Welcome to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The setting, in the Italian national park, north of Milan. A mecca to race fans and the kickoff of the Euriopean championship with a three hour race. This is the first of five endurance races through the year. All cars are built to GT3 spec and of course, drivers are graded depending on age, experience, and skill. Pro categories are professional and linked to the factories. WRT, after many years of running with Audi, they are now racing with BMW and with the new M4 GT3. Every motorsports fan will recognize motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi who will join Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus. The new Ferrari 296 GT3 is a car making it's GT World Challenge Europe debut and has already done so in other GT championships worldwide including SRO GT World Challenge America.
There are two factory cars. Car #51 to be driven by Nicklas Nielsen of Denmark, Italian Alessio Rovera, and Russo-Israeli driver Robert Shwartzman. The sister #71 296 GT3 is the all-Italian trio of Antonio Fuoco, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Davide Rigon. We have already seen Fuoco and Pier Guidi in a couple races on Ferrari's Le Mans Hypercar squad in the FIA World Endurance Championship with the thrilling new 499P prototype. Shwartzman is the test and reserve driver for the Ferrari Formula 1 team by the way. Not to be outdone, Lamborghini have stacked the deck in the Pro class as well. One car is the #6 entry for K-PAX Racing coming over to Europe to run a program after dominating in SRO GT World Challenge America, stateside, for the last couple of seasons.
There is also a car from Iron Lynx. One of a pair of these cars, the K-PAX entry, is set to be shared by South African Jordan Pepper alongside Italian Lamborghini aces Andrea Caldarelli and Mirko Bortolotti. Caldarelli is ready to do another full season in GTWC Europe. Mercedes-AMG are not resting on their laurels either, having entered three factory supported AMG GT3 models. Watch for the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes with a formidable and familiar trio. Russian driver Timur Boguslavskiy sharing with Andorran domiciled Frenchman Jules Gounon, and Swiss domiciled Italian Raffaele Marciello.
Marciello believes they can win this year and they know that BMW and the M4 GT3 has shortcomings. We simply also must mention Porsche with their new 992 model 911 GT3R, Audi with a slew of R8's, and a large contingent of Pro level McLaren 720S GT3's. Danish driver Benjamin Goethe is getting used to a new and different car with the McLaren racing for Garage 59 but he is expected to do well in 2023. He is changing his driving style to get used to the McLaren and is ready to go for 2023. Next we discuss the top contenders in the Pro-Am division which is a combination of Platinum and Bronze rated drivers that make up the trios.
Car Collection Motorsports are running another new 992 model Porsche 911 GT3R. This is the #24 being shared by a Swiss trio including Alex Fontana, Ivan Jacoma, and Nicky Leutwiler, three drivers we have seen compete for a number of years now in SRO GTWC Europe. We also see a top contender in another EVO2 version of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3, the #78 Barwell Motorsports Lambo in the hands of veteran Rob Collard being joined by fellow Brit Adam Balon and Danish driver Dennis Lind. We call him Dennis "The Menace" Lind, and for good reason, because he is ultra quick.
Rob Collard is a touring car veteran and a British GT champion as well. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed have a formidable trio led by British driver Aaron Walker and being joined by American Lance Bergstein and Polish driver Andrzej Lewandowski. BMW Team Italia with their #15 BMW M4 GT3 is another one to watch with drivers Marco Cassara, Stefano Comandini, and Francesco Guerra. Ferrari is represented by the venerable 488 GT3 and that car is the fifth Pro-Am entry for ST Racing. ST Racing concurrently campaign a BMW M4 GT3 in SRO GT World Challenge America. Here in Europe though, the Ferrari is their chosen steed.
Samantha Tan, of Canada, the team principal and lead driver is joined by American Jon Miller, and by Spaniard Isaac Tutumlu. Samantha Tan and company raced the 2022 24 Hours of Spa but they are in it for the long haul this year. Now we move to the Gold division which consists of two Gold rated drivers and one Silver. Watch for the #5 Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3. A British car, team, and drivers. Dean MacDonald is the lead driver joined by Charlie Fagg and Sam De Haan. Of course, we have seen Charlie Fagg competing in such disciplines as Le Mans rules racing in FIA WEC and Euro and Asian Le Mans Series in an Aston Martin in recent years.
Another formidable Gold Cup entry is Boutsen VDS with their #9 Audi R8 LMS Evo II with Aurelien Panis of France, their lead driver, the son of 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner and F1 veteran as well as sports car team owner in prototype competition, Olivier Panis, sharing alongside countryman Adam Eteki and Italian Alberto di Folco. There is another Audi entered under the Comtoyou Racing banner, spelled in an odd way. Comtoyou Racing has three Audi's and all in three different divisions. The Gold Cup entry is car #21 to be driven by Belgian's Nicolas Baert and Maxime Soulet (a veteran GT3 racer) alongside Austrian Max Hofer.
We continue to look at the Gold Cup entries. There will be two Winward Racing entered Mercedes AMG GT3's and another WRT BMW M4 GT3. WRT in the Gold Cup has the #30 BMW M4 GT3 to be shared by Niklas Krutten of Germany (a man with prototype experience), Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer of France, and Australian Calan Williams. There are two Winward Racing entered Mercedes AMG GT3's and we have seen Winward in GT World Challenge Europe and GT World Challenge America before as well as occasional forays into the endurance races in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship as well. This time they have two Gold Cup entered Mercedes AMG GT3's.
The cars are in Evo trim. #57 is set to be driven by Swiss-British-German driver Phillip Ellis, Dutchman Indy Dontje, and American Russell Ward, one of the owners of the team. The sister car has two German drivers and a Swiss driver. David Schumacher (son of former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher and cousin of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher and his son, Mick Schumacher), sharing with Marius Zug and Miklas Born. Another contender will be the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo for the second of the two Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo's. Car #19 to be shared by Rolf Ineichen of Switzerland, and Italian's Michele Beretta and Leonardo Pulcini.
Aspiring Pro drivers are graded in the Silver division and some of them are not full-time racers but they are fast, hence the term we like to use, "sneaky Silver's". Look out for Sam Neary, the British GT champion who is captaining one of two cars for GRT - Grasser Racing Team racing with Lamborghini. Neary sharing with Ricky Capo of Australia and Italian Fabrizio Crestani. There is a second car at Grasser to look for too. #85 has Dutchman Kay van Berlo as the lead driver who we know from Porsche Carrera Cup North America and from LMP3 in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, driving alongside Austrian Clemens Schmid, and Chilean Benjamin Hites.
Aston Martin have a sole representative in the whole series in GTWC Europe in 2023. Bullitt Racing are campaigning the Vantage AMR GT3 for the trio of Canadian Jeff Kingsley, Frenchman Romain Leroux, and Germany's Jacob Riegel. There are four Audi R8's also entered in this division as we continue to overview the Silver drivers. Look out for the all-French team for Sainteloc Racing in their Audi to be driven by Erwan Bastard, Gregoire Demoustier, and Paul Evrard. Another Audi to look for is the #99 car for Tresor Attempto Racing, running three cars in the series this year. But the Silver entry is the most significant.
Lorenzo Patrese, son of World Sports Car racer for Lancia in the 1980s between 1983-'85 and Formula 1 veteran for Williams and Bennetton among others, Ricardo Patrese, as well as his fellow Italian Pietro Delli Guanti, and Alex Aka of Germany. We have a Dinamic Motorsports Porsche contending and a number of Mercedes-AMG based entries. We will point those out depending on their competitiveness in the race this afternoon. Finally, we shall have a Captain Cook at the Bronze category which includes drivers teaming up who are graded as Platinum, Silver, and Bronze. Bronze are the true amateurs, the gentleman drivers of GT3 competition.
This is the biggest class with a massive 17-car entry that has been accepted by the organizers from the SRO. Porsche have the largest representation in the class among seven manufacturers. Five new 992 generation Porsche 911 GT3R's are to be campaigned by five different teams. That is a whopping number! A Porsche tour de force, just as we have been seeing lately with their prototype program. Klaus Bachler, the rapid Austrian, he is the only Platinum Porsche driver in the group. However, he holds the distinction of winning the lid lifter for the GT World Challenge Europe Championship here at Monza, doing so twice in 2019 and 2021.
Jaxon Evans, the Kiwi, he is racing for Team Parker, and the Gold rated driver for Dinamic Motorsports is Ben Barker. Barker, we have seen him in the FIA World Endurance Championship in GTE Porsche's before. The Brit will be sharing one of three Dinamic Motorsports entered Porsche, car #55, with Phillipp Saiger of Austria, and Marius Nakken of Norway. Herberth Motorsports and CLRT are two more Porsche outfits. CLRT have an impressive driver lineup and one to keep an eye on. Hugo Chevalier sharing with Clement Mateu, and Steven Palette. Mateu says the team has a big story and that is their strength. The lone Ferrari in the Bronze Cup is another AF Corse entry, a 488 GT3 for Louis Machiels, the Belgian returning with Italian Andrea Bertolini. Bertolini has been a teammate of Machiels for a long time and won the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship for Maserati.
Louis Machiels is racing with his son Jef Machiels who completes the trio alongside Bertolini for 2023. WRT and Walkenhorst Motorsports have BMW M4 GT3's lined up and ready for the fight in the Bronze Cup. The Gold rated drivers include Adam Carroll from England and Thomas Neubauer of France. My entry list is giving me a team of Neubauer, the Frenchman, teaming up with James Kell from England and with Anders Buchardt of Norway. Sky Tempesta Racing will have their familiar and ever present #93 McLaren 720S at the front with Jonathan Hui from Hong Kong, Chris Froggatt, the rapid British driver, and Eddie Cheever III., the Italian-American son of former Formula 1, Jaguar World Sports Car, and Indianapolis 500 winning driver, Eddie Cheever Jr.
Garage 59 carries the #188 once again and in the Bronze championship their main driver is Portuguese sports car veteran Miguel Ramos who believes the Bronze Cup will be very competitive. Ramos sharing with fellow Portuguese driver Henrique Chaves, and Monegasque-Italian driver Louis Prette Jr. Attempto Racing and CSA represent Audi with the R8 LMS Evo II. in the Bronze division. The #66 Tresor Attempto Racing automobile is to be driven by Italian Kikko Galbiati, Andrey Mukovoz of Russia, and Portuguese Luxembourger Dylan Pereira. CSA also has an Audi backed entry, the #888 car for French team CSA.
CSA are entered with a 2/3rds French driver lineup including Erwin Creed and Arthur Rougier, teaming up with Polish driver Igor Walilko. There are three Bronze class Mercedes AMG GT3's with the #79 Haupt Racing Team car being very competitive in the hands of Arjun Maini from India, Germany's Hubert Haupt, (the team owner and boss), and Frenchman Sebastien Baud. There is also the Theeba Motorsport team running with Mercedes-AMG captained by Saudi Arabian driver Reema Juffali alongside Ralf Aron of Estonia and Alain Valente of Switzerland.
Iron Dames are also some of the favorites especially after they won their class at the Spa 24 Hours last summer. Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey, in one of two Lamborghini Huracan's, will be tough to beat. So, there is your pre-race show and the highlights of the entry for today's race which includes a staggering 55 GT3 cars and 165 drivers! So, the pre-race banter is over and now it is time for us to get down to business. BMW have been the dominant force so far. We shall see what the race is going to be. Stephane Ratel, SRO President, he says that the endurance and sprint championships are massive in SRO Europe this year and the new cars are looking fantastic.
There are 72 cars, 72 GT3 cars registered for the 24 Hours of Spa later in the year. Pirelli Motorsport Director Mario Isola reminds us that the tire manufacturer has now been working with the SRO for 11 years dating back to the second year of the championship in 2012, back when it was known as the Blancpain Endurance Series. Pirelli are in their home race here at Monza and the challenge for them is supplying one consistent tire to fit so many different kinds of cars that GT3 racing has to offer. We join Jake Sanson and John Watson in the commentary box with Jemma Scott in the pit lane. 11 corners over 5.8 kilometers, 3.6 miles. Three chicanes to look out for. Rettifilio, Curva Grande, and Variante della Roggia. Watch the Lesmo's, which have been adjusted and under the bridge with the old banking, through the Ascari chicane, down the backstretch into the Parabolica.
