Maximilian Gotz has taken over the 2 Seas Motorsports #14 Mercedes-AMG GT3. Gotz is a DTM champion in 2021, and he won the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps. Thank you, Chris Milborn for the commentary as we are now rejoined by David Addison. Out of the blue something is there to trip you up in spite of all kinds of planning. For manufacturer points, BMW has Valentino Rossi as the sole bullet in the gun for the manufacturer's championship. Mercedes might have the upper hand but not everyone is scoring IGTC points. We have completed 1/3rd of the race. The sole Audi R8 LMS GT3 is leading the motor race as we see the #73 MP Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the pit lane as Gregory Guillvert is leading overall.
At Haas RT, they have only done two pit stops of their allocated mandatory amount. They'll have a lot of stops to cram in, within the last third of this race. Greg Guillvert, the GT4 racer, is giving it a good drive in the one and only Audi in the race and now, the #77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 pits with Lorenzo Ferrari at the wheel of it. Greg Guillvert is a champion in GT4 Europe Pro-Am and in Renault Clio Cup. Lorenzo Ferrari is back on track as Greg Guillvert is chasing Miguel Ramos. Guillvert after his brief lead is now in the pit lane for service. GruppeM have confirmed they've done five of their pit stops thus far. This is Guillvert and Audi's third stop as he hands the car over to Xavier Knauf. Constantin Dresler will move ahead back into the lead over Maximilian Gotz.
Constatin Dresler is in his second stint in this race and Joel Sturm could be being saved for the final stint later on. Xavier Knauf and Constantin Dresler scrapping it out for the Am class championship but believe you me, Maxi Gotz is turning it on, pouring on the steam, taking a tenth out in sector one but has traffic ahead. Kevin Tse is now at the wheel of the #93 Sky Tempesta Racing McLaren. We have a yellow flag at turn six but we don't know who or what is off the road there. Where on earth is this errant yellow flag?
Greg Guillvert says that the team is working well together, and things are getting better every lap as the race goes on. We are rejoined briefly by Mark Werrell and will hear again from David Addison soon. Martin Konrad is doing a double stint in the #75 SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG GT3. The gap is now down to 9.3 seconds between Constantine Dresler and Maxi Gotz. Valentino Rossi has Maro Engel right on his six. This is not for position at all while Maro Engel is a lap down to Valentino Rossi, trying to get his lap back.
Rossi gives Engel room to unlap himself. Drivers must remember to stay within the confines of the circuit. BMW are looking for their first win in the Gulf 12 Hours which would give them the IGTC manufacturers' championship. Meanwhile, Mark Radcliffe is dealing with the Tsunami RT Porsche ahead and now, Lucas Auer makes a move to try and unlap himself from Radcliffe. Daniel Allemann in the #7 Herberth Motorsport Porsche is one to look out for. Now, Christian Colombo at the wheel of the #20 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 makes a scheduled pit stop. But the battle is indeed on between the Tsunami RT Porsche of Stefano Borghi and Mark Radcliffe in the McLaren.
Borghi is the cork in the bottle and now, Radcliffe is still stymied but is now under major pressure from the other Herberth Motorsports Porsche. Borghi scrabbles across Radcliffe's bow. Mark Radcliffe will try again, and he might just be able to make the pass before Borghi slams the door in his face. Borghi needs to be told on the radio, "stop fighting and let these other blokes go, please. Don't fight it." Stefano Borghi has made good his escape. Stefano Borghi is way down in 20th place as Mark Radcliffe is still being reeled in. Borghi is being a pain.
Borghi makes a mistake and Radcliffe makes his move and now, Daniel Allemann is giving Stefano Borghi fits. I don't think he knows the faster blokes are there. Lucas Auer is also doing all he can to pass Kevin Tse. A great livery on that #7 Herberth Motorsports Porsche with the black and gold like the John Player Special Lotus Formula 1 cars from the 1970s and '80s. Maxi Gotz is catching Constantin Dresler. More time penalties including for Tim Heinemann in the #33 Porsche and Nicola Maringelli in the #51 Ferrari for abusing track imits.
