Max Paul and Pierre-Louis Chovet took a dominant win in Race 1 in summer weather at the Red Bull Ring, their third of the season, at the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán of Oregon Team.
Starting from pole position, the German-French duo controlled the entire race beating the Motopark Mercedes of Diego Menchaca-Marco Siebert. The pair now lead the Championship standings by 11 points from Charlie Fagg and Sam de Haan (Optimum Motorsport McLaren), who today had to retire when running in second place.
The young duo of Reece Barr-Mikaeel Pitamber took their maiden and well-deserved podium with the SPS Mercedes, in a podium that could be the ‘youngest’ in GT Open’s history, with the ages of the six drivers comprised between 19 and 28 years.
In Pro-Am, Marcin Jedlinski and Karol Basz (Olimp Racing Audi) took their second win of the year ahead of Rosi-Schirò (Kessel Racing Ferrari) and class leaders Marco Pulcini-Eddie Cheever (AF Corse Ferrari).
In Am, home and maiden success for Baron motorsport, with Ernst Kirchmayr and Philipp Baron (Baron Ferrari) preceding class leaders Heiko Neumann-Timo Rumpfkeil (Motopark Mercedes) and Giuseppe Cipriani (Barone Rampante Lambo).
Race
After the two Oregon Team cars locked out row 1, Max Paul taking his second pole of the season ahead of Daan Arrow, the start saw the Italian cars controlling the situation, although during lap 1, Siebert managed to get in between the Lambos.
De Haan took fourth in the early stages, although fiercely challenged by Fran Rueda, followed by Agostini, Montermini (first in Am), Pitamber and Jans, while Korzeniowski after a stellar start dropped to 12th, soon passed by Reicher, and Baron was tenth.
On lap 12, Montermini pitted with a technical issue. By lap 14, Rueda managed to pass De Haan for fourth, while in the lead, Paul had a 5.5-second advantage on Siebert and 11 on Arrow.
The window for driver change opened on lap 19, with De Haan (who got a 5-second penalty for track limits) and Reicher among the first to pit, while Paul extends his lead to 7 seconds on Siebert, 15 on Arrow and 20 on Rueda.
After all stops, by lap 27, Chovet had managed to keep the lead despite the 15-second handicap, eight seconds ahead of Menchaca and Fagg, and 15 on Marinangeli, who had just passed Perolini although touching him.
Following on were Barr, Gilbert, Haase, Blom and Kirchmayr, who led in Am ahead of Cipriani and Rumpfkeil.
By lap 35, Fagg had passed Menchaca for third and was closing on Chovet (the gap 5 seconds), while Barr had climbed to fourth ahead of Marinangeli, Haase, Perolini (who stopped by the side of the track two laps later), Basz (leading in Pro-Am) and Gilbert, who spun soon after.
The last laps saw drama as Fagg’s car stopped with an apparent electronic issue on lap 42, losing P2 which went to direct rival Menchaca, with Barr completing the podium ahead of Marinangeli and Reicher, and the top three in Pro-Am, Basz, Schirò and Cheever. In Am, Kirchmayr won ahead of Rumpfkeil and Cipriani.
