Starting in first is obviously the best
approach when you race at Brands Hatch, and Mirko Bortolotti
and Christian Engelhardt just confirmed this with some extra
speed in a green to checkered win in the Blancpain GT Sprint Cup
Qualifying Race for Grässer Racing Team and the No. 63 car.
Once the green flag was waved the
leading No. 63 GRT Lamborghini secured its place while a bit
behind the No. 26 Sainteloc Audi had a spin in the middle of
Paddock Hill bend. Another Audi to have problems was the No. 1 WRT
car having a puncture in the right rear tire, limping back to the
pits from the front pack.
During the whole first part before the
pit window, the No. 63 GRT Lamborghini opened a comfortable gap of 5
seconds to the No. 98 ROWE BMW, with the third placed No. 19
GRT Lamborghini being way behind. Although the pit stops didn't give
the lead for the ROWE car, it reduced the gap to the lead GRT
machine.
In between this, Paddock Hill Bend was
the scene for another spinning Audi with 40 minutes of racing, being
in fact the same No. 26 car, although this time it was induced by a
tap in the right rear corner. A lap later the No. 8 M-SPORT
Bentley gave a full speed tap in the back of the backmarker No.
89 AKKA-ASP Mercedes, sending the car to a spin and a front
impact in the barriers at the main straight. The car stopped on track
blocking most of the road at the entrance of Paddock Hill Bend and
Marcel Fässler had to go with the No. 5 WRT Audi to the
gravel avoid more damage than a destroyed diffuser, and after the
mayhem the full course yellow was immediately called, with the race
returning to green with around ten minutes to go.
The No. 63 GRT Lamborghini and the No.
98 ROWE BMW were opening the gaps and becoming isolated again, while
the No. 19 GRT Lamborghini got the mirrors full with the No.
88 AKKA-ASP Mercedes and the No. 99 ROWE BMW,
and Ezequiel Perez Companc's mission turned from chasing
Markus Palttala to holding Felix Serralles as he was demonstrating he
had conditions to overtake.
In the end, Markus Palttala found it
quite hard to bring the disadvantage to Christian Engelhardt down, so
the No. 63 GRT Lamborghini just had to cruise until the finish. The
No. 42 Strakka McLaren won in the Silver Cup, while Pro-Am Cup
honors went to the No. 333 Rinaldi Ferrari.
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