The braking zones are getting shorter and shorter here at Monza with the GT3 cars as we hear the fans cheering and honking and blaring the air horns, a tradition we used to hear in Formula 1 a lot. When you are in the stands, what do you hear? Honk, honk, honk, honk. On the pole, BMW. It is a BMW front row lockout with Phillip Eng and Valentino Rossi. I should say, Sheldon van der Linde is starting the #32 BMW M4 GT3, the South African. Their goal is going for a podium. We have three hours of racing ahead and Dries Vanthoor tells us, anything can happen. That is true.
Charles Weerts says that having the BMW has been very successful so far as the engines fire up and we continue to hear the cheerful honking of the air horns. Pinch me, I think I am dreaming. Valentino Rossi is starting on the front row of the grid! Qualifying 3 was actually cancelled before the race. This is a high speed circuit and we have warm weather. Watch out for your driving and overloading the tire. Don't be too aggressive too early. That is the key to all of this. BMW and McLaren have had ten kilos added to the cars, but you need to go back to last night on Balance of Performance. Some teams felt it was unfair.
After qualifying on Sunday morning would have been fairer. More weight for some of the cars. We are seeing the BMW M4 GT3 absolutely cutting smashing laps and six of seven cars in the top of the order. BMW and McLaren have had ten kilograms added while Porsche and Ferrari I believe had five kilos subtracted. Now, my fuzzy math could be getting this all wrong and I could be reversing the numbers. Ferrari and BMW got a break in turbo boost. They got a very small horsepower increase as the engines fire into life here at Autodromo Nazinale di Monza. The best non-BMW is the fifth place Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Evo II of Simon Gachet. He is sharing that car with Paric Niederhauser of Switzerland and German Audi veteran Christopher Mies.
Louis Prette is the leading car in this field that is not Pro rated, Louis Prette at the wheel of the #188 Garage 59 McLaren that the Frenchman shares with the two Portuguese drivers, Miguel Ramos and Henrique Chaves. Valentino Rossi on the front row with Phillipp Eng in the Rowe Racing BMW. An all-BMW front row. Nobody knows how this race to the first corner could turn out. We could have everyone get through the Variante del Rettifilo fine, or there could be a massive carambolage. We just don't knw yet. First race of the year, everyone on edge.
55 cars, 165 drivers. In terms of GT racing this is the creme de la creme, the best you will see anyplace as everyone is on their warmup laps. This grid is amazing. Everyone best behave themselves here when the race gets underway. Watch out for the middle of the pack. Some of the cars at the back, if they hand the choice, they would want to start the race from the pit lane. Be aware that this motor race will not be won on lap one. Anything can and will happen here at Monza. Eng and Rossi on the front row. "The Doctor" is ready. We're ready. Watch for the lights. Green lights on, and away we go! Rossi and Eng already wheel to wheel before turn one!
Dan Harper and Sheldon van der Linde in two more of the BMW M4 GT3's decide to drop into place at the front. Here's the accordion effect into Rettifilo for the first time. Second spot for Rossi, and oh my gosh! What did I tell you? There's contact already and cars going off the road all over the shop! There's a Mercedes turned around. One of the Porsche's is off the road already. Trying to see through the smoke who else has gotten crossed up back there. One of the GetSpeed cars doesn't even make it to the first corner! Full Course Yellow, now. We are under Full Course Yellow. The Dinamic Porsche 911 GT3R going offline already! He's getting squeezed out of the way by someone.
Very nearly sideswiped as they enter the Roggia chicane for the first time, the Variante della Roggia. This is turns four and five on the course, a right/left flick. Holy cow! The Al Manar Racing Mercedes has stormed to third! This is the #777 car, the all-German trio of Fabian Schiller, Maro Engel, and Luca Stolz. Maro Engel getting with the program early doors. We've got two cars off the road with local yellow flags in sector one. Safety car scramble. I thought so. Your top four is a Mercedes within a BMW sandwich. Eng, Rossi, Engel, and Sheldon van der Linde.
Waved yellow flags through Variante Ascari which means danger, no overtaking. Use your heads, chaps. If you overtake under yellow, the stewards will penalize you. Maro Engel is the man of the match thus far who absolutely rocketed from row five on the grid all the way to third! Blimey! Valentino Rossi made a great start as co-driver, Belgian racing legend, Maxime Martin, looks on. Keep in mind, Martin comes from a family of racing drivers. His dad, his uncle, and he too, have all won the 24 Hours of Spa, and his dad and uncle did so in the halcyon days of the touring car era with the BMW CSL's, Ford Capri's and so forth.
Heavy damage, look, to the GetSpeed Mercedes on the left front. The driver is fine but his ego will be wounded for dead sure. American Lance Bergstein has had a rather forgettable debut to his GT3 racing career in a car he was meant to share with Andrzej Lewandowski of Poland and British driver Aaron Walker. Game over. One of the Ferrari's is all torn up. Holy smokes! Is that the Samantha Tan driven car? This is a massive blow to their effort in their first race in Europe after doing so well in GT World Challenge America recently as well as in the Creventic endurance championship in 2022. Oh criminy! It is Samantha Tan's car! ST Racing with Rinaldi are out of it, car #38, the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 is done. No further racing today for Samantha Tan and co-drivers Jon Miller and Isaac Tutumlu.
No racing either for Aaron Walker on debut. Never mind. I am wrong. It was the sister GetSpeed Benz. So, I take that all back. I apologize to Aaron Walker and his teammates Lance Bergstein and Andrej Lewandowski. You all are still in the fight. It is the sister #3 GetSpeed Mercedes we will spare a thought for as German co-drivers Patrick Assenheimer and Florian Scholze, and their Australian co-driver Alex Peroni, don't even get to race today. Such a shame. It ended up being a deal where Florian Scholze ran into Samantha Tan and that triggered the entire incident. That was a a racing incident and the Mercedes clobbers the wall! Ouch!
There was bodywork all over. I think Scholze lit the fuse on that one, but apportioning blame for a racing incident is the wrong way to go. Raffaele Marciello, under braking, almost ran into one of the McLaren's. Lorenzo Patrese and one of the BMW's was forced wide, in the top 20 came through but the midfield and the tail enders were in big, big trouble. The Mercedes tipped a car on the right and wwas shot to the other side, cannoned into the barriers. The carbon fiber will have to be cleared up. Carbon fiber and rubber tires are not best friends. Into the lane, the #888 CSA Audi, the car of Erwan Creed, Arthur Rougier, and Igor Walilko. Two Frenchmen, and a Polish driver are in that automobile.
It seems like #888 was caught in the melee and the team is using the old reliable gaffer tape to fix the damage. Aurelien Panis is not on track running now either. So, we shall have to follow up and see what the deal is for the #9 Boutsen VDS Audi R8 LMS Evo II that Panis is sharing with Adam Eteki and Alberto di Folco. I am bewildered how Maro Engel threaded the needle to gain places on the start and we are waiting for the marshals to clear the debris and we have not even had a racing lap yet but we have two hours and 50 minutes to go. Eng, Rossi, Engel, the top three. In replay, Chris Froggatt in the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren is boxed in. You are swamped.
Back off the gas and be very, very cautious. Everyone cuts through the exit of the Rettifilo, and I think Chris Froggatt got bonked, a love tap, by someone. It is like snooker and the cue ball hitting another one. Both of those cars that went off bounced into the barriers on each side. How on earth did Maro Engel make his move on Sheldon van der Linde? The stewards have this incident between the Mercedes and the Ferrari under investigation. Eng leading Rossi behind the safety car and so Valentino Rossi has breathing room before we go back to green and reestablish himself after going off the road in qualifying of course.
Erwan Creed has made another pit stop. Eng, Rossi, Engel, Sheldon van der Linde, Dan Harper, Fredric Vervisch, Frank Perera, Jordan Pepper, Simon Gachet, and Christian Engelhart, the top ten. BMW, BMW, Mercedes, BMW, BMW, Audi, Lamborghini, Lamborghini, Porsche. Race Director Alain Adam informs the drivers the safety car will come in this lap and we will be set to turn them loose again. Safety car lights out and so we are heading back to green flag racing and now everyone is single file. It is now known Aurelien Panis in the Boutsen VDS Audi #9 didn't even start this race. The clutch went out on the car. Thank you, SRO Europe pit reporter, Jemma Scott, for keeping us informed.
Phillipp Eng has bolted. He punches it, and everyone else follows suit but he is already in a different county. Engel is doing everything to catch Rossi, look, but believe you me, the BMW has the pace right now which the Mercedes just can't match. 3 liter twin turbo straight six motor in the BMW while the Mercedes has the tried and true 6.2 liter naturally aspirated V8 under the bonnet. But man, oh man, that BMW has the ponies right now. Can Engel overtake Rossi into Variante della Roggia? That's what we're trying to find out.
Rossi, you can bet your bottom dollar, is going to have the straight line speed compared to the Mercedes. The aerodynamics, the Balance of Performance (those three dreaded little words in sports car racing that we're all tired of hearing), it is less about driver skill. We know Rossi is a wheelman after his championships on two wheels in the 500cc Grand Prix era and in MotoGP. Not only do we have this battle. We have two more of the BMW boys trying to get a bite of the cherry with Sheldon van der Linde and Dan Harper. Well, well, well. Fred Vervisch is next in the top ranked Audi, the #11 R8 LMS Evo II from Comtoyou Racing. That is one of three entries for their team in this motor race.
Vervisch, the Belgian, is sharing with countryman Gilles Magnus, and with German Audi veteran ace Christopher Haase who has been doing his thing in GT3 for a long time. The Lamborghini Huracan's from Iron Lynx and K-PAX too are trying best to make inroads. K-PAX, the #6 car in the hands of Marco Mapelli of Italy, Frank Perera of France, and British driver Sandy Mitchell. The other Iron Lynx Lambo is being driven by Jordan Pepper, Mirko Bortolotti, and Andrea Caldarelli, the two Italian's and the South African. Iron Lynx has a three-car team this year but without doubt we are seeing the Pepper/Bortolotti/Caldarelli car being the one to watch.
These guys cleaned up, ironically driving for K-PAX over the last couple of seasons in SRO GT World Challenge America. Pepper is being monstered by the Audi of Simon Gachet as they fly into Parabolica. Gachet is in the #25, the first of the Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8's and he is a veteran indeed sharing that car with German Christopher Mies (another Audi man who has been in GTWC Europe since it's inception), and Patric Niederhauser of Switzerland who had a storming drive years ago and finished second at the 24 Hours of Spa back in 2020 if memory serves me correctly.
The leading Ferrari 296 GT3 is Alessio Rovera and now we see a courageous move by Finlay Hutchison in the second #12 Comtoyou Racing Audi he is sharing with Loris Hezemans of Holland and Sam Dejonghe of Belgium. Simon Gachet has made his move on Jordan Pepper who now has a mirror full of Christian Engelhart in the Dinamic GT Huber Racing Porsche, one of their three cars. That is the #54 Engelhart is sharing with fellow German Porsche ace Sven Muller, and Turkish sports car driver Ayhancan Guven. Rolf Ineichen, meanwhile, has rotated the #19 Lamborghini in the middle of the chicane. Ineichen in one of the Iron Lynx cars and the Swiss driver is sharing of course with Italian's Michele Beretta and Leonardo Pulcini.
We also saw Michele Beretta racing for Lamborghini in GT World Challenge America a few years ago. Poor old Ineichen has gotten hung up on corner entry into the Variante del Rettifilo, the very first turn. Oh no, the first turn. Please tell me you know what do at the first turn! Was he assisted in any way? Now we see an Audi with a tortured left front Pirelli tire! Lorenzo Patrese in a spot of bother taking to the escape road. That's a cut down tire and one of the Lamborghini's is stopped on course as well, look. That's Kay van Berlo in trouble. I think he made contact with Rolf Ineichen. van Berlo aboard the #85 GRT - Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini's in one of two Silver class cars.
van Berlo, the Dutchman, sharing with Austrian Clemens Schmid, and Chilean driver Benja Hites. The sister GRT Grasser Lambo is car #58 with Ricky Capo of Australia, Sam Neary from England, and Italian, Fabrizio Crestani. Local Yellow in sector one. Patrese has perhaps picked up damage from the van Berlo incident. No difference in the top three. Full Course Yellow in ten seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Full Course Yellow now. Will Race Director Alain Adam dispatch the safety car? We'll see. BMW run 1-2 and the deal is the Lamborghini is sitting there. Hop, skip, and a jump and he got punchboard and countersunk but two Audi's. Criminy!