Maxi Gotz driving for 2 Seas Motorsports, based in Bahrain. They have won this race with both McLaren and Mercedes-AMG. Seven and a half hours of racing left on the board. Maxi Gotz makes the pass for the lead on Constantine Dresler. Ian Loggie is being harried by Martin Konrad but these two Mercedes-AMG GT3's are on different laps as Daniel Allemann screams past Mark Radcliffe! Wow! So, that is another Am class Porsche going past a Pro-Am McLaren. Gotz leads Dresler by 1.8 seconds. Valentino Rossi is not even lapping as quickly as he is looking to make his move on Stephane Lemeret, the Belgian touring car champion and Renault Clio champion.
It is approaching 3:00 P.M. in Abu Dhabi, and it is close to the time for the teams to take a short siesta. Matteo Cairoli gets stymied behind Thomas Gostner in the #73 MP Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3. Matteo Cairoli harrying Martin Konrad for 15th place on the road. Cairoli is Platinum rated while Konrad is a Bronze rated driver. The Porsche's are very, very quick, and it is a shame there is not an all-Pro Porsche lineup. Stefano Borghi pits for fuel, tires, and a driver change in the #79 CLRT (Come Ledogar Racing Team) Tsunami Porsche. Alexander West looking to make his move on Lucas Auer. Auer, Matteo Ferrari, and Frank Bird have all driven it.
Four hours completed and four race leaders thus far. 127 laps completed by the race leader. Matteo Cairoli is coming up on Sheldon van der Linde and now, he will also have a challenge to fight the Ferrari up the road. A scheduled pit stop, for the #27 Optimum Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 of Mark Radcliffe. Zaamin Jeffer has just made a pit stop as we continue to watch Matteo Cairoli being hounded by the BMW but the OneRacing Ferrari 296 GT3 is in the pit lane. Ollie Milroy has now taken over from Mark Radcliffe. He explains how hard overtaking is on this circuit. The ambient temperature is very hot by now.
Audi #2 team manager is being summoned by the stewards RE: track limits, and we have two of the Ferrari's in Pro-Am, Giorgio Sernagiotto and Giorgio Roda, I think. Thomas Gostner in the MP Motorsports Mercedes is being black flagged from track limits. No. David Fumanelli was in the car before and now Giorgio Roda is in it. Maxi Gotz continues to lead aboard the #14 2 Seas Motorsports Mercedes leading by 12.2 seconds completing 133 laps. Valentino Rossi is third behind Constantin Dresler. Matteo Cairoli, too, is one to watch. That is for dead sure.
The driver and the engineer must work in tandem on the radio and Maro Engel will have been well aware of is position as Niccolo Maringelli has made a schedule pit stop. Alexander West into the lane and the Audi has been penalized for offense of track limits. Kevin Tse also brings the #93 Sky Tempesta McLaren in and the driver from Macau will now be replaced by Eddie Cheever III. Louis Prette has taken over the #88 Garage 59 McLaren. Also, Kriton Lendoudis has taken over the aforementioned Ferrari as Martin Konrad makes a move on Marco Pulcini, but Pulcini is giving Konrad a tough run for his money.
Konrad will go through, and Marco Pulcini loses a spot. I think the two touched at the apex of turn five. Maxi Gotz tries splitting the two Ferrari's and does so! That was a close shave! Kriton Lendoudis the Greek driver and his teammate in the sister car, American Conrad Grunewald. Sheldon van der Linde goes one side of the Ferrari and Maro Engel darts between the Ferrari and the BMW. Engel using the Team WRT BMW as a pick, or as a crowbar to open the door. So, Maro Engel has moved ahead of Sheldon van der Linde. Engel and van der Linde both pit.
No comments:
Post a Comment