Team GT took its maiden win in the International GT Open in a lively Race 1 at the Hungaroring, marked by two safety-car periods. On a rising trend since the beginning of the season, the German squad has seized the opportunity, with Pro-Am pair Florian Scholze and Alain Valente also signing their first success. They won ahead of Nick Moss-Joe Osborne (Optimum Motorsport McLaren) and the Racing Trevor BMW of Dennis Waszek-Jesse Krohn.
Third in Pro-Am was the GetSpeed Mercedes of Janine Shoffner-Moritz Kranz, after a very solid race. Alex Hrachowina (Mann Filter Landgraf Mercedes) took their fourth win of the year in Am ahead Stanislaw Jedlinski-Krystian Korzeniowski (Olimp Racing Ferrari) and Adam Osieka-Kiki San Nana (GetSpeed Mercedes) completed the podium.
The Oregon Team Lamborghini of Leo Pulcini-Benja Hites, which had taken the pole and crossed the line in first, was hit by two different penalties eventually finishing 8th, but salvaging the championship leadership, now of 5 points over the Optimum McLaren and teammates Gilardoni-Van Berlo, today 4th.
At the start, Pulcini, after his second pole of the year, pulled away easily (but a 10-second jump start penalty would follow), followed by Gilardoni, Christodoulou, Kranz, Baumann, Jefferies, Moss, Jens, Scholze and Osieka, first in Am. The situation remained stable up to lap 9 when the Olimp Racing Audi of Marcin Jedlinski stopped on track with an oil leak which caused it to spin.
The safety car was deployed, with cars having to pass through the pit lane to allow cleaning of turn 14.
The race resumed on lap 15, just as the pit stop window opens, with 11 cars going in immediately. There was some rubbing between Cipriani and Fumanelli, as they exited the pit lane door-to-door, with the latter having to give back the position and then being hit with a 10 second penalty.
After all driver changes, Janine Shoffner had a lead of 4 seconds on Hites (who then received an additional 5 seconds penalty for not serving the entire handicap), followed by Valente, Ziemian, Osborne, Krohn, Pierburg, Van Berlo, Fumanelli and Earle (first in Am).
The safety-car though was deployed again on lap 23 as Reema Juffali lost control of her Mercedes and hit the barriers between turn 9 and 10.
Repairs to the barriers took some time and the race resumed with three race laps remaining in which Hites takes the virtual lead (considering the penalties to be added) ahead of Valente, with Osborne winning a close battle with Krohn for third overall. Hites was though eventually only eighth.
