Race 1
Teo Martín Motorsport won Race 1 at home at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with Fran Rueda-Andrés Saravia, and with third spot going to the second Teo Martin McLaren of Martin Kodrić-Henrique Chaves.
Confirmation of the success, though, came hours after the race, following a 5-second penalty for the Antonelli Motorsport Mercedes of Riccardo Agostini-Loris Spinelli, which had crossed the finishing line in first following a last-corner move by Spinelli on Saravia that was deemed not entirely correct by the stewards.
The breath-taking final duel came at the end of a superb race, with exciting battles and spiced up by challenging weather conditions and tyre strategies, with teams putting on slick tyres at the second stint being rewarded. Giacomo Altoè-Albert Costa, in the home race for the Catalan, paid the mistake of keeping their Emil Frey Racing Lamborghini on wet weather tyres, eventually finishing 11th and not scoring points.
Ahead of Race 2, their advantage on Chaves-Kodrić and Rueda-Saravia dropped to just 7 points.
In Pro-Am, Frederik Schandorff, paired with Tuomas Tujula, reduced the gap in the standings to just 2 points, after taking their third win of the season ahead of the Mercedes of Ward-Dontje (HTP Motorsport) and Remenyako-Schiller (GetSpeed).
Antonelli Motorsport, despite the disappointment, could enjoy success in Am with as Giuseppe Cipriani, ahead of Janine Hill-John Shoffner (GetSpeed Mercedes) and debuting Claude Yves Gosselin-Pierre Feligione (Boutsen Ginion Lambo).
On a wet track, the start was pretty lively with both Altoè and Schiller passing poleman Crestani at turn 2, as the Italian braked too late.
There were contacts behind, Siedler spinning as a result. Gonda was third ahead of Turner, Kodric, Tujula and Rueda. The last two saw contact on lap 1, with the Finn spinning, while in unrelated incidents, Hahn and Cipriani both went off-track and Jedlinski went into the gravel. The rescue of the Audi required the safety-car to intervene.
Shortly after the restart, Schiller passes Altoè and took the lead. Third was Crestani, ahead of Turner, Rueda and Siedler, while the battle was fierce for 7th in a group comprising Gonda, Agostini, Companc, Liang and Tujulz, with some rubbing and frequent changes of positions.
Eventually, it would be Agostini emerging ahead of Kodric, Tujula, Companc, Liang and Gonda. Hill led in Am.
Lap 13 saw the window open for driver changes, with Lenz, Hahn and Basso coming in first, while Marcin Jedlinski spun again.
While most of the cars pitting earlier continued on wets, some of the late pitters bet on slicks, which proved ultimately to be the right choice.`
After all pit stops were completed, Ramos led by 17 seconds over a very lively group, Spinelli and Chaves passing Costa, before touching when the Portuguese attacked the Italian. The McLaren onto the grass, avoiding the wall narrowly but dropping to fifth as Saravia and Grenier passed him. Costa (on wets, as was Ramos) was rapidly losing pace, 7th behind Remenyako.
In the meantime, Wilkinson was off-track too.
Things got even hotter on lap 26, when Ramos saw Spinelli and Saravia pass. Simultaneously, Chaves attacked Grenier, who spun and got a 10- second penalty.
Spinelli and Saravia fought fiercely for the win, while Chaves was third ahead of Grenier, Ramos and Schandorff, who, charging from the back, took the lead in Pro-Am.
On lap 29, the McLaren took the lead from Spinelli, slightly disturbed by the lapped SPS Mercedes of Onslow-Cole.
The finale was even hotter, as Spinelli did not give up. His last attempt, in the last corner, succeeded on the road, as the two leading cars stumbled on the Teo Martín Motorsport of Khodair, and Spinelli goes round the two McLarens, but the result would be reversed post race.
Race 2
After Teo Martín Motorsport’s success on Saturday, Emil Frey Racing took its revenge on Sunday at Barcelona, posting a 1-2 in Race 2.
Mikaël Grenier and Norbert Siedler took their fourth win of the season ahead of Albert Costa-Giacomo Altoè, who took some breathing space in the overall standings. They led by 11 points on Chaves-Kodrić (TMM McLaren), 4th, 12 points up on Grenier-Siedler and 16 on Rueda-Saravia (TMM McLaren), 8th on Sunday.
Brazilian drivers shone, as Guilherme Salas (Sports&You Mercedes) was an excellent third overall and Marcelo Hahn-Allam Khodair took their first win of the year in Pro-Am and with the McLaren TMM. They beat the Mercedes of Remenyako-Schiller (GetSpeed) and Ward-Dontje (HTP Motorsport).
In Am, Giuseppe Cipriani doubled Saturday’s win at the wheel of the Antonelli Motorsport Mercedes and took over the leadership in the class standings ahead of the final round in Monza.
At the start, Costa kept the advantage of pole, while there was the usual rubbing during the first lap, but with no serious consequences. Costa led at the end of lap 1, ahead of Saravia, Grenier, Khodair, Salas, Spinelli, Cole, Chaves and Perera.
While at the top the gap between the first two increased slightly (4.5 seconds by lap 10), there were not many positions changing, except for Perera losing P9 in favour of Schandorff after contact with Chaves.
The window for driver change opened on lap 14, with Rueda being the first one to take-over among front-runners.
After all stops, Siedler led ahead of Altoè by 1 second, Salas by 11 seconds, then Hahn, Kodric, Turner, Agostini, Pierburg (who got a 10-second penalty for not serving the entire handicap), Crestani and Rueda. Pérez-Companc spun on lap 24, and two laps later, Hahn had to surrender to Kodrić, Turner and Agostini for fourth.
The safety-car was deployed 9 minutes before the end to rescue the VSR Lambo of Tujula, who spun. After the restart, there was contact as Schiller and Razak sandwiched Lenz who spun.
Siedler would take the win ahead of Altoè and Salas. Kodrić fourth ahead of Wilkinson, Agostini, Crestani, Rueda, Gonad and Hahn.
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 12 OF 14
Overall:
1. Costa-Altoè, 112;
2. Chaves-Kodrić, 101;
3. Siedler-Grenier, 100;
4. Rueda-Saravia, 96;
5. Ramos-Crestani, 73;
6. Wilkinson, 48; etc
Pro-Am:
1. Onslow Cole-Pierburg, 69;
2. Schandorff, 65;
3. Tujula, Liang-Giammaria, 39;
5. Hahn, 38;
6. Khodair, 36; etc
Am:
1. Cipriani, 37 points;
2. Hrachowina-Konrad, 34;
3. Coimbra-Silva, 24;
4. Roda, 23;
5. Hill-Schoffner, 18, etc
Teams:
1. Emil Frey Racing, 128 points;
2. Teo Martín Motorsport, 114;
3. SPS Automotive Performance, 54;
4. Optimum Motorsport, 23;
5. Antonelli Motorsport, 20;
6. Senkyr Motorsporrt, 12; etc
