Schiller-Al Zubair (GetSpeed Mercedes) win Race 1, title battle still open
15.10.2022
The fight for the overall title in the International GT Open is still open and things will be decided tomorrow in the very last race of the season in Barcelona. Race 1 was won by the guest car entered by GetSpeed Performance for Al Faisal Al Zubair-Fabian Schiller, who took the pole and dominated the race despite the 10-second handicap for first appearance in the closing round.
They beat the Dinamic Motorsport Porsche 911R of Riccardo Cazzaniga-Klaus Bachler with the Oregon Team Lamborghini of Benja Hites-Leo Pulcini third. The championship leaders made a little step forward, as most direct rivals, Nick Moss-Joe Osborne (Optimum Motorsport McLaren) finished fifth. They are now separated by 5 net points only.
Cut from the final fight is the other Oregon pair, Kevin Gilardoni-Glenn Van Berlo, as they finished ninth after getting a 5-second penalty for a contact.
Very close to the Pro-Am title, after their win, today, are Marcin Jedlinski-Karol Basz, as the pair of the Olimp Racing Audi is only one point away from mathematical certainty. On their side, Alex Hrachowina-Martin Konrad (Mann Filter Team Landgraf - Mercedes) inaugurated their Am champion status with a seventh seasonal win.
THE RACE – At the start, Schiller keeps the advantage ahead of Pulcini as Osborne jumps to third ahead of Rueda, Baud, Mettler, Cazzaniga and Blom. Benyahia cuts the chicane while in lap 2, Bohn goes into the gravel in turn 10, prompting the safety car out. The Porsche has been pushed by Gilardoni, who is 14th but will get a 5-second penalty.
After the restart, in lap 5, positions remain unchanged at the top, with Schiller taking a 4-second advantage on Pulcini and 5 on Osborne, with Rueda and Baud close behind and Gilardoni in P11. Still, the safety car is back at the end of lap 10, as Cipriani hits Cuhadaroglu sending the Ferrari into the gravel. Two laps later, the race is restarted, with M.Jedlinski goes wide in the gravel, dropping to P21, Scholze spins and Juffali also makes an off-track excursion.
The pit stop window opens in lap 14, with Cuhadaroglu being the first to hand over. In lap 18, Basz passes Christodoulou, who shortly after has some rubbing with the Audi, while Hofer sends Cipriani into a spin. In lap 19, the three title contenders find themselves fighting, with the Porsche of Bachler in the same group. Van Berlo spins as he tries to pass Moss. Two laps later, it’s Jans attacking Gilbert, getting in contact and spinning.
After all stops, Al Zubair leads with 7 seconds on Bachler, 9 on Hites and 11 on Moss. Follow Rugolo, first in Pro-Am, Van Berlo, Basz and Nana, first in Am. The fight is particularly intense between Rugolo and Basz for P1 in Po-Am, with the Pole passing in lap 27. The Get Speed Mercedes of Nana gets a 40-second penalty for not having served the entire handicap.
The final battle for fourth is very intense, with Basz emerging after having passed Van Berlo and Moss, with the Dutchman dropping to P9, behind also Rugolo, Guerra and Christodoulou, after adding the 5-second penalty to its time. Konrad wins in Am ahead of Korzeniowski and Sager.