Poor old Patrese had no place to go. I believe Hutchison might have some damage and definitely, part of the splitter on Lorenzo Patrese's car is damaged. A disappointment for Lorenzo Patrese indeed. He did so well through Free Practice, pre-qualifying, and qualifying itself. Now, maybe one of the Audi's went off the road, rodeo style. He was history. He was never going to make the corner no matter how hard he tried. Patrese had the Lamborghini coming straight across the bow, and had no place to go, before... ker-runch! Patrese is in a real spot of bother. Now, how are the two Comtoyou Audi's still on course? You had Finlay Hutchison in the first car, the #12, and Max Hofer aboard the #21.
I believe either one of them could very well have been in that incident. Could those two cars survive after that crash, bang, wallop? It all depends, and I agree with John Watson, color analyst for SRO Europe, it depends on the angle of contact. Being a former Formula 1 and sports car driver, Mr. Watson knows what he is talking about. The Audi clipped the Lamborghini and sent it spinning and Lorenzo Patrese was the victim of the incident. While under yellow we can have a Captain Cook at the top six places in the Gold Cup.
1. #5 Fagg/De Haan/MacDonald Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
2. #30 Krutten/Simmenauer/Williams Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
3. #21 Hofer/Baert/Soulet Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
4. #57 Ward/Ellis/Dontje Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
5. #157 Born/Schumacher/Zug Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
6. #19 Ineichen/Beretta/Pulcini Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2
The Optimum McLaren is 11th overall and of course the Boutsen Audi went out of the race before it began, with clutch issues. So, half a dozen Gold Cup contenders instead of seven. Game over for Rolf Ineichen as well. The marshals have just cleaned up the mess and has done so efficiently. They are dragging, pulling the Lamborghini away. The recovery truck goes one way but the Lamborghini has a mind of it's own. Chris Froggatt in the McLaren following Hubert Haupt in the Mercedes and they are third in the Bronze Cup behind both Louis Prette in the other McLaren leading and second spot being held down by the BMW M4 GT3 of Lewis Proctor, the #31 car.
Sky Tempesta McLaren are fourth in class. There is a lot of motor racing left and hopefully we can get more green flag racing. Elementary my dear Watson. Well, use your brain at the very least. Don't go bonkers. The way drivers sit in the car, it is interesting. Taller drivers lean over the steering wheel. How often do you see a driver blinking? The reason they don't in because of how focused they are. Some drivers put heat and load into the tires under yellow. Do not use the brakes too aggressively either. Applying brake to keep the temperature in the tires. Safety car in this lap. If Rossi can hand the car to Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus in the top three, the team at WRT will be in the pound seats for the #46 car anyhow.
Pietro Delli Guanti is disappointed to be out of the race but he and his team will be back in the fight for the rest of the year. That was the car that was fastest of all in pre-qualifying. I don't want to sound like a grouchy old man. But, in racing as in life itself, yesterday is forgotten. You will have to just move on to greener pastures. There is no use dwelling on what might have been. At leas that is the wisdom I have learned in my own life. But, I digress. Green flag! This is real live motor racing, right here right now, and folks, we are going to have a Captain Cook again at this battle for second. Rossi has it and Engel wants it. Sheldon van der Linde too, he wants a bite of the cherry. He is going to do all he can to get it.
van der Linde ducks to the outside and wants by Engel once and for all and Engel is going to give Rossi the same treatment. They're going to squeeze into the Rettifilio and I don't like the look of this! Rossi early on the brakes. Engel is fighting back. They do bang fenders. Rossi is loose! He's hanging on by his fingernails around the outside! He dealt with a taily motorbike through most of his career and so he is going to maybe be able to use those skills to hang onto a BMW M4 GT3 that is wriggling all over the shop. Maro Engel, a force of nature not to be denied. Maybe we should call him "The Enforcer". Rossi did everything to respond but ran out of road. In that case, as I say always, discretion ought to be the better part of valor.
Rossi is not rolling over and playing dead. He may try passing at Parabolica. We'll see. Maro Engel though, carries more speed through Lesmo 2. van der Linde though, is going to be a thorn in the side for Rossi, his teammate at WRT BMW. Fred Vervisch is sixth and has had an incident noted by the stewards. He gained a place by cutting the chicane. In the meantime, more on track battles to discuss. We've got wheel to wheel, door to door action between the McLaren's and Jordan Pepper in the Lamborghini wants an invitation to the party well. They're having a little party, and they didn't invite me! It looks to me that the McLaren indeed gains the place back.
The Ferrari 296's are charging and they are in 17th and 18th with Alessio Rovera and Alessandro Pier Guidi. Max Hofer and Maximilian Gotz have their own battle to attend to in the latter portion of the top 20. Rossi is not letting Maro Engel whistle off into the distance. Rossi's job is to keep the car in the top five and not get involved in a big clonk that could damage it so he can hand it over later to Maxime Martin and to Augusto Farfus and keep the #46 in the hunt when it comes down to money time near the end of the motor race. So far he is doing that and keeping Maro Engel in his line of sight while Sheldon van der Linde is beginning to be monstered by Dan Harper.
Fred Vervisch and Frank Perera are also beginning to turn it on. Following in the slipstream behind Engel is the perfect way to keep "The Doctor" in the fight. Right now, Rossi is only 6/10ths of a second behind Engel. He has another feather in his hat and just uncorked the fastest lap of this motor race at 1:48 dead. Well, well, well. What did I say about turning it on? Rossi is in a good spot right now. Raffaele Marciello, last year's champion, has to be frustrated beyond belief as he has stalled out a wee bit and is not making the progress he wants to.
Patience is a virtue in racing and especially in endurance racing. If you are too eager, you are going to put yourself in real trouble. Charlie Fagg leads the Gold Cup. We are looking now at a battle for fourth in Pro Cup between the competing BMW teams. WRT #32 with Sheldon van der Linde and Rowe Racing #50, the M4 GT3 in the hands of Dan Harper. Engel chases Eng and when you get farther down the order behind the BMW boys scrapping, that's where you find Fred Vervisch and Frank Perera in the Audi and the Lamborghini. So, that one is the Fred and Frank show. As for Valentino Rossi, if he is going to stay in the game, he needs to follow just behind Engel.
Reference two paragraphs above. Rossi is still in this thing. Believe me. Raffaele Marciello, last year's champion in the Akkodis ASP #88 Mercedes, he currently runs 11th. Pit stops still to come. There might be penalties that could factor into this. This is the battle for ninth place we are currently watching. Marciello chasing both Charlie Fagg and Christian Engelhart, currently. Porsche vs. Aston Martin vs. Mercedes. We saw the incident between Rolf Ineichen and Lorenzo Patrese earlier. The stewards have decided to take no further action. Clearly, a racing deal. Now, look, we have more drama! Oh boy. What is this?
Ah. That is the Comtoyou Audi heavy on the brakes entering the pit lane! Wow! Good thing he got it stopped or at least down to the required speed. Vervisch knew "I'm going too fast!" Arreter, Monsieur Rapide. Finlay Hutchison leads Silver class competition in the sister Comtoyou Audi #12 and he's ahead of Fabrizio Crestani in the Lamborghini. That is the #58 GRT - Grasser Racing Team Lambo that Crestani is sharing with Ricky Capo and Sam Neary. Third spot is held down by the #90 Madpanda Motorsports Mercedes AMG GT3. Magnus Gustavsen of Norway at the wheel of it, sharing with team boss Ezequiel Perez Companc of Argentina, and from Russia, Alexey Nesov.
At Comtoyou, they are looking at the left rear quarter panel. It was a tire issue and they were studying the suspension and are being noted for cutting the chicane and the battle for seventh place continues. Phillip Eng in the race lead has covered 14 laps, 50 miles. The gap from first to second is 1.3 seconds and everyone else in the top of the order is just tenths apart. In around 24 minutes we are going to see pit stops commence. Charlie Fagg in the McLaren, he wants to make his move on the Porsche ahead and get inside Christian Engelhart's head. But, behind him, look, Raffaele Marciello has the same idea. He is putting the pressure on Charlie Fagg trying to take that spot away.
They fly out of the Rettifilio and into the Curva Grande. Marciello knows what is going on and he trusts Fagg will be unaware of his presence, working over the McLaren corner by corner. Drivers are fast but they are tacticians and Marciello runs wide at Lesmo 2! Yikes! Akkodis ASP are on the back foot currently and maybe they will have to make a big move to go forward. More woe for the Comtoyou Audi? Oh dear. That is the sister Audi from Comtoyou with Max Hofer, the Austrian, at the wheel of it, car #21. Hofer, sharing with Nicolas Baert and Maxime Soulet, with wheel bearing troubles. The wheel is smoking.
Car #96 is informed by Race Director Alain Adam that he has gained position wrongly on a competitor and has to give it back. That's the Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3R 992 model, being shared by Laurin Heinrich of Germany, Austrian Thomas Preining, and Norwegian GT3 Porsche veteran Dennis Olsen. Olsen at the controls, and he has to hand the place back. Rossi and van der Linde still scraping, and we've got a car spinning backwards off the track with massive damage to the front! Oh no! Car #24 is going for a ride! That is a massive accident for the #24 Porsche! That is Car Collection Motorsport! The all-Swiss trio's race has gone totally pear shaped! Nicky Leutwiler was just on the whirligig big style! Sharing with Ivan Jacoma and Alex Fontana, the team cannot believe their eyes!
That's going to be a Full Course Yellow, definitely. In the meantime, the seesaw scrapping is between Rossi and van der Linde at BMW. We have to check the replay and see what happened to that all-Swiss Porsche. Trust me, the insurance underwriter will need more information on that little crackup. Hofer makes the pass on one of his competitors as the cars fly through the Parabolica also known as the Variante Alboreto named for the five-time Formula 1 Grand Prix race winner, the late, great Michele Alboreto. There is bodywork scattered about in the middle of the racetrack. Stay on the clean line as you drive towards the first chicane.
Oh criminy! Not again! There is more bodywork down there. That needs to be cleaned up and retrieved ASAP. I swear, this corner is going to get a complex with all the damaged carried out in it. Watch out for the Prima Variante. Everyone has spotted the car that is now being moved by the marshals with the crane, keeping that part of the circuit under double waved local yellows. John Watson makes a good point. The car can be hauled off the safety. The issue is having the marshals doing their job out there safely to clear up the boatload of carbon fiber. The orange army (or those cornerworkers who dress in white here in the states), we could not go motor racing without each and every one of you. Stay safe out there.
The top six remain as they have been for a wee while now. Eng, Engel, Rossi, van der Linde, Harper, and Perera. Four BMW's, the Mercedes, and the Lamborghini. We see the replay of Leutwiler's accident, and he clouted the barrier right at a marshal's post! Ouch! That is what you call a "sore in the morning" kind of deal. He'll wake up Monday morning in pain. The marshal, too, he had to dive to safety! Someone could very easily have been hurt or killed there! My God! That is why the marshal's are as important as the drivers. They are the lifelines that keep this sport safe and they command respect. Believe me. That Porsche approaching the Variante del Rettifilo had to be doing so at 125 miles an hour at least!
Nicky Leutwiler is out of the car and should be just fine except for having pain, probably. The HANS device and six point seatbelts and specialized seats help the driver's avoid whiplash. That was a heavy accident indeed. Wow. Car #81, yellow flag infringement noted. So, that is the Theeba Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT3 being shared by Ralf Aron of Estonia, Reema Juffali, the lady driver from Saudi Arabia, and Swiss driver Alain Valente. Reema Juffali is noted for that incident apparently. "Marginal contact" is just enough to send a car into a lurid skid. Preparations being made for pit stops and the Ferrari is flashing the lights at the BMW.
Alessio Rovera in the #51 Ferrari 296 GT3 for AF Corse is telling the #31 BMW M4 GT3 of Lewis Proctor, "move it, buster! Let me by!" We are still racing and so if anyone was confused and thought we went Full Course Yellow, don't worry. We're still under green here at Monza. Alessandro Pier Guidi is doing the same in the sister AF Corse Ferrari, to Maxi Gotz in the Mercedes. The Ferrari's are on a mission, the new 296 GT3's with their turbo V6 power. You can see, flying through Alboreto corner that the Ferrari is far quicker than the BMW. V6 turbo in the Ferrari. Straight six turbo in the BMW. Both the same 3 liter displacement. But the Ferrari is far more aerodynamic and the BMW a more upright design.
