Grand finale for Bertolini-Machiels in Barcelona

The 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Andrea Bertolini and Louis Machiels triumphed in the final race of the Sprint Cup in Barcelona. The GT World Challenge champions secured the win at the end of a challenging but well-executed race, taking advantage of a twist towards the end that made the victory even easier.

Wall. With the Pro-Am class titles already awarded, the third and final race of the weekend in Barcelona lost a bit of its lustre even though the two Ferraris were still keen to secure another victory in a season to remember. However, the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Sky Tempesta Racing was taken out of the contest when the champion winners’ car suffered a collision that sent it violently into the wall on the starting straight. The entry of the Safety Car was inevitable, and the cars were forced to pass through the pit lane. At the restart, Bertolini moved into third behind the two Mercedes to take seventh overall once the mandatory driver change stops had begun.

Final surprise. Thirty-three minutes in, the Italian champion handed over to his teammate in second place in class. The eight-second gap to Valentin Pierburg appeared too wide for Machiels to bridge. However, the Belgian, lapping at a significantly faster pace than his rival, took the lead a few minutes from the end, also helped by a pit stop for the Mercedes due to a puncture.

The chequered flag waved over AF Corse's victorious Ferrari no. 52 brought the curtain down on the 2020 Sprint Cup season, with Maranello's cars victorious in every race in the Pro-Am class.