn’t end there, with Chris Salkeld helping Razoon – more than racing to a big Pro-Am victory, even if his team-mate Daniel Drexel had to survive a nasty clash in the second half to bring the car home. Julien Briché and Nicco Ferrarin doubled up in Am, scoring a second win for the JSB Compétition Porsche.
CARTELLE TAKES HIS CHANCE FOR CRT
With just a handful of minutes left to run, this race looked to be going the way of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, with Rackl enjoying a six-second gap out front. However, a short safety car wrecked his advantage and gave Cartelle the chance to pounce.
Piana had started the Borusan BMW on pole and the early stages of the race featured an electric multi-car battle between him, Clément Seyler’s Racing Spirit of Léman Aston Martin, Schwartz in the CRT Supra and Erik Evans’ Academy Motorsport Mustang. All four cars traded places – often running three or four-wide – with Piana having to pull a stunning move on the brakes to hold on to the lead. Seyler would again make it through to lead in the #74 Vantage, but Piana would fight back right before the Aston pitted.
Piana opted to stop latest of the leaders, handing across to Rackl who rejoined with a comfortable advantage ahead of the fight that continued behind. However, when the #77 Elite McLaren stopped on track, the safety car was called and Rackl was dragged back into the action. When racing resumed, Cartelle got a great run to draft into the lead, followed by Pedro Garcia in the #74 Aston. Rackl was then shuffled further back by the Mercedes-AMGs of both Lluc Ibañez (NM Racing Team) and Race 1 winner Enrico Förderer (SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm).
Once ahead Cartelle brought the car home for an emotional win, while Garcia soaked up relentless pressure from Ibañez and Förderer to secure second. Reigning champions Robert Consani and Benjamin Lariche again had a race to forget, retiring their Team Speedcar Audi with damage early on.
RAZOON HANGS ON AS JSB DOES THE DOUBLE
The fight in Pro-Am was too close for comfort, literally. Things came to a head in the second half when the #31 W&S Porsche, #37 Team Speedcar Audi and #70 Razoon BMW ran three-wide down the straight before a touch caused chaos.
Sacha Bottemanne led early on in the Audi, ahead of Salkeld in the BMW and Tim Horrell in the Porsche. All three kept things clean before handing to their team-mates, which is when the race got spicy.
Alon Gabbay was attempting to pass both Viny Beltramelli (who had taken over from Bottemanne) and Drexel (in for Salkeld) when the cars clashed. Contact between the Porsche and Audi sent Beltramelli into Drexel side-on, breaking the R8’s suspension and delaying Drexel. It also earned a penalty for the Porsche, so while Gabbay took the flag first he was dropped back to 10th. That left Drexel and Salkeld to pick up the win in their bruised BMW, ahead of Victor Bouveng and Joakim Walde’s Schubert Motorsport M4. Edvin Hellsten and Daniel Nilsson were third in the Nova Racing Porsche.
JSB Compétition completed a perfect weekend with another Am win. Julien Briché ran as high as ninth overall, pulling a comfortable gap over his class rivals before Ferrarin completed the job. Daniel Blickle and Moritz Berrenberg were second for W&S with GR Racing Sweden drivers Mikael and Christoffer Brunnhagen again completing the podium.
