The Benelux pair takes flag-to-flag win in Race 2 at the Nürburgring
Zampieri-Mavlanov (SMP) again 2nd, Montermini-Schirò (Villorba) 3rd
Ferrari makes 1-2 in GTS with Piccini-Roda and Sicart-Costantini
The Corvettes rounded a perfect season-opener in the GT Open, taking win also in Race 2, this time with the SRT Racing car of Maxime Soulet and Nick Catsburg, who dominated the race from flag-to-flag. Roman Mavlanov-Daniel Zampieri were second again on the SMP Racing Ferrari, preceding the other F458 of Villorba Corse with Andrea Montermini-Niccolò Schirò.
The battle was intense and beautiful in GTS until the very last lap, when Andrea Piccini impsed his experience and gave victory to AF Corse and team-mate Giorgio Roda. Another Ferrari, the Ombra Racing one of Alan Sicart-Stefano Costantini, was second, while the V8 Racing Corvette GT3 of Dylan Derdaele-Dennis Retena took its first podium finish.
At the start, there is good fight between the two Corvettes, with Pastorelli taking the advantage on Soulet, who retakes lead in turn 3. Follow Mavlanov, Venturi, Schirò, Leo, Jäger, Kox and Griffin, while a contact between the two Porsches of Monje and Beretta se,ds the Italian into a spin. With the two Corvettes are flying away, the battle is intense for third and fifth, with Leo passing Schirò in lap 5. In lap 7, Monje punctures the rear left tire following the various contacts.
Maleev spins in lap 10. Soulet and Pastorelli continue to lead, which are separated by half-second, followed at 8 seconds by Venturi who has passed Mavlanov for third in lap 11, Leo, Jäger, Schirò, Kox, Griffin, Costantini and Sijthoff.
Pastorelli pits in lap 15, right after Mavlanov and before Soulet, while in lap 18 Gattuso shots the door on Aicart, with both cars out.
After the pit-stop, Catsburg leads with 10 seconds over Camathias and 12 on Zampieri, followed by Montermini, Ramos, Plachutta, Sdanewitsch, Sicart, Derdaele and Hamilton. Zampieri takes second soon after. In lap 22, Hamilton is touched by Plachutta, while there is big fight for the GTS class, with Sicart leading over Plachutta, Derdaele and Campaniço but margins being very narrow. In lap 24, Montermini takes third from Camathias.
The final moments are all for the fight in GTS with Sicart, Derdaele, Campaniço (who gets a 20-second penalty for handicap infringement) and Piccini in full fight and the Italian taking a brilliant win in the last lap. The final thrill is when Ramos touches Camathias, who spins, at the end of the straight, the Swiss finishing fifth. Claudio Sdanewitsch won the Gentlemen’s Trophy.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER RACE 2 OF 16
Overall: 1. Soulet-Catsburg, Zampieri-Mavlanov, 36; 3. Pastorelli-Ramos, 32; 4. Schirò-Montermini, 24; 5. Piccini-Roda, 17; etc.
Drivers SuperGT: 1. Soulet-Catsburg, Zampieri-Mavlanov, 16; 3. Pastorelli-Ramos, 14; 4. Montermini-Schirò, 10; 5. Camathias, 6.
GTS: 1. Piccini-Roda, 13; 2. Griffin-Cameron, 11; 3. Maleev-Aicart, 10; 4. Sicart-Costantini, Jäger-Plachutta, 8; etc
Teams SuperGT: 1.SRT Racing, SMP Racing, 16; 3. V8 Racing, 11; 4. Villorba Corse, 10; 5. Black Bull Swiss, 6.
Teams GTS: 1. AF Corse, 30; 2. SMP Racing, 10; 3. Ombra Racing, Lechner Racing, 8; 5. V8 Racing, 6
Contructors Super GT: 1. Chevrolet, 30 ; 2. Ferrari, 26.
Constructors GTS: 1. Ferrari, 36; 2. Mercedes, 8; 3. Chevrolet, 6.
Gentlemen’s Trophy: 1. Sdanewitsch, 18; 2. Pronk, 14; 3. Maleev, 10; 4. Geri, 9; 5. Silva-Coimbra, 6.