More grip and more aerodynamics from that Ferrari which really looks more like a prototype. It bears some resemblance to the 499P Hypercar that we have seen Ferrari racng in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The GT3 car and the Hypercar, I believe they use the same 3-liter turbo V6 motor. So, as Ferrari are learning how their new toy works, training their new stallion to go racing, the yellow flags appear to have been withdrawn. Gotz still battling Proctor with Alessandro Pier Guidi and Dennis Olsen following. Maximilian Gotz wants by Lewis Proctor who is fighting for the Bronze class victory into Lesmo 2 and into the Variante Ascari.
Ferrari, at their home track, they are finally beginning to look racy. The drivers have been putting the welly down indeed, but, the car has not been performing to their liking, until now. It appears the Ferrari 296 GT3 is coming into it's sweet spot. The Ferrari had the grip through the corner and managed to pull away. At the top of the tree, you've missed nothing, really. Phillip Eng continues to lead and pull away with Maro Engel in second place. Valentino Rossi is third in the first of the WRT BMW's followed by Sheldon van der Linde, his South African teammate. Oil and debris flags at the Variante del Rettifilo. Simon Gachet, the Frenchman, in the Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Evo, he goes straight on through the Rettifilo, cutting the corner completely.
So, Gachet will have to concede a place and has lost just one to Frank Perera. That was driver error, nothing more. He had to take the escape road. Teammates not playing too nicely together here. van der Linde is starting to get miffed with Rossi. Ricardo Feller is monstering Louis Prette farther down the order. Feller in the #40 Tresor Orange1 Audi. Feller, the Swiss driver sharing that automobile with Mattia Drudi of San Marino and Dennis Marschall of Germany. So, BMW #98 continues leading overall. Phillipp Eng sharing with Marco Wittman and Nick Yelloly. Eng has led the whole way but Maro Engel is looking for an opening. We can see Valentino Rossi wants to make inroads on Maro Engel but he just does not have the pace to overtake the Mercedes currently.
Charlie Fagg in the #5 Optimum Motorsports McLaren, he still wants to have a go at Christian Engelhart and can't get by. Behind these two chaps, it is still Raffaele Marciello, in the Akkodis ASP Mercedes #88, the Swiss domiciled Italian who is the cat's pajamas in one of these AMG GT3 cars all over the world, the defending champion at the 24 Hours of Spa. Marciello though, he is having to earn his money this afternoon because he has been stymied behind that McLaren in the hands of Charlie Fagg for four laps solidly and you have to know that he is getting impatient thinking, "what is the deal with this guy? Are you serious?"
Valentino Rossi slows dramatically in the #46 BMW M4 GT3! How did he get a power cut in the middle of the corner?! That was driver error more than a mechanical issue. Did he hit the pit lane speed limiter? Did he stall the engine? What's the deal there? It is possible that he high sided a curb and spun off the road before finding his footing. In replay, from the onboard camera, ah. He did not slow down enough and spun the car. Simple as that. He's bogged down and in the wrong gear so he is blipping the paddle shifter on the steering wheel trying to find the right gear so he can get out of the stall and get back on his way. Aye yaye yaye yaye yaye yaye. The motor, the computer of the car, thought the engine was in limp home mode.
Significant consequences of a minor error. Long faces at WRT and that is understandable. Rossi seems to be getting oversteer and I wonder if his Pirelli tires have cried enough yet and he needs a new set of boots. That very well could be. Rossi sharing with Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin. Rossi has flown Plummet Airways all the way down to 14th place and it could be 15th because Max Hofer is going to give The Doctor a major run for his money. Through Curva Grande, Hofer is glued right to Rossi's six, and now, into the Variante della Roggia he is poking his nose out setting up for a pass. Rossi defends from Hofer and says "no you don't, sunshine." Augusto Farfus is getting suited and booted to take over the wheel from the king of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
That BMW, there is something wrong with the left rear. That Pirelli P Zero is beginning to overheat and lose grip as poor old Rossi has flown Plummet Airways down to 14th place. Max Hofer is right there and so is Alessio Rovera aboard the Ferrari 296 GT3. Teams are readying for driver changes and for pit stops. It seems like Valentino Rossi has done what he needs to for one race and maybe it will be a relief for him to get an early bath and let his co-drivers get the job done, Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin of course. Meanwhile, we are watching the Bronze Cup leading McLaren 720S GT3 on track. This is Louis Prette sharing with Henrique Chaves and Miguel Ramos. There is a drive through penalty being assessed as well to the #888 car.
#888 is the Audi R8 LMS GT3 that was beleaguered earlier in the race. The penalty is working on the car in the working lane of the pit lane while the engine was still on. On the pit stop rules you are supposed to shut the car off. Another pit visit for Erwin Creed! We haven't even seen Arthur Rougier or Igor Walilko at the wheel of that car yet. These races are won and lost not just on the track but in the pit lane. Prette is 11th overall. Lewis Proctor second in Bronze Cup with Hubert Haupt in third place in the class and once again, all these cars are GT3 but the driver ratings determine what classes they are in. Chris Froggatt too, in the McLaren, is still going for the podium. We have several battles to pay attention to as Maxi Gotz is being harried by Alessandro Pier Guidi.
Behind that scrap we find Chris Froggatt, Hubert Haupt, Finlay Hutchison, Fabrizio Crestani, and Alex Malykhin, who is being followed closely as well by Russell Ward. Ward in his Mercedes AMG GT3 for Winward is in a different driver class, in the Pro-Am Cup. Hold the phone, folks. I do apologize. It looks like Pro-Am Cup is being led by the #15 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW Italia Ceccato Racing for Marco Cassara, Stefano Comandini, and Francesco Guerra. They have made a pass in the Gold Cup on the other Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, car #157, currently with Miklas Born at the controls. Born sharing alongside David Schumacher and Marius Zug.
They have passed Frenchman Erwan Bastard who was the 2022 GT4 Europe champion and has moved to GT3. Bastard is at the controls of the #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Sainteloc Junior Team, sharing with countrymen Gregoire Demoustier and Paul Evrard. An all-French driver lineup. Again, my sincere apologies as I have not been able to cover GT4 Europe at all. Hopeful of finding some time to do that in 2023. Have been able to cover other GT4 series around the world including Pirelli GT4 America for the SRO but have not yet had the time to dig into GT4 Europe. That could change this year. Two races per weekend for them. So, you might hear more from me about GT4 Europe. Watch this space. Meanwhile, back to the motor race at hand.
We have a battle there too between Fabrizio Crestani and Erwan Bastard, with Finlay Hutchison leading the Silver Cup. The other GetSpeed Mercedes AMG GT3 in strife with mechanical problems. That is the #3 car driven by German's Patrick Assenheimer and Florian Scholze, sharing with Australian Alex Peroni. Rossi has his hands full now with Alessio Rovera in the AF Corse Ferrari, but Rovera has a slight lockup into Prima Variante at the end of the frontstretch. Rossi's tire is still knackered but maybe not as badly as we saw earlier. We do know the pace of the Ferrari 296 GT3 as well. Rumors circulated about 17 years ago, back in 2006, that Valentino Rossi would become a Ferrari Formula 1 driver.
That did not happen. But, if history had turned out that way, wow. Too many if's, and's, and but's to wonder about there. Now then, an early pit stop for the Madpanda Motorsports #90 Mercedes AMG GT3. Fuel, tires, and a driver change for an early stop. Madpanda are not the only team rolling the dice. I don't know who is getting in the car. I assume that Norway's Magnus Gustavson was the starting driver. Valentino Rossi being harried by the Audi of Max Hofer. Philipp Saiger is also avoiding traffic in the #55 Dinamic Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R. Saiger, from Austria, is sharing alongside Norwegian Marius Nakken, and and British Porsche 911 veteran Ben Barker.
They opened the bonnet for some reason and it's hard to tell why. OK, then. Sheldon van der Linde closing in on Maro Engel and Engel, too is inching his way towards the leading BMW of Phillip Eng. Dan Harper is still behind van der Linde. The top four separated by merely 2.6 seconds. Dennis Olsen has decided to bail for the lane a bit early. Olsen in the Rutronik Porsche 911 GT3R of course, car #96. Alexey Nesov has done likewise exiting the lane in the other Madpanda Mercedes. In the meantime, Sheldon van der Linde is closing up on Maro Engel inch by inch. Your top three Pro Cup lead battle looks like this.
1. #98 Eng/Wittman/Yelloly Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3
2. #777 Engel/Stolz/Schiller Team Al Manar Mercedes AMG GT3
3. #32 van der Linde/Vanthoor/Weerts Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
Still a long way to go yet. Augusto Farfus is getting set to hop into the #46 WRT BMW and Rossi is in the pit lane now readying for the driver change. Rossi is angry for going off the road. Loosen your shoulder belts but you will get a penalty if you release the belts from the buckle before stopping the car in the box. Valentino Rossi will be kicking himself for his mistake. The engineering on this new M4 GT3 is exquisite. We have seen a great race from Rossi this afternoon. OK then. Christian Engelhart, up to sixth, and he still has the McLaren of Charlie Fagg and the Mercedes of Raffaele Marciello. In the next five minutes, everyone has to stop.
Drivers by regulation in SRO Europe can only drive a maximum stint length of 65 minutes. Into the lane too, the #35 Walkenhorst Motorsports BMW M4 GT3. Anders Buchardt of Norway sharing with James Kell of Great Britain and Thomas Neubauer of France. The fuel bowser has to be removed before the car is dropped off the air jacks. That too is a penalty running the risk of a massive fire. Maro Engel is dropping away from Phillip Eng and could be falling into the clutches of Sheldon van der Linde but it is hard to say. Eng and the #98 BMW M4 GT3, his car is handling far better and is more compliant than what we saw with the #46 of Rossi, now driven by Augusto Farfus.
Maybe it is a difference in setup and driving style between rival teams with Rowe Racing and WRT. Maybe Rossi was having to make setup compromises. #32 to the lane. Rossi uncorked the fastest lap of all in the first stint of the race. So, he was definitely pushing like mad. 1:47.742. We are now an hour into the race. To the lane comes van der Linde, Perera, Engelhart, Pepper, and Feller. A mix of BMW's, Lamborghini's, and Porsche's, as well as an Audi and Maxi Gotz in the Mercedes. Driver change for the #32 and van der Linde hands over to either Charles Weerts or to Dries Vanthoor, one of the two Belgian's.
Rowe Racing and Al Manar are going to be scrapping. It is Weerts into the #32. He is back at it with fresh Pirelli tires and a full fuel load. Be careful when a car is coming out of the pit lane. The top two leaders are in the pit lane now. Oh no! Another tire puncture for the #46 WRT BMW! Turn one and a left rear puncture. Is it ironic? Is it fate? Farfus suffers the same fate as Rossi did! He had to have run over a piece of carbon fiber. Things are going pear shaped for the #46! More pit stops and now we see cars in the lane thick and fast. But the #46 team are going to have to push hard. Marco Wittman takes over the #98 Rowe Racing BMW. WRT still have one bullet in the gun with the #32. However, even though #46 will remain in the motor race, they are going to be playing catch up the rest of the way.
Raffaele Marciello in the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes is going to gain tons of ground. Where is the #777? We see Sandy Mitchell going off and on in the Lamborghini for K-PAX Racing in the #6 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2. Mitchell, the British driver, has taken over that car from Franck Perera, the Frenchman, to handle the middle driving stint. This means that they will put Andrea Caldarelli into the car for the final stint or so it seems. Meantime, Maro Engel has absolutely had his efforts torpedoed! Engel had a slow pit stop and then he went off the road at turn one! Criminy!
Al Manar Racing did not match Rowe Racing's pit times. Now we have a mano e mano, BMW vs. BMW battle for the lead with the rival teams from Rowe Racing and WRT. Marco Wittman vs. Charles Weerts. Two teams, same brand. The reason the #2 GetSpeed Mercedes went to the garage and went out of the event was that the fire extinguisher was triggered. Now, how on earth could that happen? If the driver did trigger the fire bottle, it was only done in error. That is why American Lance Bergstein pitted the car. However, Bergstein and co-drivers Andrzej Lewandowski of Poland and Englishman Aaron Walker, they could indeed be back into the race by now, albeit several laps down.
