The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT found again the path to victory and conquered its third success of the year in the FIA GT1 World Championship at the Moscow Raceway, the brand new track built in the outskirts of the Russian capital. Laurens Vanthoor and Stphane Ortelli won the Qualifying Race, while Oliver Jarvis and Frank Stippler, who had led most of the race, climbed on the third step of the podium after losing pace in the final part of the race. The Belgian Audis had no rival in this first race and the result is the best reward for all the hard work put on by the team. In the Championship Race, with even more challenging weather and track conditions, the Audis R8 LMS ultra struggled a bit with tire grip, but could bring home two more good results, with Stippler-Jarvis again on the podium and Ortelli-Vanthoor fourth. With only two rounds to go, the fight for the titles in the FIA GT1 remains open.
Vincent Vosse was logically a happy Team Principal on Sunday afternoon: It has been a good weekend for us, and I am happy we could win again and visit the podium three times. No doubt that this is spirit-lifting for all of us! There are two aspects I would underline: first, this is the best reward for the boys after a long and challenging journey as this one, and second, the drivers made an outstanding job in quite difficult conditions.
The weekend had started with promising performances in free practice and qualifying, held under overcast skies but dry conditions, with Vanthoor and Jarvis eventually taking the fourth and fifth spots on the grid for Qualifying Race.
This first race started behind the safety-car, as a shower fell right before the start, obliging all cars to put on wet tires. When the safety-car freed the field after two laps, the two front-runners were caught by surprise at the braking for first corner, opening the way to the Audis of Jarvis and Vanthoor, who took the lead of the race with authority and put on the show, fighting between them. We had some fun, especially when we started catching the slower GT3 cars, but everything remained wise and fair, admitted Laurens Vanthoor, who added: The track was very wet and greasy during this first stint, so we had to pay a lot of attention. Some drivers that had already raced here told me this is a track that dries very slowly and the low temperature today certainly didnt help.
The pit stops didnt change the order of things and Frank Stippler led most of the second half of the race ahead of Stphane Ortelli, but the R8 of the German lost pace towards the end. The car started to oversteer more and more and I was also having problems with the gearbox when shifting down, explained Stippler, who was happy to cross the line in third, after losing two positions but salvaging a podium finish.
For the team, it was a minor disappointment as Ortelli, who had passed his team mate to take the lead, had no problems in controlling things and bring the #32 car to a well-deserved victory. The conditions were challenging, but the car was pretty good and being first, I could always benefit of the dry line, which made a difference. Laurens helped me via radio, updating me constantly on track conditions, explained the Monegasque.
Race 2 was even more challenging, as the rain increased, and from the real start (the race kicked-off again behind the safety-car), the R8s, with Ortelli and Stippler at the wheel (and a new gearbox on car #33), could not keep the top positions they had on the grid. Another safety-car period prompted early pit-stops, from which the Audis emerged well. From then on, they could climb some positions, with Jarvis finishing again on the podium as third, right in front of Vanthoor. Lack of grip was the key in this second race, analyzed WRT Sports Director Pierre Dieudonn, and you never know exactly how these tires react in changing conditions. It got better towards the end of the race, and the result is the best we could get, as the two McLarens were unapproachable.
Moscow results have narrowed the gaps on top of the overall standings of the FIA GT1, which promises an exciting final two rounds. Of course, in terms of points toll, it would have been better to win the Championship Race, concludes Pierre Dieudonn, but we said we wouldnt give up until the end on the title race, and thats what we have proven here.
Next stop is in three weeks at the Nrburgring, where the team will also be involved in the Blancpain Endurance Race scheduled within the same event, but in the meantime, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT will be competing in the other Belgian 24 Hours race, in Zolder, on 8-9 September. GT1 World - Round 7
Moscow Raceway, Russia
1-2 September 2012
Results Race 1
1. Vanthoor-Ortelli (Audi R8 LMS ultra) 32 laps in 1h00m49s179
2. Winkelhock-Basseng (Mercedes SLS AMG) + 9s511
3. Stippler-Jarvis (Audi R8 LMS ultra) +16s982
4. Makowiecki-Dssledorp (McLaren MP4 12C) +17s143
5. Jaeger-Pastorelli (Mercedes SLS AMG) +24s626
Results Race 2
1. Dsseldorp-Makowiecki (McLaren MP4-12C) 29 laps in 1h00m07s278
2. Parente-Dumoustier (McLaren MP4 12C) +25s411
3. Stippler-Jarvis (Audi R8 LMS) +31s828
4. Ortelli-Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS) +32s470
5. Winkelhock-Basseng (Mercedes SLS AMG) +40s546
Drivers Championship Standings after Race 14 of 18
1. Bartels-Buurman 127 points
2. Winkelhock-Basseng 121
3. Dusseldork-Makowieck 110
4. Ortelli-Vanthoor 90
5. Pastorelli-Jaeger 86
6. Jarvis-Stippler 75
Teams Championship Standings after Race 14 of 18
1. All-Inkl Mnnich Motorsport 207 points
2. Vita4One Racing Team 173
3. Belgian Audi Club Team WRT 165
4. Hexis Racing 154
5. AF Corse 81
Next FIA GT1 Round
Nrburgring (DE), 22-23 September 2012.
