The Ferrari 296 GT3 of the Emil Frey Racing team clinched victory at Oschersleben in the opening race of the 2024 DTM season. The Prancing Horse also secured wins in Portugal at the Portimão circuit in the International GT Open and GT Cup Europe.
DTM. Ferrari scored an immediate victory at the kick-off of the DTM championship last weekend at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. The winner was Jack Aitken, at the steering wheel of the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 number 14. Starting from pole position, the British driver initially took the lead but lost it to Marco Wittmann during the pit stop. However, a technical issue sidelined Wittmann just four minutes from the end, allowing Aitken to reclaim the lead and cross the line first. The second Emil Frey Racing car, number 69, driven by Thierry Vermeulen, came ninth, climbing two places from its starting position. Both Ferraris were unlucky in Race-2: starting from third position, Aitken was immediately forced to retire after contact with another competitor. Vermeulen met the same fate, pulling out mid-race after a collision with René Rast. Round two of the DTM is scheduled from 7 to 9 June at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands.
ADAC GT Masters. The Oschersleben track also hosted round one of the ADAC GT Masters, featuring the number 14 Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by Emil Frey Racing. Jean-Luc D’Auria and Alain Valente finished Race-1 in seventh place, while they were sixth over the line in the second race.
The next round will take place at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands from 7 to 9 June.
International GT Open. The Autódromo do Algarve in Portimão hosted the International GT Open’s opening round, with many Ferraris lined up. The season’s first victory came in Race-1 in the Pro-Am class, with reigning champions Marco Pulcini and Eddie Cheever driving the number 27 Ferrari 296 GT3 for Spirit of Race. This win was also worth second place overall. Nicola Marinangeli and Vincent Abril, driving the Ferrari 296 GT3 number 51 for Spirit of Race, finished just off the podium in fourth place among the Pros. Similarly, Stanislaw Jedlinski and Krystian Korzeniowski, in the number 5 Ferrari 296 GT3 for Olimp Racing, finished fourth, narrowly missing the podium in the Am class. Ferrari secured another victory in the Pro-Am class in Race-2, this time with Alessandro Cozzi and Giorgio Sernagiotto driving the number 25 Ferrari 296 GT3 for AF Corse. Pulcini and Cheever followed them across the finish line. Jedlinski and Korzeniowski took second place in the Am class. The second round of the season is on 11 and 12 May at Hockenheim in Germany.
GT Cup Europe. The Portimão track also hosted the GT Cup Europe championship season opener. In Race-1, the MERTEL Motorsport team claimed their first Pro-Am victory, with drivers Iván Velasco and Luca Ludwig achieving second place overall in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 80. In the same class, Rossocorsa’s Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 17, driven by Lorenzo Innocenti and Andrea Belicchi, took second place. Despite setting the fastest lap time of 1:46.102 in the second race, Velasco and Ludwig had to settle for fifth place in class. The next event is on 11-12 May at Hockenheim in Germany.
British GT. Sky Tempesta Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 number 93, competing in the Silver Am class at the third round of the British GT at Silverstone 500, suffered some bad luck. Alex West and Chris Froggatt were unable to take part in the race because the car was damaged during free practice. Round four will take place at Donington Park from 23 to 26 May.