Ramos-Pastorelli (V8 Racing) and Montermini-Schirò within 3 points in the title bid, as Corvette-Ferrari duel continues
Roda and Aicart fight at the top of the GTS class
AF Corse adds two top GTS cars with N.Zlobin-Persiani and R.Lyons-Lathouras
Young star Michelle Gatting joins Suzanne Weidt in all-lady line-up
Attempto, Easy Race and the Mosler return
PREVIEW ROUND 6 – SPA
As summer holidays come to an end, the International GT Open goes back to the track and what a track! Spa-Francorchamps, which hosts the 6th round of the season, is definitely one of the most-liked and most-awaited rendez-vous of the year. The legendary track in the Belgian Ardennes opens the traditional triptych of motorsports temples, including also Monza and Barcelona, that wraps up the season.
With fights completely open in all title battles, the Spa event will see some adrenalin flow. In the overall standings, only 3 points separate Nicky Pastorelli-Miguel Ramos, on the V8 Corvette from Andrea Montermini-Niccolò Schirò, on the Villorba Corse Ferrari F458, after the Dutch-Lusitanian pair retook command at Silverstone. Daniel Zampieri-Roman Mavlanov (SMP Racing Ferrari) are close third, only 11 points behind, and still in contention is also Maxime Soulet (-19 points), now with V8 Racing and certainly eager to shine on home soil, as will be the Corvette of Belgian team SRT, with Hamilton-Tutumlu.
In GTS, Ferrari drivers have the advantage, with Giorgio Roda (AF Corse) leading by 6 points on José Manuel Pérez-Aicart (SMP Racing), but the Autorlando Porsche of Joel Camathias-Matteo Beretta is on a upwards trend, its gap being only 15 points now.
The championship battles are not the only focus of interest, as Spa brings its good share of interesting novelties.
AF Corse has confirmed the entry of two new Ferraris F458 GT3, joining the three regular ones, with interesting pairs: young Russian Nikita Zlobin and Italy’s Luca Persiani will drive one of these cars, the other being entrusted to Richard Lyons and Thailand’s Pasin Lathouras, who usually race in Britain.
Some participants already seen this year are also back for the Belgian race: it is the case of the Audi R8LMS seen at the Nürburgring, now under the Attempto Racing banner, and with double presence, as alongside the car of Dietmar Haggenmüller-Armin Aka, there will be another one for Suzanne Weidt and Michelle Gatting. This will be the first time the GT Open will see an all-female driver line-up on the grid. Alongside Suzanne Weidt, who raced already at the Ring, will debut Denmark’s Michelle Gatting, not yet 19 but already considered one of the most promising “fast girls” in Europe. The Århus-born, after a brilliant career in karting made her debut with single-seaters in 2011, taking 3rd in the Danish F.Ford Championship, before switching to the VW Scirocco R Cup, where she was 5th last year, after winning a selection by Volkswagen supported by the FIA Committee “Women in Motorsports” created to foster the presence of female drivers in racing and chaired by rallying legend Michèle Mouton.
Spa also marks the return of the Easy Race Ferrari, with Fabio Mancini-Andrea Dromedari, seen at the Hungaroring, and the first appearance this year of the Mosler of popular GT racer Rafael Unzurrunzaga.
It will be a particularly rich program at Spa for Belgian motorsport lovers, and those joining from surrounding countries, as the Euroformula Open, the BRCC, the SEAT Leon Eurocup and the Radical European Masters will share the event and the fun with the GT Open.
Fans at home can follow all the Spa-Francorchamps action thanks to the pan-European live coverage by Motors TV, with major national broadcasters also offering races live in key markets such as Italy (Raisport2), United Kingdom (BT Sport), Spain (Teledeporte and Canal + Deportes), Portugal (Teledeporte), Turkey (Sport TV) and Central Europe (Digisport), among others. Races are also livestreamed on our website www.gtopen.net.
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER RACE 10 OF 16
Overall: 1. Pastorelli-Ramos, 135; 2. Montermini-Schirò, 132; 3. Zampieri-Mavlanov, 124; 4. Soulet, 116; 5. Roda, 82; etc.
Drivers SuperGT: 1. Pastorelli-Ramos, 66; 2. Montermini-Schirò, 63; 3. Zampieri-Mavlanov, 62; 4. Soulet, 54; 5. Tutumlu, 37; etc.
GTS: 1. Roda, 54; 2. Aicart, 49; 3. Ruberti, 41; 4. Camathias-Beretta, 39; 5. Sicart, 36etc
Teams SuperGT: 1. V8 Racing, 95; 2. Villorba Corse, 63; 3. SMP Racing, 62; 4. SRT, 53; 5. TF Sport, 18; etc
Teams GTS: 1. AF Corse, 108; 2. SMP Racing, 49; 3. Ombra Racing, 47; 4. Autorlando Sport, 39 ; 5. Novadriver, 30; etc
Contructors Super GT: 1. Chevrolet, 135 ; 2. Ferrari, 125 ; 3. Aston Martin, 18 ; 4.Porsche, 7.
Constructors GTS: 1. Ferrari, 159 ; 2. Porsche, 39; 3. Audi, 30 ; 4. Nissan, 13; 5. Mercedes, Chevrolet, 12.
Gentlemen’s Trophy: 1. Sdanewitsch, 80; 2. Maleev, 60; 3.Cordoni, 47 ; 4. Jacoma-Pan, 23; 5. Flohr, 18; etc
GT Open Spa Timetable / Horario GT Open Spa (All times local, CET / Hora local, CET)
Friday, 5 September 2014 / Viernes 5 Septiembre 2014
10:35-11:35 Free Practice 1 / Libres 1
11:35-11:50 Additional Free Practice 1 (Am drivers) / Libres 1 adicional (pilotos Am)
15:10-16:10 Free Practice 2 / Libres 2
16:10-16:25 Additional Free Practice 2 (Am drivers) / Libres 2 adicional (pilotos Am)
Saturday 6 September 2014 / Sábado 6 Septiembre 2014
09:00-09:15 Qualifying / Clasficación1 GTS
09:15-09:20 Qualifying / Clasficación1 SGT + GTS
09:20-09:35 Qualifying / Clasficación1 SGT
11:45-12:00 Qualifying / Clasficación 2 GTS
12:00-12:05 Qualifying / Clasficación 2 SGT + GTS
12:05-12:20 Qualifying / Clasficación 2 SGT
16:00-17:10 Race 1 / Carrera 1 (70’ - Rolling Start / Salida lanzada)
Sunday 7 September 2014 / Domingo 7 Septiembre 2014
13:00-14:00 Race 2 / Carrera 2 (60’ – Rolling start / Salida lanzada)
