Trottet pair win thrilling race in last lap and take 24-point leadBlack day for the Autorlando and IMSA PorschesSix Ferraris in the top 6, with Giammaria-Bonetti (Edil Cris) 2ndDouble win for the Villois Astons in GTS
It was an exciting and eventful GT Open yesterday in Monza, which ended with a clear triumph of Ferrari over Porsche and a significant change at the top of the overall standings: Marcel Fässler and Joël Camathias won again today and now the Swiss pair of Trottet Racing has a 24-point advantage on Richard Lietz-Gianluca Roda (Autorlando Porsche), who today had to retire when the left rear tire exploded shortly before the driver change. The pair lost the second position it was holding because of this accident, which was exactly the same they suffered last year here!
It was a beautiful late summer day in Monza, but it was written it wasn’t Porsche’s day. The German machines seemed to be in a dominating position, with Pilet-Narac leading the race on the IMSA car, but soon after Lietz’ trouble, in lap 20, Raymond Narac who had taken over from Pilet got hit in the back by the Autorlando Porsche of Pedro Couceiro, as the Portuguese driver was fighting to get first position but missed the braking pointat the first chicane. The incident left out both cars. There was still one Porsche 911 GT3 RSR to aspire to victory, the IMSA car of Jean- Philippe Belloc and Yannick David, driven in the second stint by David, who tried to resist to the final assault of Marcel Fässler but had to concede the lead in the very last lap. The French Porsche would lose the 2nd position after the race, as its wheelbase exceeded the maximum value by some millimeters.
This meant that six F430 took the first six positions, with Raffaele Giammaria- Alessandro Bonetti giving Racing Team Edil Cris its first podium of the season ahead of the Advanced car of Rugolo-Ricci. These two F430 had an exciting duel with the sister car of Cioci-Perazzini in the final laps, which ended with Perazzini in the gravel at Lesmo but able to rejoin the race and take fourth. Last year’s winners, Bamford- Griffin were 5th and the Vittoria car of Sun Ho Lee-Maurizio Mediani 6th.
In the GTS category, for once, things were quiter, with the two Villois Astons of Max Wiser-Gabriele Lancieri and Lucas Guerrero-Marco Petrini cruising to a double win at home, ahead of the Kessel Ferrari of Lorenzo Bontempelli-Vadim Kuzminykh, with championship leaders Peter-Broniszewski, worried about consumption, took a fourth place still giving useful points for the championship.
UNOFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS(Official will be published Monday, after stewards decisions’ review)
Overall:1. Fässler-Camathias (Trottet Ferrari), 188 p.2. Roda-Lietz (Autorlando Porsche), 1643. Couceiro-Gião (Autorlando Porsche), 1324. Pilet-Narac (IMSA Porsche), 1295. Rugolo-Ricci (Advanced Ferrari), 127
GTS :1. Broniszewski-Peter (Kessel Ferrari), 90 p.2. Petrini (Villois Aston), 693. Wiser (Villois Aston), 664. Guerrero (Villois Aston),615. Lancieri (Villois Aston), 58Teams SGT:1. Autorlando Sport, 125 p.2. Trottet Racing, 813. IMSA Performance, 70
Teams GTS:1. Villois Racing, 1352. Kessel Racing, 1263. JC Lagniez, 16
