Superb second win of the season for the Belgian Audi Club WRT Team
The third round of the European GT3 Championship, which took place on the Spanishtrack of Navarra, couldn’t be more successful for the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT,who took its second win of the season, in an exciting and closely-fought Race 2.Grégory Franchi and Enzo Ide imposed their Audi R8 LMS thanks to a perfectovertaking by Ide in the very last lap! With this success, and the 6th place obtained inRace 1, the Belgian duo significantly reduces the gap in the overall standings of theFIA GT3, where they lay now in 3rd position, only 7 points from the top.
It definitely was a week-end of strong emotions for the Belgian squad. On Saturday, Gregand Enzo could certainly have some regrets. The Belgian pair (with Ide at the wheel in thefirst stint after having qualified 8th) had climbed up positions during the race and couldenvisage a podium finish, which vanished in the final laps, as Greg Franchi was stuck behinda lapped car for a long while. As the temperature of all systems dropped because of theslow-down, the engine went into “security mode”, which further slowed down the car. Threepositions were lost and the Audi crossed the line in sixth position.
Luckily, Sunday’s Race 2 would bring the sweetest revenge. Greg Franchi had qualified thecar in 5th position and after a faultless first stint, he gave it in 3rd position to Enzo Ide, whocharged during all his stint, taking second position and making up the disadvantage withrespect to the leading BMW of Harrie Kolen, whom he would catch few laps from thechequered flag and then pass in the very last lap! “The pit crew kept telling me over the radiothat I could make it and I kept pushing very hard”, told an elated Ide after the race. “I knewthere was only one corner where I could attempt passing, and that was what I did in the verylast lap. It was tight but clean, I just went for it and it worked! It is a very nice day for us,because we proved that with the new Balance of Performance, we are in a fairer playing fieldwith respect to our competitors. Although qualifying times still show some difference, thesituation is now much better than at the beginning of the season.”
Pierre Dieudonné, WRT’s Sports Director, conceded: “There was a sweet-and-soursensation among all of us after Saturday’s race, but today everything went perfectly and Imust congratulate our drivers for their reaction and the extraordinary performance they puton today.” From his side, Vincent Vosse stressed: “It was a superb demonstration byeverybody, the team, who did a great job, the car, which proved competitive, and most of all,the drivers, who were outstanding today. Still, I would have liked to see our second carracing here as well, and I know that’s what Didier André wanted too, it’s a pity it wasn’tpossible, as I think we could have had the two cars fighting for the win.”With two wins under the belt, the Belgian Audi Club WRT Team is now back in the top-3 inthe overall standings of the series, whose next round will be in only two weeks time, on theFrench circuit of Le Castellet.
European FIA GT3 – Round 3Navarra (ES)Results Race 11. Mayr-Meinhof/v. Turn u. Taxis (Lamborghini Gallardo LP560) 35 laps in 1h01m12s7692. Sandström-Al Faisal (BMW Z4 GT3) + 0s4593. Vos-den Boer (BMW Z4 GT3) +24s1054. Baumann-Bosi (Mercedes SLS AMG) +29s3415. Sladecks-Hirsch (Mercedes SLS AMG) +32s1886. Ide-Franchi (Audi R8 LMS) +43s541Results Race 21. Franchi-Ide (Audi R8 LMS) 33 laps in 1h00m10s5412. Colen-Katsburg (BMW Z4 GT3) + 0s8013. Glauque-Parisy (Mercedes SLS AMG) + 9s6374. Demay-Lunardi (Audi R8 LMS) +17s0565. Lesoudier-Martin (Aston Martin DBRS9) + 19s172Championship Standings after Round 6 of 121. den Boer-Vos 67 points2. Sandström-Al Faisal 633. Franchi-Ide 604. Castellacci-Leo 495. Martin-Lesoudier 4916. Halliday-André 8Next RoundPaul Ricard (FR), 16-17 July 2011.
