The opening round of the Esport GT Pro Series, held today at Monza, ended with two third places, one in Pro class and the other in Silver class. Nicklas Nielsen and Benjamin Hites produced two different but, nevertheless, thrilling races, which both culminated on the podium.
Qualification. At the end of a hard-fought session against the clock, Nielsen in the Iron Lynx 488 GT3 Evo 2020 posted seventh position, while Hites earned thirteenth spot on the grid for the Rinaldi Racing colours.
Race-start. The race - as is usual at Monza - produced an intense moment at the first corner involving multiple collisions, to reshuffle the order. Nielsen came off better, escaping unscathed and even ascending several positions. Hites, however, was relegated to the back of the field and, from that moment on, began to stage a furious fight-back.
Comeback. Amongst the frontrunners, Nielsen moved into third position and, showing excellent pace, was able to comfortably defend the podium position right through to the chequered flag - having even momentarily occupied second spot after a battle with Tomita following the mandatory pit stop. Meanwhile, Hites moved up the order and, showing a perfect strategy, took advantage of the errors and collisions of the cars ahead to move into seventh overall position, third among the Silver class drivers.
Next challenge. The first round of the Esport GT Pro series thus sees the opening points go to the Iron Lynx and Rinaldi Racing teams. The second date on the race calendar will be held concurrently with the Paul Ricard 1000km on 29 May.