The Misano circuit is still a happy one for the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, which claimed a fantastic one-two in the Pro-Am class in the second race of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.
Wheel to wheel. Andrea Bertolini got off to a very aggressive and effective start taking first place ahead of Eddie Cheever III. The two were very close but tried to avoid any contacts as they sought to push into the top ten overall. However, Simon Gachet stood between them and this plan. Despite lacking the pace of the two Ferraristas at this stage, he closed off all attempts to pass. Cheever at this point tried to break the deadlock and after a tremendous wheel-to-wheel duel with his brand mate, passed him and went on the hunt for the Audi.
Safety Car. A contact between the Mercedes of Hites and the Lexus of Panis, 45 minutes from the end, sent the Chilean’s car off the track, forcing the race officials firstly to impose a long Full Course Yellow and then bring out the Safety Car. Hostilities resumed ten minutes later, near the opening of the pit stop window. The Ferraris were in eleventh and twelfth overall, with Cheever and Bertolini, respectively, again in Gachet's slipstream. It was clear that success would hinge on pit strategy. Bertolini was the first to stop, followed by Cheever one lap later, 27 minutes from the end.
Revolution. Indeed, the stops did change the face of the standings, with Louis Machiels taking the lead ahead of Pierburg in the Mercedes, followed by Chris Froggatt. The Sky Tempesta Racing driver gave his all to catch his rival, veering off the track on several occasions and receiving a black-and-white warning flag from the race director. However, the British driver achieved the result he had hoped for, moving into second place ten minutes from the chequered flag. Meanwhile, Louis Machiels, taking advantage of his comfortable seven-second lead in the Pro-Am class, managed his 488 GT3 Evo 2020 well until he crossed the line victoriously ahead of Chris Froggatt.
Race 3. The two Ferraris will be back for the third and final race of the weekend on the Romagna circuit, starting at 3 pm