Race 1: A Competitive Start
For the first GT race of the weekend, SR Motorsport’s Moritz Wiskirchen led the early stages from pole position. However, the race quickly became intense when Konrad Motorsport’s Carrie Schreiner and Juta Racing’s Eimantas Navikauskas collided, causing significant damage to the right-rear of Navikauskas’ Audi. Adding to the drama, Navikauskas later spun on his own at Turn 10, likely due to the accumulated damage, including bodywork rubbing on the tyre. This incident propelled Jonas Karklys of Team Engstler to second place, while Charles Dawson of AKM Motorsport, making his GT3 debut, secured third.
A fierce battle for fourth ensued between Thomas Andersen’s Razoon Porsche, Simon Orange’s JMH McLaren, and two Cup 4 Lamborghinis. After some early jockeying, the Super Trofeo-spec Lamborghinis of Shota Abkhazava and Jerzy Spinkiewicz broke away, engaging in a thrilling duel for the class lead. Spinkiewicz eventually overtook Abkhazava, and a few laps later, a late-braking Andersen collided with Abkhazava, forcing the 992 GT3 R to retire due to suspension damage. Karklys and Dawson maintained their positions, while Wiskirchen cruised to victory with a nine-second lead, securing a maximum of 20 points. UNIQ Racing’s Spinkiewicz finished fourth and first in Cup 4, while Cristiano Maciel’s Ferrari took fifth, and Calle Bergman won the Cup 2 class for Porsche Cup machinery.
Race 2: A Dominant Performance
The second race of the weekend, held on Sunday afternoon, saw polesitter Simon Birch dominate from start to finish, winning by a commanding 22-second margin. Juta Racing’s Jonas Gelzinis, celebrating his birthday, secured a spot on the overall podium. Cup 4’s winner, Jerzy Spinkiewicz, finished third overall. The track, still slippery from overnight rain, posed challenges for many drivers. Ryan James and Przemyslaw Bienkowski’s PTT Racing encountered major damage after a spin at Turn 16, but both drivers walked away unscathed. Cristiano Maciel and Ahmed Arif Alkhoori, making his racing debut, claimed class victories in Cup 1 and Cup 2, respectively.
Race 3: Clutton and Orange Triumph
The third race, a 55-minute pitstop race shortened to 50 minutes due to scheduling, was filled with dramatic moments. Razoon’s Thomas Andersen lined up on pole, but it was the GT3 Pro class Engstler Lamborghini of Karklys who took the lead after the first corner. Unfortunately, a misjudgment by Cristiano Maciel led to contact with Charles Dawson’s AKM Mercedes, damaging both cars and ending their races. The safety car was deployed to clear the debris.
As the race progressed and light rain began to fall, Marcus Clutton, who had taken over the Orange by JMH McLaren, started lapping faster than anyone on dry weather tires. While many teams elected to switch to wet tires, Clutton’s exceptional driving allowed him and Simon Orange to secure the overall victory. Andreas Sorensen and Mikkel Mac won Cup 1, and Alessio Ruffini and Milos Pavlovic clinched the Cup 4 win after Pavlovic’s impressive final stint.
GT4 Winter Series: Cresswell Extends Lead
In the GT4 Winter Series, Elite Motorsport’s McKenzy Cresswell aimed to increase his championship lead. However, the first race saw SR Motorsport’s Enrico Forderer claim a narrow victory over Cresswell, reducing the points gap from 32 to 25. Baudouin Detout completed the overall podium, while Joachim Bolting and Michael Sander took class wins in PRO-AM and Cayman Trophy, respectively.
The second race, affected by overnight rain, saw a significant shift in performance. Alon Gabbay’s W&S Motorsport Cayman rose from sixth to the lead, dominating the race. Tom Lebbon in the Elite McLaren Artura finished second, and Jay Mo Hartling of SR Motorsport came third, narrowing Elite’s championship lead. Owen Hizzey of SVG Motorsport and Cedric Fuchs of SR Motorsport excelled in the challenging conditions, winning PRO-AM and Cayman Trophy.
Race 3: Elite Dominates
The 60-minute pitstop race saw Cresswell and Lebbon of Elite Motorsport start from pole. Despite an early challenge from Callum Davies of RAFA Racing by Race Lab, Cresswell soon took control. Forderer, who had started on the front row, found himself in sixth place at the end of the first lap but began moving up the order. He handed the car over to Hartling in fourth place, who battled with Charlie Hart and Detout, finishing fourth. At the front, Cresswell and Lebbon secured a dominant victory, extending Cresswell’s points lead to 35. Marc Elman and Owen Hizzey won the PRO-AM class, and Luisa Kahler claimed the Cayman Trophy win.
Barcelona: Titles on the Line
The GT Winter Series heads to Barcelona with four teams from four classes poised to fight for titles. AF Corse’s Cristiano Maciel and Rui Aguas lead the overall standings with 158 points, followed by Auto Sport Racing’s Ruffini and Pavlovic with 150 points. Defending champion SR Motorsport sits third with 144 points, while Wileco Motorsport’s Bergman and Thalin, Cup 2 leaders, are just two points behind in fourth. In the GT4 Winter Series, only SR Motorsport can challenge Elite’s Cresswell for the overall title. Forderer and Hartling will need a strong performance, alongside a dip in Elite’s fortunes, to secure the championship.
With deluxe entries from leading teams like Schubert Motorsport, PROsport Racing, and NM Racing Team, the Barcelona round at the Spanish Grand Prix venue on 8-9 March promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the series.