Sandy Mitchell is right on Timur Boguslavskiy's six. Boguslavskiy, the driver from Russia, took over from Raffaele Marciello. Boguslavskiy defending massively from Sandy Mitchell as they fly towards Variante del Rettifilo! Mitchell, driving angry into the turn, and Boguslavskiy has to mind his P's and Q's on this one! He forces Mitchell wide off the road! Mitchell moves ahead but he will have to give it up. Mitchell does the smart thing but cannot let other cars go for it. Lots of argy bargy through the Curva Grande, but it is OK. Andrea Caldarelli is now coming into the picture along with Fabian Schiller. Mercedes vs. Lamborghini. Schiller gets balked into the Variante Ascari.
Dennis Marschall is also looking to latch onto this battle. "They're having a little party, and they didn't invite me! No matter, I will show up uninvited!" That's a racing driver's mentality. Akkodis ASP have now been promoted to fourth spot and they are just about seven and a half seconds away from the lead BMW as we complete 32 laps of the circuit, 115 miles. BMW run 1, 2, 3. Neil Verhagen is now third having taken over from Dan Harper. Fabian Schiller, though, in the Mercedes is desperate to redress the mistake he made earlier on.
Sandy Mitchell dives in and forces Boguslavskiy up the escape road! He has lost two places and now, Andrea Caldarelli wants by Sandy Mitchell. Valentino Rossi explains to his team what is going on. It is game over for the #46 team. Valentino Rossi, Augusto Farfus, and Maxime Martin have retired from the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season opener here at Monza. Rossi discussing things with Sheldon van der Linde in an animated manner. Go get 'em next time. Don't make the same mistake again. Rossi does not want to be a celebrity and is treated as just another driver.
Fabian Schiller goes off the road, again, and now, this opens the door for Timur Boguslavskiy. Dennis Marschall was wondering what the deal is there. We're almost halfway through the race. Now, in the Gold Cup we have a battle afoot for the lead in the class. The #30 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 has it, and the #21 Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3, wants it. The battle is on between Calan Williams, the Australian, and Germany's Max Hofer. Fabian Schiller is being harried by Calan Williams as well. Williams is coming in a hurry and applying the blowtorch to Schiller, albeit from a car racing in a different class.
This is for ninth and tenth place overall. Sandy Mitchell still cannot pass the Mercedes and now, Andrea Caldarelli is trying to get a tow. Charles Weerts is eating chunks out of the lead of Marco Wittman and Neil Verhagen too, is closing in fast. Sandy Mitchell and Andrea Caldarelli in the Lamborghini's for K-PAX and for Iron Lynx are closing on the leaders as well. Weerts is piling the pressure on Wittman, look. The rest of the top ten has the championship winning #88 Mercedes from 2022 for Akkodis ASP in the hands of Timur Boguslavskiy being prusued by Dennis Marschall in the #40 Tresor Orange1 Audi, Fabian Schiller in the Al Manar Mercedes, and rounding out the top ten, Christopher Mies in the Sainteloc Junior Team Audi #25 and the #96 Porsche for Rutronik Racing in the hands of Laurin Heinrich of Germany.
Andrezej Lewandowski is the cork in the bottle as the leaders are trying not to trip over him. Out of Ascari curve they come. Maeschall wants to have a Captain Cook on the inside. Fabian Schiller too is doing what he can to make up for his errors. Drive through penalty for the #81 car for overtaking under a yellow flag, Alain Valente. Boguslavskiy makes a mistake. Alain Valente at Theeba Motorsports and their Mercedes AMG has to pay the penalty. Timur Bougslavskiy is having major trouble trying to run consistently aboard the #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes after taking over from rapid Spaniard Daniel Juncadella.
Boguslavskiy was ahead of Maschall. The pressure from Marschall got to him and he gained time but not a position. No winner or loser there. Incident in turn four noted by the stewards for cars #83 and #35. Rahel Frey in the Iron Dames Lamborghini and Thomas Neubauer in the Walkenhorst Motorsports BMW had a coming together. Incident marked at turn four, the entry to the Variante della Roggia. We are seeing clumps of three, four, five cars, scrapping with each other, and a lot of them seem to be of the same marque. So how they all found each other on the track, I don't know. But it is fascinating to watch.
Max Hofer tries making his move on Calan Williams who is defending with one move across to hold him at bay. Racing is the skill and art of how to use your equipment. There is a big difference between being a racer and a racing driver. Hofer still in hot pursuit of Williams. Valentino Rossi tells us that after his pole and his fastest lap, at the beginning, his stint went very well. Afterwards, he admits to making a mistake in the first chicane and then, hitting the anti stall by mistake. Then the car suffered with a punctureed tire with Augusto Farfus at the wheel. Game over for WRT #46.
The race lead battle is inteisifying as Charles Weerts is pressing Marco Wittman. Two BMW's and two individual teams. The #46 BMW retired from the race because of a broken diffuser at the back of the car and we have a massive traffic jame into the first Lesmo! Wow! Bodywork rub on one of the cars ahead. There goes the bodywork! Who is that? That is one of the Audi's. Hard to tell which one. Rahel Frey in the #83 Lamborghini is in the middle of this massive battle. I am trying to find where she is in the running order in the pylon on the lefthand side of the picture.
OK. Rahel Frey is following behind a group of cars that includes Hugo Chevalier, Jop Rappange, Cesar Gazeau, Tim Whale, and Thomas Neubauer. I should mention Gregoire Demoustier is also part of that lot, a longtime competitor in SRO GT World Challenge Europe. We are steadily approaching the halfway mark in the race. We are now watching a battle for 22nd place between Jonathan Hui in the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren 720S GT3 racing ahead of the 23rd place Porsche 911 GT3R #911 for Pure Racing in the hands of Joel Sturm, the German driver.
Sturm is sharing with Klaus Bachler of Austria and British licensed/domiciled Russian driver Alex Malykhin. Pure Racing is associated with Herberth Motorsports in a way, however, they run under a Lithuanian flag, not a German flag. Sturm chasing Hui. This is a battle for a win in category, banging in the points and the results. Capo and Rigon are in a battle between Lamborghinin and Ferrari. Huracan GT3 vs. 296 GT3. I think Joel Sturm in the Porsche has more pace off the Parabolica, off of Alboreto corner. He might have more ponies from the 4 liter atmospheric flat six than Hui does in the McLaren with the 3.8 liter turbo V8.
Sturm has a tow, but I wonder. I don't think he has the room to make that move without something untoward happening. He cuts back and is going to try going the long way 'round Hui into Rettifilo and Curva Grande. I don't know if this going to work! This is squeaky, squeaky time right here right now. Sturm late on the brakes and Hui still slams the door in his face. Hui and Sturm are immediately balked by a Lamborghini that needs to move. I don't know which one that is. We have a plethora of bright green Lamborghini's to choose from in this motor race today. Hard to tell which specific Lambo that one is.
Ricky Capo was running ahead of Davide Rigon. But the scoop is that he overshot the Rettifilo. This is for third in the Bronze Cup I believe. Hui hangs on ahead of Sturm as the Ferrari is working far better on long runs than short runs. A car light on it's tires in Free Practice and qualifying might not handle well. But with more fuel and weight the tires switch on and you can drive more quickly. Well, maybe that is how it works for the 296 GT3. Sturm, meanwhile, pokes his nose in front of Jonathan Hui and Hui realizes he has to give it up and concede the corner.
The Ferrari's meanwhile have made good progress over the first half of the event here at Monza and in an hour and a half they have positioned themselves overall in 13th and 20th places. More battles as Hugo Chevalier in the Porsche very nearly gives Tim Whale's BMW a clonk. Well, that was a close shave to be sure. That is the #44 car running for the French CLRT team. Rahel Frey in the meantime, look, she is now closing in on Hugo Chevalier and is right on his back bumper. She wants by the Porsche and is leaving nothing on the table to have an opportunity to make her move.
We've got two moves being planned out and executed into the first turn. Chevalier is trying to outbrake Whale into the turn and we have Rahel Frey all over the back of Jop Rappange, the Dutchman, as well. Chevalier makes his move but Frey will have to bide her time and knows discretion is indeed the better part of valor at the present time. In the meantime, Dennis Marschall is closing right back up on Timur Boguslavskiy, in the battle between Mercedes and Audi. Car #96 incurs a 15 second time penalty to be taken at the next pit stop. A refeuling infringement for Rutronik Racing and the Porsche.
Fabian Schiller tips the back of Dennis Marschall and Marschall is loose! Holy cow! How did he save that thing?! Boguslavskiy checks up and Marschall checks up, and this is an accordion effect so no wonder there was that argy bargy between Marschall and Fabian Schiller. Triple seven has some damage to the front grille area of the car on the right side just next to the headlight. I have to wonder if the front splitter on Schiller's car also could have been tweaked by the contact. Marschall must be miffed by being nudged out of the way by Schiller.
The diffuser on the back of Marschall's Audi could also be "diffused" pardon the pun. Oh boy. Fabian Schiller is dropping like a stone. He's definitely got trouble. Deary me. The Al Manar Racing Mercedes is crawling back to the pit lane. I really thought we'd see a more professional drive today, from Fabian Schiller, but he has indeed been off his game. I agree with John Watson. He is not stepping up to the plate in a way you'd expect from a professional level GT3 driver in a top team for a brand like Mercedes Benz.
Is that superfluous bodywork damage or is there something more mechanical that could stem from it? Is the radiator and cooling system OK? No water or fluid is coming out of it. We'd know if that thing was chucking water out of the radiator in copious clouds of steam or water gushing out of an overflow pipe someplace. That is why Schiller is trundling to the lane and in limp home mode. He knows that was a definitive crunch and he does not want to do any more damage to the Mercedes before hitting the lane and maybe having to box the car permanently.
This could be terminal. Such a shame for the Al Manar Mercedes and HRT crew. A very demoralizing experience. All he can do is apologize and make a mistake. Don't qualify it because that just won't fly. Christopher Mies is running well as they are on a resurgence and are up to eighth in class and in the overall. Christopher Mies is one of those professional Audi drivers and is a very good one too. Dennis Marschall is the same way and all of them are doing their level best to give Timur Boguslavskiy a hard time. For some reason Boguslavskiy is slow through the first chicane and Marschall has momentum. When he gets a head of steam, he could become the cue ball and Boguslavskiy would have no idea that some bloke was going to come steaming right up on him.
This is the difficult bit when you have two or three cars going for the same bit of racing real estate. Here is the battle pack in the Pro Cup.
6. #88 Boguslavskiy/Marciello/Gounon Akkodis ASP Team Mercedes AMG GT3
7. #40 Marschall/Drudi/Feller Tresor/Orange 1 Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
8. #25 Mies/Niederhauser/Gachet Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
Marschall closing on Boguslavskiy early into the corner. Boguslavskiy might be braking a tad too early and Christopher Mies knows where to place the car trying to wait for the chaps ahead to make a mistake. Boguslavskiy is closing on a backamrker and in replay we saw that Marschall had to close up with a head of steam, and... boom. Boguslavskiy might have trouble with the Mercedes. Ahead of this lot are the two Lamborghini's with slower traffic ahead. Sandy Mitchell in fourth in the #6 K-PAX Lamborghini followed immediately by Andrea Caldarelli in the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini.
Marschall is trying the long way 'round Boguslavskiy. This could work well, or it could end in tears. He's alongside Boguslavskiy but takes the road less traveled across the astroturf and now makes his move but I wonder if the stewards will view that one as a legitimate pass or not. Mies tags Boguslavskiy! What on earth was that?! Damage to the right rear of the Mercedes! Blue smoke emanating from Boguslavskiy's car as the tire begins rubbing a hole through the rear fender! Rather, the fender will be rubbing on the tire and could very well cause it to delaminate and lose pressure. Boguslavskiy brought that upon himself and believe you me, the Akkodis ASP team is going to be irate about it.
Raffaele Marciello and Jules Gounon will be seething with anger! I'm going to be pulling my hair out of me head there, look, seeing the wisps of blue smoke as that tire is killing itself on that damaged fender. Christopher Mies either kicks up debris off the track or something flew off the back of that Audi. Difficult to tell from this angle as they come into the Parabolica again. Boguslavskiy must get to the lane. If I were the team manager at Akkodis ASP I would get on the horn and say "box now. You have damage. Box now." Why in earth's name is Boguslavskiy still motoring around out there on the circuit? Someone will have to give him a meatball flag and bring him in ASAP.
