Weekend notebook: victories and titles in the GT Open and GT World Challenge Asia

As it enters its decisive phase, the International GT Open brought Ferrari three class victories and a Pro Am title within reach at the Austrian circuit of Spielberg. From the final round of the Asian series of the GT World Challenge, contested at the Chinese circuit of Shanghai, Ferrari claimed a win in the Silver class and a one-two finish in the final standings of the Am class.

International GT Open. A double victory in the Pro Am class, one in the Am class, and several podium places marked Ferrari’s weekend at the Spielberg circuit, where the series resumed after the summer break. In the Pro class, the best result for the Spirit of Race duo, Nicola Marinangeli and Vincent Abril, in the number 51 296 GT3, was second place in Race-2, following a tenth-place finish in the first race. The Italian-French pairing now sits 23 points behind the head of the standings.
Things went even better in the Pro Am class, where the Prancing Horse brought home twin wins. In Race-1, the home hero Ernst Kirchmayr, at his second win of the season, teamed up with Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli champion Giacomo Altoè, returning to the series, at the wheel of the number 11 racing one Ferrari 296 GT3. The Italian secured the decisive win in the final laps, crossing the line first. Altoè also took pole position in wet conditions during the second qualifying session and led for much of the race, before slipping with his teammate Kirchmayr to seventh at the finish.
In Race-2, leaders of the championship standings Marco Pulcini and Eddie Cheever, in the number 27 Spirit of Race car, crossed the line first. With their victory and a fourth-place finish in the first race, the Italian driver extended his lead in the overall standings to 12 points clear of his teammate.
Also in the Pro Am class, Marcelo Hahn and Allam Khodair finished sixth in Race-1 in the number 16 AF Corse entry (13th in Race-2).

A further success for the Maranello-based manufacturer came in the Am class thanks to newcomer Ziad Ghandour at the wheel of the number 61 AF Corse 296 GT3 in the first of the weekend’s two races. The American driver was forced to retire from the second race, which saw the Polish duo of Stanislaw Jedlinski and Krystian Korzeniowski finish fourth in the number 30 Olimp Racing entry.

The next round of the series is scheduled for the final weekend of September in Barcelona.

GT World Challenge Asia. The final round of the season, contested at the Shanghai circuit in China, brought Ferrari a win in the Silver class and the title in the Am class. The victory was secured by the Harmony Racing duo with Chen Weian and Liang Jiatong at the steering wheel of the number 77 296 GT3, delivering a brilliant comeback in the final stages of Race-2. The Chinese pair also achieved an excellent fifth place overall, third in class, in the first race of the weekend. With a second-place finish in the Am class in Race-1 and a fourth in Race-2, David Tjiptobiantoro and Christian Colombo, driving the number 75 Garage 75 car, secured first and second places respectively in the overall standings.