We have Mark Werrell rejoining us in the broadcast booth. Dustin Blattner is now the leader of the motor race. Let me correct myself. Ralf Bohn is the overall leader. David Gostner has brought the #73 MP Motorsports Mercedes back to pit lane. We say hello to Tim Fullbrook in the pit lane. Ralf Bohn cops a five second penalty at the next pit stop for track limits as we watch the #27 McLaren 720S GT3, Rob Bell at the controls. 1/4 of the race has been completed. David Gostner has now taken over the #58 MP Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. Ralf Bohn continues chasing the #27 Optimum Motorsports McLaren. We have a couple of teams and drivers from the UAE. Isa Al Khalifa is the only previous Gulf 12 Hours winner in the field this year.
Rob Bell eking out the gap between himself and Ralf Bohn in the Porsche. Nick Yelloly goes by the Porsche of Marco Cassara. The pit lane according to our second pit report, Tim Fulbrook, has really calmed down. Luca Stolz going for it against the Australian, Scott Andrews in another of the Ferrari 296 GT3's. Tim Heinemann and Herberth Motorsports now have a 15-second penalty for a pit stop infringement. Luca Stolz is pressing hard in 15th place. He passes the Ferrari 296 GT3 with Stephane Lemeret at the controls having also passed Scott Andrews.
Stephane Lemeret into the pit lane for fuel and a driver change. It will be Christian Colobo getting into the car. Lots of brake dust billowing off the brakes. Christian Colombo sharing with Lilou Wadoux, David Tjiptoblantaro, and Stephane Lemert who is extremely happy to be back driving a Ferrari. Lemeret is a veteran of GT3 racing. Lemeret has been champion in European GT4, French GT, Benelux Touring Cars, and more. There is a gap between Dustin Blattner and Rob Bell as well.
In the Pro class, Jules Gounon leads with the #14 2 Seas Mercedes-AMG GT3. Gounon has won the Bathurst 12 Hours and the GT World Challenge Europe championship as well as the 24 Hours of Spa. Eight hours and 40 minutes of racing remaining. Alessio Rovera is the highest placed Ferrari in the running order right behind the Mercedes of Dominik Baumann. Grove Racing and Garage 59 both had massive accidents at turn one earlier on that have put them out of the motor race. Gregoire Guillvert has taken over the Audi R8 LMS EVO II and is giving that car a good run.
Philipp Eng, the Austrian, is now running in seventh place in the overall. BMW still could be in contention for the manufacturers' championship as Scott Andrews has been penalized and so has Rob Bell. Bell's penalty for track limits. We are finally settling into a rhythm and we are almost 1/3rd of the way through this race. Philipp Eng has been a champion in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and Porsche Super Cup, while also having one victory in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Lorenzo Ferrari is now at the wheel of the #77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 passing the Porsche of Marco Cassara. Cassara gentlemanly letting the leaders through.
It is indeed game over for Grove Racing. Again, they will be tearing down and heading for the 2024 opener at Bathurst. If something goes wrong, forget about it, and move on. Alessio Rovera meanwhile makes his move past Dominik Baumann. Baumann is not an easy driver to make a pass on. Rovera is beginning to eke out a gap on the Italian. Justin Blatner is running extremely well for a race in GT3 after racing in Europe for the most part in Porsche Sprint Challenge, being harried by Rob Bell and Ralf Bohn. Rob Bell of course is very experienced in GT3 racing. The same is true with Ralf Bohn. Bell to the pit lae for service.
Will there be a driver change for the #27 Optimum Motorsports McLaren? They are serving a penalty. Rob Bell clambers out of the car and I wonder who will get into the car. Mark Radcliffe will get into the car and Ollie Milroy will have to keep his powder dry for the time being. Mark Radcliffe is in the McLaren now and he and Rob Bell ran a full season together in the British GT Championship, another one sanctioned by SRO. The gap extends to eight seconds between Nick Yelloly and Jules Gounon. Team strategy really plays into all of this. The team strategists crunch the numbers to find the appropriate time in the race to use the joker.