Hold the phone, folks. Boguslavskiy is pulling to the side of the road on the frontstretch and he should have pulled into the pits! Is this an I give up, I'm going to retire moment? What is the deal? It is! It's game over for Boguslavskiy! You clown! Why didn't you just pull into the lane? By criminy! You've set yourself up for failure and some true misery and ridicule here lad. I'm sorry. The right rear Pirelli P Zero is totally cut down and now he knows he's a retirement, but it is like the chap doesn't even care. Aye yaye yaye yaye. Have you ever? No, I've never.
That is the mother of all mistakes isn't it. Now, we are all armchair quarterbacks whether we are sitting in the commentary booth or at the computer pecking away at the keyboard to tell the stories of these sportscar races. But, driving requires thinking and planning and being strategic. Boguslavskiy looks like he was just plainly throwing in the towel there. In the meatime, the battle is brewing again, look, for the lead in the Gold Cup. This is the same one from earlier between the #30 WRT BMW and the #21 Comtoyou Racing Audi. Williams vs. Hofer.
These two have been glued together for the last half hour and there were seven cars in the Golf Cup but now there are only five. Let's take a look at the order.
1. #30 Williams/Simmenauer/Kruten Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
2. #21 Hofer/Baert/Soulet Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II
3. #5 De Haan/Fagg/MacDonald Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
4. #157 Schumacher/Born/Zug Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
5. #57 Dontje/Ellis/Ward Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
6. #19 Ineichen/Beretta/Pulcini Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2
7. #9 Panis/Eteki/di Folco Boutsen VDS Audi R8 LMS Evo II
Iron Lynx #19 and Boutsen VDS #9 retired early and I don't even think that the Panis/Eteki/Di Folco car turned a solitary lap in the race itself. The Gold Cup leaders are eighth and ninth overall. The next battle we are going to take a good look at is Marschall reeling in Andrea Caldarelli. Marschall is losing pace in traffic but he will get back on the button here soon. He is about half a second behind. Christopher Mies has beaten Valentino Rossi on the lap charts. This is becoming a thriller. Three Lamborghini's, two BMW's and two Audi's.
In replay, we can see Timur Boguslavskiy drove striaght across the track and the left front of the Audi clipped the right rear of the Mercedes and that tire went down. It is so exasperating, I am whacking at a pillow! Marschall gets mpatient and Boguslavskiy chopped across the front and Boguslavskiy had to limp around and had more and more damage. His diffuser and rear bodywork were totally torn up and the rear bodywork fell right into the diffuser! Unbelievable! He was too aggressive, plain and simple. Hofer and Williams too are still going at it and now, Christopher Mies is right on Dennis Marschall's six.
So now, we are seeing a battle for sixth in Pro Cup.
6. #40 Marschall/Feller/Drudi Tresor Orange 1 Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
7. #25 Mies/Niederhauser/Gachet Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
There is action all over. Lead commentator Jake Sampson is right. Boguslavskiy is done for the day. This is three one-hour sprint races under the umbrella of a three-hour endurance race. Mies seems to be sensible about his fight with Marschall. Closely pursue your rival but don't try to make unnecessary contact with him. Out of Lesmo 2 there is a battle among eight cars and the leaders are headed into a swarm of lapped traffic. More bodywork goes fluing but let me tell you, Charles Weerts is going to be laser focused because he could take the lead away if Marco Wittmann has even one slip up.
Wittmann is indeed boxed in. Weerts is going to do his damnedest to make something happen. You can bet your bottom dollar. Wittmann diving inside of the back markers and he cannot afford to have Weerts anywhere near him. Wittmann is the minnow and Weerts is the shark smelling blood in the water. Weerts is using the side draft off the Porsche to try making the pass down the front straightaway. Everyone else among these back markers involved with their own battle and there is not really any way they are going to yield unless they have to and well, Wittmann and Weerts slicing and dicing through he traffic gives them no choice.
Wittmann is brilliantly able to put one or two cars between himself and Weerts. Rob Collard drops two wheels into the gravel trap in the Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini but avoids disaster and keeps his foot buried in the throttle. Marius Naken though, he is going to be all over poor old Rob Collard like a cheap suit. Naken, in the Porsche. There's bits of bodywork and tire clag all over the place and you want to neutralize the field under Full Course Yellow, get out the street sweeper and clean up the track a wee bit. But, that is just not an option at this moment as we remain under green here at Monza.
The exit of the Ascari chicane is particularly dirty offline. Wittman leads Weerts by a second and a half having completed 50 laps, 180 miles. There is a real simmering, bubbling pressure cooker situation between Gregoire Demoustier and Jop Rappange, the Frenchman and the Dutchman. Marco Wittmann is the bloke with the grin on his face like he's just scored the biggest slice of the Christmas cake and is smiling like a stuck possum with his face full of frosting right now as he makes the move past the lapped cars and motors away in the lead, whistling off into the distance. Wittmann shows what a savvy veteran he is using the traffic to his advantage.
Sandy Mitchell, too. He is really giving it the stick and has made up gobs of time on the sister Rowe Racing BMW #998. That is the Daniel Harper, Max Hesse, Neil Verhagen car. Mitchell leads Neil Verhagen now by 1.3 seconds. So, Verhagen is going to have to get the wriggle on if he wants to do anything with Sandy Mitchell and get inside his head. Mitchell will surely be the fly in the ointment in that case. Mitchell is able to drive how he wants and has not had to adjust for other cars being in the way as he is of course sharing the K-PAX Lamborghini with Marco Mapelli and Frank Perera. K-PAX Lamborghini could be a dark horse if they start bish bash boshing it on pit stops and the BMW boys run into a spot of bother at any time.
When Sandy Mitchell does pit, he shall hand the car over to Marco Mapelli and the Italian, too, he is no slouch. He has been driving GT3 Lamborghini's in a number of championships for years now. I recall him being in IMSA, and in SRO in both America and Europe for a good while these last two, maybe three years or so. Mitchell is going to have more chances now as Neil Verhagen is bound to get stymied in this traffic. Verhagen is able to place the Porsche between himself and Mitchell as a pick. Attacking is what Mitchell is doing while Verhagen is doing his darnedest to defend. We also have another wheel to wheel Audi scrap going on.
This is the resumption of the Christopher Mies, Dennis Marschall story. Mies has the intent, the performance, and the grip. Two identical Audi R8's. It is really down to driver skill between these two. Mies is being given room by Marschall and Mies makes the pass. Marschall s going to try coming back at Mies, but I think he knows that Mies has him covered and that (once again), discretion is indeed the better part of valor in this case. Mies totally sold the dummy to Marschall and did the pass fake on him going on the opposite side of the road. Left fake, well, I'm going to the right side of the road, sunbeam, and I am going to outfox you.
That's exactly what happened. This is the difference between being a racing driver and a racer. Do you drive? Or, do you actually compete, and (within reason), give the others in the motor race a tough run for their money? Loris Hezemans recorded his personal best lap. He and his team are leading the Silver Cup in the #12 Comtoyou Racing Audi R8. Loris Hezemans, the Dutchman, of course sharing with Finlay Hutchison from England and with Belgian driver Sam Dejonghe. Meantime, in the Gold Cup, the duel for the lead continues in earnest between the #30 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Calan Williams and the third Comtoyou Racing Audi currently with Max Hofer at the wheel of it.
Laurin Heinrich follows behind in the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3R. Heinrich is pressuring Nicklas Nielsen for 11th place as Nielsen is now at the controls of the #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. The Ferrari's are finding their feet with pace and with consistency. The Ferrari's are quietly and gradually moving towards the top ten. Davide Rigon in the sister car is 18th in the overall. The Bronze Cup leader is still the #188 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 currently driven by Portugal's Miguel Ramos running 13th overall alongside Louis Prette and Henrique Chaves.
In 17th place is the next Bronze Cup entry, the #79 Mercedes AMG GT3 for Haupt Racing Team, driven by Sebastien Baud of France, Germany's Hubert Haupt (veteran driver and the team owner), and Indian driver Arjun Maini. Right now it is indeed Sebastien Baud in the car. Joel Sturm is next up in class at the wheel of the #911 Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R. Fourth place is still Jonathan Hui in the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren. Loris Hezemans, the man we were just talking about, he is leading the Silver Cup in the #12 Comtoyou Racing Audi. This is the Audi we just mentioned moments ago with Loris Hezemans, Sam Dejonghe, and Finlay Hutchison.
What a team title. Comtoyou Racing. Who dreams that up? My friends in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship at Action Express Racing have a pretty cool name, the coolest of them all in my book. However, Comtoyou Racing is right up there on the list. Ricky Capo holds second place in Silver aboard the #58 Lamborghini for GRT Grasser Racing Team. Third is held down by the #90 Mercedes AMG GT3 of Alexey Nesov for Madpanda Motorsports. Another wildly cool team name. It appears Ezequiel Perez Companc's boys are on for a possible podium in the first race of the 2023 season. Wouldn't that be cool? We'll see how the remaining hour and ten minutes pans out.
Ezequiel Perez Companc is from Argentina but lives now in Barcelona, Spain. He went back to Argentina for some R&R and just to clear his mind which everyone needs once in a while no matter what your life is or what you do. But especially in the world of motor racing. It is a high pressure environment. Madpanda are not here to win the race overall but they want to do so in their category for sure. Again, the categories in SRO are really based on driver ratings because all the cars are the same spec with GT3 from different brands with different mechanical combinations. BMW Italia are also running well. Akkodis ASP and Al Manar Mercedes are out, and GetSpeed Mercedes are out, plus the #46 WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Martin, Farfus, and Rossi. They too are done for the day.
Vervisch and Patrese are down the order. Checking any more retirements, well, Nicky Leutwiler, too, is out of this one in the #24 Porsche for Car Collection Motorsport. Rolf Ineichen and Kay van Berlo put two of the Lamborghini's out. Aurelien Panis retired his Audi because the clutch went out on the car. We also saw the first lap wreck between the other GetSpeed Mercedes and the Rinaldi Racing Ferrari of Samantha Tan. We have another battle afoot among a gaggle of cars. This one is for ninth overall. Max Hofer in the #21 Comtoyou Racing Audi followed by the #96 Rutronik Racing Porsche of Laurin Heinrich, and the #51 AF Corse - Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3 of Nicklas Nielsen.
9. #21 Hofer/Baert/Soulet Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II
10. #96 Heinrich/Preining/Olsen Rutronik Racing Porsche 911 GT3R
11. #51 Nielsen/Shwartzman/Rovera Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3
You cannot afford to lose momentum when your rivals are chasing. We see a battle between the #51 and #54. The Ferrari's are playing a game of "slowly, slowly, catchy monkey" as they move forward. Ferrari are indeed making up ground. Nicklas Nielsen chasing down Lauren Heinrich. Next up is the #55 Dinamic Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R driven by Ayhacan Guven, the Turkish driver. Heinrich chasing Hofer. Callan Williams is the Gold Cup leader. The BMW boys still lead this motor race convincingly as the motorcars from Munich hold the top three positions with Marco Wittmann, Charles Weerts, and Neil Verhagen.
We are indeed looking at this battling duo for ninth.
9. #21 Nielsen/Rovera/Shwartzman Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3
10. #54 Guven/Muller/Engelhart Dinamic GT Huber Racing Porsche 911 GT3R
The BMW teams got an extra ten kilograms of ballast but they are ahead of everyone else by a country mile. Maro Engel driving the #777 Al Manar Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 in the opening stanza, he was matching the BMW boys on pace lap by lap. 43 of 55 starters are still running here at Monza. The Gold Cup scrap between Williams and Hofer. The #66 Tresor Attempto Audi is a lapped car, trying not to cause a headache for everyone else. Kikko Galbiati of Italy is the current driver sharing with Dylan Perreira of Luxembourg and Andrey Mukovoz from Russia.
I think that is the sole Tresor Attempto Audi in the race. At the top of the shop Wittman has eked out a gap to Weerts that is about five seconds. Davide Rigon has passed Sebastien Baud for 17th place as Joel Sturm is also fighting. Sturm wants by the Mercedes but he cannot quite get there. Armchair quarterbacks are never wrong but we're not always right either as we have a scrap going between Alexey Nesov and David Schumacher. David Schumacher is Ralf Schumacher's son, Michael's nephew, and Mick's cousin. Schumacher has the genes to be a great driver.
