22 April 2018
Monza, 22 April 2018 - The 2018 season of the GT Sports Club championship, open to drivers classified Bronze by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), kicked off at Monza this weekend. Ferrari dominated proceedings, monopolising all the classes in both the Qualifying Race on Saturday and the Main Race on Sunday.
Saturday. The first race was chaotic to say the least. All hell broke loose behind Mario Cordoni, who won started from pole position in the 488 GT3 of AF Corse, with many cars involved in an accident at the first chicane. These included the Ferraris of Christian Hook (Rinaldi Racing), Patrick Van Glabecke and Christoph Ulrich (both AF Corse), which all had to retire. Meanwhile Cordoni built up a big lead in the standings, while a little further back Klaus-Dieter Frers, with the 488 GT3 of the Artega-Rennsport, was first in the Iron Cup class and also fought for a place on the overall podium. In the later stages, Stephen Earle in the 488 GT3 of Kessel Racing caught him, but then on lap 10 lost control of his car at the Ascari chicane careering into the barriers. At the Parabolica banked corner Frers came into contact with a Porsche and spun out in the middle of the curve. The twin car of Claudio Schiavoni (Kessel Racing) then collided into the 488 GT3 and the race director had no choice but to display the red flag and suspend the race. The positions at the end of lap 9 were freezed and so Cordoni triumphed on his debut with the 488 GT3, ahead of the BMW driven by Karim Ojjeh and the Ferrari of Frers, who emerged victorious the Iron Cup ahead of Earle. Cordoni also won the newly created Titanium class.
Sunday. Sunday's Main Race was just as exciting and, fortunately, just as boring at the top of the standings, with Cordoni dominating the scene and also triumphing in the Titanium class. Ojjeh was again behind him, while the battle for third turned into a very close fight between the Lamborghinis of Gosslin and McKansy and the Ferraris of Van Glabecke and Hook. In the end, third place went to McKansy after both Van Glabecke and Hook were involved in accidents. Gosslin was held responsible for one of these and had 30 seconds docked off his time at the end. Fourth place went to Stephen Earle who took first in the Iron Cup class, which he now leads. The next round is at the Paul Ricard on 1-2 June.