Eddie Cheever III. is now in the #93 McLaren and now, there will be a driver change in the #26 Ferrari 296 GT3, the all Dubai lineup I think. Axcil Jeffries finishes his stint, the Zimbabwe born driver handing over to either Ramez Azzam or Zaamin Jaffer. Axcil Jeffries is a three-time Lamborghini Super Trofeo champion and Omar Jackson is into the car. Jackson has raced in Ferrari Challenge and in Porsche Cup in the past I believe. Car #21, Dustin Blattner, 25 seconds up the road from Marvin Kirchhofer. This is the Car Collection Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R ahead of Marvin Kirchhofer in the Garage 59 McLaren 720S GT3.
Kirchhofer, the McLaren factory driver. BMW #32 pits with Phillip Eng at the wheel but there are dollies going under the car which could mean it will be going back to the garage. I till indeed be wheeled back into the garage and this could spell trouble for BMW's fight for the IGTC manufacturers'' cup. Christoph Ulrich has just finished his stint in the sole Ferrari 488 GT3 in the field. Ferrari has won the Gulf 12 Hours a total of six times. Kessel Racing into the lane with the #11 car. Scott Andrews has finished his stint and former Renault Sport Trophy champion David Fumanelli could be getting into the automobile.
Christoph Ulrich is actually still behind the wheel of the #51 Ferrari we talked about. The #32 BMW M4 GT3 could have issues with the exhaust system. On the righthand side of the car, there is issue with the exhaust system as we explained. David Fumanelli makes a pass on Laurent De Meeus. Meantime, the #25 Ferrari 296 GT3 has also pitted and done a driver change. We have 15 minutes to go before we will be 1/3rd of the way through the race here in Abu Dhabi. Giorgio Sernagiotto takes over the #25 Ferrari 296 GT3. At WRT, the work carries on according to intrepid pit reporter Tim Fulbrook. A significant section of the exhaust system has been taken out.
They have a new exhaust pipe, a new muffler, to put on the car. Vincent Vosse, team boss at WRT, looking on, but obviously, without his trademark flat hat. You don't want a rod knock in your engine. Best to check it out and see what is going on before this motor race ends. It is Philipp Eng's car in the garage. Dustin Blattner still leads having driven his stint for an hour and Marvin Kirchhofer brings in the Garage 59 McLaren and there will be a driver change. Louis Prette who started the race will get back into the car. Jules Gounon will go back to second place in the #14 2 Seas Mercedes. Eddie Cheever III. is pitting the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren. At Team 2 Seas, Jules Gounon is finishing his stint or should be. He will stay out for an additional lap.
Work continues on the BMW #32. The work on the exhaust system could be wrapping up. Luca Stolz brings the #99 Mercedes-AMG GruppeM car to the lane. Al Faisal Al Zubair, too, has pitted in the other 2 Seas Mercedes and now, it should be Macanese driver Kevin Tse into the McLaren after Chris Froggatt, Jonathan Hui, and Eddie Cheever III. have all had stints. Isa Al Khalifa should now be into the 2 Seas Mercedes after Al Faisal Al Zubair and I don't believe it was Ian Loggie getting into the car. Excuse me. It is the British driver, Ian Loggie, now at the controls of thr 2 Seas Mercedes.
The WRT BMW is back on track now in the hands of Sheldon van der Linde, the South African. Dominik Baumann in the lane and so is Dustin Blattner. Jules Gounon could and does take the lead of this motor race, so the plot doth thicken. Ralf Bohn in the Herberth Motorsport Porsche in the pit lane and so is the #46 VR46 WRT BMW. Constantin Dresler is now into the Porsche for Car Collection. Dresler is a GT4 veteran racer and this I believe is his first opportunity in a GT3 car. Laurent De Meeus is in the #61 Ferrari 296 GT3 in the lane and it looks like a driver change.
They had their turn indicator on. Miguel Ramos, the Portuguese driver is now at the wheel of it, fifth in the Am class and 17th in the overall. Nick Yelloly has handed the #46 BMW M4 GT3 to Valentino Rossi, a champion on two wheels in 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, and MotoGP motorcycle road racing. Car #21 flashing the lights. Ian Loggie has been noted for speeding in the pit lane. We are closing in on the conclusion of another racing hour. Jules Gounon heading for the pit lane. Tim Heinemann too should be pitting. Jules Gounon leads with Gregory Guillvert in second and Constantine Dresler in third position. Gounon to the lane from the lead. He is going to hand the car over to one of his co-drivers, and the team adds fuel. Fabian Schiller also getting into the car, and new tires going on.,
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