David Schumacher had a good career in junior formulae. This is an overall battle for 26th place that we are having a Captain Cook at on your screen now.
26. #157 Schumacher/Born/Zug Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3
27. #90 Nesov/Gustavsen/Perez Companc Madpanda Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT3
David Schumacher is on the podium behind his teammate Indy Dontje. The pit stop window for the second stop is aboput to open. Rober Shwartzman will take over the #51 Ferrari and now, Marco Cassara and BMW Italia have decided a strategy to duck to the lane early to gain track position before the final hour ticks over on the clock. We have an hour and three minutes on the board yet. Well, look here. We have yet another battle pack and this is the Pro Cup battle for fourth place. Currently, the #6 K-PAX Racing Lamborghini of Sandy Mitchell has it and the #63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini wants it.
4. #6 Mitchell/Mapelli/Perera K-PAX Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2
5. #63 Caldarelli/Bortolotti/Pepper Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2
How ironic because Jordan Pepper drove for the K-PAX Lamborghini team in SRO GT World Challenge America and won a title just a handful of years ago. In fact, I think he very well could have been a two-time champoon but I cannot remember off the top of my head. Both Porsche's are in the lane as the Italian BMW exits. Both Dinamc Porsche;s are in. Now, there are two different stories here as the #56 is down and away but the #54 machine is being turned back into the garage on the dollies.
#56 had Jop Rappange, the Dutchman at the wheel of it and for the final stint it will be the Norwegian driver Marisu Nakken in the driver's seat. #98 is 5.3 seconds ahead but Marco Wittman has made a mistake! Did he have a lapse in concentration. That isn't good. In replay, he woverran the chicane and flopped over the curbs. No damage to the front splitter but now we see the Lambroghini story and Andrea Caldarelli has passed by Sandy Mitchell. So, here is your lead battle as Charles Weerts is gaining.
1. #98 Wittmann/Eng/Yelloly Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3
2. #32 Weerts/Vanthoor/Van der Linde Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
Weerts needs to stay as close to Wittmann's six as he can and we are coming towards pit stop time with about an hour to go. WRT are staying out for another lap. The lead car has lost a second now and Weerts knows he has to push. It was a one lap issue for the #56 Dinamic Motorsports Porsche. They are still in the race, definitely. Daniele di Amato, the Italian, is now in the car having taken over from Jop Rappange, and the third driver who we may see still is Tanart Sathienthirakul from Thailand. Neil Verhagen and the #998 BMW M4 GT3 has hit the pit lane. But stop the presses! Davide Rigon has uncorked fastest lap of the motor race in a Ferrari in Italy! The Tifosi will be cheering this one! Break out the air horns! But don't start singing Il Canto del Itigliani just yet.
Leading in Gold Cup it remains the #21 Comtoyou Racing Audi, the Hofer/Baert/Soulet car. Rigon just cut a 1:47.9! The best lap that car has turned this whole race and could be the best lap we've seen turned all weekend. Ferrari are turning it on as we are now into the final hour of the season opener of SRO GT World Challenge Europe 2023. Max Hesse is now at the wheel of the #998 BMW M4 GT3 at Eowe Racing and the #159 Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3 is in the pit lane. Danish driver Nicolai Kjaergaard is stepping into the McLaren he shares with German drivers Benjamin Goethe and Marvin Kirchhofer.
Charles Weerts now in the lane and the race leader should pit next. Fuel, tires, and a driver change. Charles Weerts out of the car and Dries Vanthoor takes over for the final stint. A difference in height between the two drivers. Dries Vanthoor will take the car home as the wheels are complete, waiting on fuel to let the car down off the air jacks. Hesse is coming and Tresor Orange1 Audi will leapfrog the Sainteloc Audi. Marco Wittmann to the lane and he is going to hand over to a teammate. Jonathan Hui hands off the #93 Sky Tempesta McLaren to Eddie Cheever III. while Nick Yelloly will finish out this race in the Rowe Racing BMW #998.
Rowe Racing and BMW have done a quick stop and consolidated their position. Mitchell and Mies at the top but now we are going to see the two BMW's come back to the top of the shop. Dries Vanthoor has 55 minutes to chase down Nick Yelloly before the end of the race today. Run him down and find a way around him. As you were, folks. Sandy Mitchell, the erstwhile leader and he shall pit. The #88 Akkodis ASP Mercedes is noted for track limits violations. Marco Mapelli is taking over the #6 K-PAX Racing Lamborghini from Sandy Mitchell. Mirko Bortolotti is now in the Iron Lynx Lamborghini as well. Max Hofer is the erstwhile leader while the Ferrari's of Nielsen and Rigon are fourth and fifth now.
Dennis Marschall and Christopher Mies have pitted. Drama though for K-PAX! #6 has a flat tire! Something has gone awry at K-PAX! Team boss Darren Law and team manager Thomas Blam will be beside themselves! The left front tire is gone! The wheel wasn't properly tightened down with the rattle gun or is missing a safety clip or something. He'll have to trundle around a whole lap of Autodromo Nazionale di Monza here in order to try and get back to the lane. My goodness! Maybe the left front suspension collapsed. Maybe there is a broken upright or a broken shock absorber or something, as we see the #11 Comtoyou Racing Audi in the pit lane.
They are all dropping like flies and guess what the scoop is? The two Ferrari's are running 1-2! Nielsen in the #51 and Rigon in the #71! The "Tifosi" here at Monza will be jumping for joy! Mirko Bortolotti at 1:47.540 sets the fastest first sector time. Third is Nick Yelloly in the BMW. Still in the pit lane we have Loris Hezemans and now, Nicklas Nielsen brings the #51 to the pit lane for scheduled service and a driver change, handing the car over to Antonio Fuoco.
Ferrari are extremely busy right now as they have Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, and GT3 programs all at the same time. Nicklas Nielsen is unhappy about something, slamming the door like someone poked him in the eye or slugged him or something. Nick Yelloly sets a new fastest lap at 1:47.532. Maybe that is why Nielsen is so angry, slamming the door on his co-driver. "The BMW's are beating us and I am steamed about it!" Maybe that is what he said although with a number of expletives thrown in for good measure, frustrated and no doubt muttering under his breath. When a man is in that mood, be very careful if you are a race reporter approaching him with a microphone.
Robert Shwartzman is now in the #51 and he gets loose on stone cold tires! He is a Ferrari Junior Driver, making the adaptation from a high downforce open wheel car into a production based sports car. So, it is BMW 1-2-3 at the top of the shop. Nick Yelloly, Dries Vanthoor, and Max Hesse. The gap shrinks to 2.3 seconds. Bring it on. It is go time. It is squeaky, squeaky time now. Yikes! Sven Muller tries to make a move on Robert Shwartzmann and Shwartzmann says "no you don't, sunbeam." Antonio Fuoco is now 14th. If Fuoco is going to catch up to Shwartzmann, he has a lot of traffic to deal with and has to pass Thomas Drouet in the Porsche, Dean MacDonald in the McLaren, Jean Baptiste Simmenauer in the BMW, and Sven Mueller in the Porsche.
Shwartzmann has not plugged his Driver ID into the transponder. Ferrari has had radio issues this weekend and maybe the transponder is not working. In the Gold Cup the battle is on for victory between Max Hofer in the #21 Comtoyou Audi followed by Jean Baptiste Simmenauer in the #30 WRT BMW and the #5 Dean MacDonald driven McLaren for Optimum Motorsport. MacDonald is coming in a hurry. He is running 11th overall currently with a best lap of 1:47.8 and a previous lap of 1:48.4. Henrique Chaves too, uncorks fastest time overall in sectot three! Wow!
The battle is also on for second in the Bronze Cup, look. Arjun Maini scrapping with Eddie Cheever III. and James Kell.
2. #79 Maini/Haupt/Baud Haupt Racing Team Mercedes AMG GT3 Evo
3. #93 Cheever III./Hui/Froggatt Sky - Tempesta Racing McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
4. #35 Kell/Buchardt/Neubauer Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW M4 GT3
Dean MacDonald was very successful in karting and then stopped racing for a while and went back into karting and into professional racing. He is really turning it on right now. Where his future will lie, we'll find out. All these teams are looking at young talent indeed. For 16th, 17th, and 18th, we now have a battle between Sam DeJonghe, Arjun Maini, and Eddie Cheever III. James Kell and Henrique Chaves are third and fourth in the Bronze Cup. Klaus Bachler leads the Bronze Cup aboard the #911 Pure Racing Porsche. In GT World Challenge Europe, Klaus Bachler has won this race, the 3 Hours of Monza, overall, twice. So he is no slouch and gets it done behind the wheel of a Porsche GT3.
Chaves right on Kell's six. He tries making a move at the Variante della Roggia. No dice. Jusr 43 minutes and change left to race before this race ends. The BMW and McLaren are both quick cars at Monza. But there is a wrinkle in this. James Kell is under investigation by the stewards for speeding in the pit lane. So, he shall have to bite the bullet and pay the penalty for that which might just give Henrique Chaves clear sailing before long. Eddie Cheever III. is catching Arjun Maini hand over fist. He is biding his time though for sure. Drivers from India did karting and could have been a part of the old Force India Formula 1 team which is now Aston Martin of course.
Sam de Jonghe is not involved in this class battle but the other two in the Bronze Cup are going to try making a pass. Dejonghe sharing with Loris Hezemans and Finlay Hutchison of course. The second place car in Silver is the Madpanda Motorsports Mercedes, car #90 with the boss, Ezequiel Perez Companc at the wheel of it. Arjun Maini wants to drop Cheever and get by DeJonghe. Every time one battle ends in GTWC Europe another one picks up. These scraps are amazing to watch with under 40 minutes to go. Dries Vanthoor chipping away at the lead held by Nick Yelloly. Yelloly, Vanthoor, Hesse.
James Kell is pulling the pin and is making his move on Eddie Cheever III. down the frontstretch! Wow! The British BMW driver is turning it on big style! Sky Tempesta McLaren vs. Walkenhorst BMW with Arjun Maini in the Mercedes just ahead. Late on the brakes into the Prima Variante and the McLaren is trying to make a move here on Kell! That is the Henrique Chaves car! Henrique Chaves is showing up to this party uninvited. They are having a little party, and they didn't invite me! I will bust inside the door anyway! Mirko Bortolotti is now fourth, and now, we see James Kell is going to make his move come hell or high water.
They're side by side! Arjun Mainiis in front and the McLaren now outside through Retifilo, Chaves is side by side and Kell had to concede but he has the undercut and Henrique Chaves, that was bold as brass! Wow! Punch it, and outfox your rival. Another racer is Henrique Chaves. The top seven right now is Yelloly, Vanthoor, Hesse, Bortolotti, Niederhauser, Drudi, and Hofer. I don't think Max Hofer is still in the #11 Comtoyou Audi. I think it is one of the other drivers at the wheel right now. I think Comtoyou has a transponder issue as Robert Shwartzmann is eighth and Thomas Preining has passed Thomas Drouet as well.
Car #35, five second time penalty added to final racing time for speeding in the pit lane. Slam dunk. That is James Kell. I knew he would have to pay the piper. Shwartzmann has passed Sven Mueller. Excuse me. Mueller is pressing Shwartzmann for position. Muller appears to have the speed over Shwartzmann and Shwartzmann says "I had no idea this was going to be so tough!" Rscing against people you have never raced against and he is also a possible candidate for the Formula 1 team. It is Sigfried Rauch vs. Steve McQueen, from the "Le Mans" movie. If you haven't, I recommend it. The Gold Cup battle continues for second place in the class, between Dean MacDonald and Jean Baptiste Simmenauer.
Yelloly leading Vanthoor by 3.3 seconds has now run 74 laps, 266 miles. MacDonald senses an opportunity that he can and will find a way around Simmenauer for a top ten place. MacDonald, the Scotsman, is going for it. Charlie Fagg and Sam De Haan have also run very well in the Gold Cup while only five cars remain in the category itself. We have a retirement as the #26 Sainteloc Junior Team Audi is slowing! Paul Evrard, game over. So, the team of Paul Evrard, Erwan Bastard, and Gregoire Demoustier is headed for the house. McDonald is making his move Simmenauer into the Prima Variante!
McDonald could not slow down enough into the turn and he gets the move put on him by Simmenauer! Yikes! Dean MacDonald still has a chance. Get back on the bike and have another go. In Bronze, Henrique Chaves has falled to fourth and Eddie Cheever III. has moved to second spot in the class. He has made his move on Arjun Maini. Chaves goes off the road and back on. I wonder if the handling on that McLaren is fading. Maybe he outbraked himself coming into the first chicane. Tjat is another possibility. James Kell is on Chaves' six and Marvin Kirchhofer in the sister Garage 59 McLaren is also coming right into the picture as we speak! This is going to be hot and heavy as we come towards the time to lay the cards on the table and try going for the jackpot here at Monza.
Thomas Preining has uncorked the fastest sector time on this lap. He has run a 33.3 in sector one in 12th place. Maybe the track temperature has cooled down. Is Dries Vanthoor pushing too hard? I wonder. 1:47.2 is the fastest lap time, also set by Preining, within a second of the fastest qualifying times. How about that?! The BMW's are hopping over the curbs. When you do it too regularly you are in trouble. Speaking of trouble, Chaves in the McLaren is falling into the clutches of Kirchhofer in the sister Garage 59 McLaren in a different class. Cheever flashing the lights and we have some hip and shoulder in replay between the McLaren and the Mercedes over the sausage curbs.
Indian driver Arjun Maini going for it and James Kell has an evil handling race car with that BMW! Are his tires knackered? We did not see this, but Dean MacDonald has gone by Jean Baptiste Simmenauer. MacDonald is behind Sven Mueller who continues being harried by the Ferrari with Robert Shwartzmann at the wheel of it. Philip Ellis in the #57 Winward Mercedes and the Grasser Racing Lamborghini of Sam Neary have both been posted by the stewards. The Grasser entry is car #58. We will see if anything happens.
Steve Palette is looking to make his move on Marius Zug as well. Dries Vanthoor in the pit lane with trouble! He had a left front tire puncture. That is all I can think it was, a slow puncture, maybe hammering over the curbs and so WRT #32 will be on the back foot and they are out of contention. They are down to seventh in front of Shwartzmann and Muller. There are tread marks. Team boss Vincent Vosse is eyeing the surface of the tire and it is a slow puncture. Nick Yelloly is still pressing on. 78 laps completed. 281 miles. Currently, Yelloly has a 14 second margin over Max Hesse in the second spot. It is a Rowe Racing 1-2. Mirko Bortolotti has ruined BMW's party by bringing the #63 Lamborghini to third spot.
Paul Evrard aboard the #26 Sainteloc Junior Team Audi R8 is under investigation for speeding in the pit lane. That rubs salt into the wound for sure. Nick Yelloly nearly 15 seconds clear of the sister car. We saw Phillip Eng and Marco Wittmann also turn in stunning drives in the opening thirds of the race and Yelloly is doing the same in the final third with just 24 minutes on the board before we end the race here tonight. Arjun Maini and Henrique Chaves are still going at it! This is getting spicy! James Kell is hanging right in there. He wants to move ahead because he knows he has a time penalty at the end of the race. Where has this race gone? I was not expecting a three-hour race to go by so fast. It is three single one hour sprint races.
When we have the 6 Hours of Paul Ricard coming up next month, that will be six one hour sprint races and not necessarily a six hour endurance race as a whole. In the Bronze Cup the battle for the class lead is definitely afoot between Sam De Jonghe and Eddie Cheever III. This is the Silver division scrap. Cheever, Chaves, and Maini are actually doing all they can to catch Klaus Bachler who is ahead in the Bronze Cup at this point in the race. Dries Vanthoor has a brand new left front tire and will gain performance out of that. Here is the top five in Gold Cup.
1. #21 Hofer/Baert/Soulet Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
2. #5 MacDonald/De Haan/Fagg Optimum Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
3. #30 Simmenauer/Krutten/Williams Team WRT BMW M4 GT3
4. #57 Ellis/Dontje/Ward Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
5. #157 Zug/Schumacher/Born Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
Klaus Bachler leads the Bronze Cup in the #911 Pure Racing Porsche he is sharing with Alex Malykhin and Joel Sturm. Cheever and Chaves are next up in the two McLaren's for Sky Tempesta and Garage 59. Chaves, Kell, and Maini, all three of them are still pushing like mad! Unbelievable. This tussle is not over yet and we still have 19 minutes of racing to go. Kell cut through and has to let the other two cars regain their places. Kell is pulling away! The battle is steaming between the McLaren and the Mercedes. This will be something to watch. Chaves almost banging wheels with Maini; and they do! Chaves goes off the road and almost hits the sister car and the Audi! Yikes!
Did you see that?! They were side by side going into the Ascari chicane! Holy moly! That was bonkers stuff right there! That could have been massive! Side by side and it was a no braithat the Mercedes had to pull across but with Chaves he was not far enough ahead and it was just not on. 42 cars remaining in the motor race of the 55 starters. BMW Italia Ceccato Racing continue to lead in the Pro-Am Cup. Stefano Comandini and Marco Cassara drove the first two stints and now bringing the car home is Francesco Guerra. He is currently ahead of Andrea Bertolini and Bertolini is still in the fight in the Bronze Cup class in the Ferrari 488 GT3.
Wow! The Madpanda Motorsports Mercedes is getting roughed up! That will be a mad panda indeed if he continues to get pushed around. This is a feisty scrap between five or six cars. Sam Neary is making a pass while Steven Palette is at the head of this queue of cars. Ezequiel Perez Companc is next in line while Neary is behind him and Sam Neary has his hands full with Phillip Ellis as we speak. Michelle Gatting and Marius Zug are also in this scrap well and truly. Bortolotti is bogged down in traffic and Max Hesse has broken clear of any inroads Mirko Bortolotti might be able to make. The #2 GetSpeed Mercedes has had a fraught race.
But, they continue pounding around so they can possibly get on the Pro-Am Cup podium and take home a trophy or two when the race ends. Points, points, and more points, too. Two of their rivals including Samantha Tan and Nicky Leutwiler went out of the race very early on. Bortolotti's chances of getting a second place are evaporating as he is caught up in the lapped traffic as both of the Rowe Racing BMW's are scampering away at the head of the field. Yelloly followed immediately by Hesse. Get out of the way, boys! Oh dear. The #15 BMW spins and gets back on the road, the Pro-Am leader! Thankfully, they consolidated the opportunity, but Guerra was tagged by Bertolini in that mess.
Is the car damaged around the rear diffuser? The Barwell Lamborghini is coming in a hurry and Dries Vanthoor now runs sixth and is ten and a half seconds behind Mattia Drudi. Vanthoor has one fresher Pirelli tire. The Barwell Lambo is aware the car in front has gone off the road. They know they have to push, push, push. Bortolotti is trapped going bonkers on the headlamp flashers. In Pro-Am Cup at the wheel of the chasing Barwell Motorsports Lamborghini is Dennis "The Menace" Lind. You know he wants a piece of the action and will do whatever he can to get it, chasing down Francesco Guerra.
Four years ago here at Monza in the wet, he was flying, and that is where I gave him the nickname. Lind might be able to get back into a winning car. There could be damage to the BMW. Lind is about ot take the lead. Guerra has damage on the #15 BMW. Oh boy. Will Lind get to the top of the pile? He is 32nd in the overall but is going for a class win. Lind has the opportunity to gove for it. Dennis Lind is going to have a crack at this. Dries Vanthoor gets a clear run on the BMW Italia car and follows the #15 through the first chicane.
This is the lead battle between #15 and #78. This is why Dennis Lind is charging. He is throwing the kitchen sink at this with eleven and a half minutes to go. The biggest gap is probably between the two leaders with Nick Yelloly leading Max Hesse by 11 seconds or so. Francesco Guerra is really pushing hard. Into The Parabolica they go. Max Hofer in the Comtoyou Audi are going for it. So is Lind. He has a run but has to be closer to the BMW and here he comes now! But he can't even think about going for it or sdoes he? He is doing all he can and now there is the Audi right there! The BMW is being eatne up. Lind is through and here comes the Audi past.
Now Lind has to defend from Francesco Guerra. The Barwell Lambo is the leader in Pro-Am with less than ten minutes left to run. Lind has everything in terms of experience to stay ahead as well as race craft. I don't want to over egg the pudding, but he is really a real racer just like some of the other chaps we were speaking about earlier in the day. Car #26, 15 second time penalty added to the final race time for speeding in the pit lane. That is Paul Evrard bringing the car to the finish. The Rutronik Porsche of Thomas Preining will be rewarded with fastest lap at 1:47.232. Nick Yelloly now is in a comfortable spot with 14 seconds in hand over Max Hesse.
Antonio Fuoco, we have not called his name in a wee while, but he is probably going to get by the Mercedes of Thomas Drouet before this race ends as well. Keep an eye on the Italian. Mirko Bortolotti is still stymied in the Iron Lynx Lamborghini. The heatsoak on a GT3 car especially with a rear engine car or a front engine car is a big deal. Ooh! A small error for Bortolotti and now, Patric Niederhauser is in his wheel tracks. He is feeling the pressure. The team is telling Niederhauser, "go get him!" Yelloly has now run 90 laps, 324 miles. Yelloly has taken a half a second out of the gap but still is in-arrears of his teammate by 13.4 seconds.
This has been a fabulous motor race as the Barwell Lamborghini is the Pro-Am leader. Rob Collard, the team boss and driver, with his son, on the pit wall. A future racing driver it seems there. Mark Lemmer, the owner of the team, he is not here this weekend. Chris Needell is the team manager. Barwell are having a great time here at Monza and so is Comtoyou Racing. Comtoyou could win both Gold and Silver classes. A ten second stop and go penalty for Andrea Bertolini for causing a collision. That is game, set, match for his race. Niederhauser is reeling in Bortolotti hand over fist. Does Bortolotti have more damage? What is the deal?
Just two laps to go. Then we'll see who the winners are here at Monza. This is down to the wire stuff. There is a lapped car in the way, Steven Palette in the Porsche. We'll have probably a lap or so to go. Patric Niederhauser is relishing this opportunity before the end of the race. He is in full send mode. The Audi and the Lamborghini use the same engine, the 5.2 liter naturally aspirated V10. The Audi is quicker than the Lambo overall at this stage with just a lap or two to go. The Barwell Lambo and Ceccato BMW incident we saw has been noted as we are on the final lap.
OK. Patric, pull the pin. Go get him. Bortolotti though is going to have an advantage. We'll see how this ends up. Race leader on the last lap through Lesmo one and Nick Yelloly has done the hard yards and the heavy lifting today. But it is a Sunday drive for Yelloly tonight. The Rowe BMW's have had a thunderbolt of a race. Phillip Eng, Marco Wittman, and Nick Yelloly are going to win Monza! Rowe BMW seals the deal! Checkered flag! Wow! There's the sister car from Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen. Rowe Racing go 1-2 and Mirko Bortolotti completes the podium for Iron Lyux Lambo!
Comtoyou Racing Audi #21 will win Gold and in Silver with the #12 team car. Barwell snatch the Pro-Am win with team bosses Chris Needell and Rob Collard. Pure Racing are going to win the Bronze category for Joel Sturm, Alex Malykhin, and Klaus Bachler! The #12 Comtoyou Racing Audi wins Silver with Sam Dejonghe, Loris Hezemans, and Finaly Hutchison. BMW, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini win the classes. I think we had just one safety car over the course of the race. So it was a clean, safe event that delivered shedloads of action.
Overall Winners: #98 Eng/Wittmann/Yelloly Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3
Gold Winners: #21 Baert/Hofer/Soulet Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
Silver Winners: #12 Dejonghe/Hezemans/Hutchison Comtoyou Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
Bronze Winners: #911 Bachler/Malykhin/Sturm Pure Racing Porsche 911 GT3R (992)
Pro/Am Winners: #78 Balon/Collard/Lind Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo 2
So, that's a wrap from the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Our next event for the SRO GT World Challenge Europe will be the Paul Ricard 1,000 Kilometers at the Circuit Paul Ricard in the south of France on the Cote d'Azur in Le Castellet, France, the first weekend in June. So, in about a month, we will see you again. For now, arriva derci from the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy. We'll see you next time. Bye bye.
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