FIA GT3 Championship

First Corvette GT3 victory of the year at Oschersleben

© Planetlemans - Marcel ten Caat

For the first time in six races there was no Matech GT Racing Ford GT on top of the podium, but a Corvette Z06R. In a race that was behind the safety car for several laps the Ford GTs hit trouble while the Corvettes and Vipers battled it out all the way to the end. The MM-Racing Corvette of Jiri Skula and Martin Matzke crossed the line in first place, beating the La Torre Motorsport Vipers.

Unlike yesterday there was no chaos at the start and the race got underway with only the number 10 Hexis DBRS9 running wide at the first corner, in the following right hander the number 2 Martini Callaway Corvette and number 20 Matech GT Racing Ford GT collided. At the front the Martini Callaway Corvette of Arnaud Peyroles and James Ruffier that lead the field with the number 26 Team Berlanga Ascari and number 11 JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT3 following it.

Unfortunately for the leaders several other drivers went off and after yet another off at the first corner the race director decided to deploy the safety car. During the safety car period most team opted to make their mandatory driver change. When the safety car had gone back in and all the teams had done their driver change the front of the field looked completely different with several Corvettes and Vipers now leading. MM Racing used the safety car period in the best way possible and was in the lead, with the number 26 Team Berlanga Ascari behind it, but that car was given a stop and go penalty for stopping one second too short.

While the Ford GT drivers collided with other cars, the number 19 with Luca Pirri behind the wheel collecting a spinning JMB Racing Ferrari 430 GT3 coming onto the finish straight and the number 20 car being handed a 5-place grid penalty for the next round, the Vipers and Corvettes continued their race and had a great fight together. In the final minutes the Martin Matzke’s Marc Sourd Racing and Martini Callaway Corvettes and La Torre Motorsport began to fight each other letting Matzke getting away with it. Positions behind him changed as the Vipers got to the front and the experienced Marc Sourd lost control of his car and literally drifted from the track. After a spin he returned to the track only to find himself in fifth place.

Martin Matzke was the first to cross the line after completing 35 lap, just over five seconds ahead of Giuseppe De Pasquale in the number 42 La Torre Motorsport Dodge Viper and almost eleven seconds ahead of Dino Lunardi in the number 43 La Torre Motorsport Dodge Viper.

Classification:

1 - 38 - Skula/Matzke - Corvette Z06R GT3 - 35 laps
2 - 42 - Sabatini/De Pasquale - Dodge Viper Competition Coupe - 5.064
3 - 43 - Lunardi/Vannelet - Dodge Viper Competition Coupe - 10.925
4 - 1 - Ruffier/Peyroles Corvette Z06R GT3 - 11.014
5 - 28 - Charpilienne/Sourd - Corvette Z06R GT3 - 17.840
6 - 5 - Cadei/Balbiani - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 29.557
7 - 9 - Rodrigues/Rodrigues - Aston Martin DBRS9 - 32.926
8 - 39 - Jirik/Thomas - Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S - 33.106
9 - 6 - Williams/Ashburn - Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S - 33.683
10 - 18 - Zumerle/Mantovani - Aston Martin DBRS9 - 34.213
11 - 26 - Thompson/Rich - Ascari KZ1R GT3 - 38.797
12 - 10 - Makowiecki/Lagniez - Aston Martin DBRS9 - 44.954
13 - 32 - Clucas/Hissom - Jaguar XKR - 51.167
14 - 11 - Lorgere-Roux/Ballay - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 1:00.782
15 - 25 - Zwart/Greenhalgh - Ascari KZ1R GT3 - 1:05.207
16 - 47 - Thurn Und Taxis/Haase - Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 - 1:11.574
17 - 21 - Ellis/Mortimer - Ford GT - 1:15.012
18 - 14 - Kraihamer/Knauss - Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 - 1:25.482
19 - 13 - Misslin/Petit - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 1:26.063
20 - 41 - Romagnoli/Marchetti - Dodge Viper Competition Coupe - 1:26.608
21 - 20 - Mutsch/Khan - Ford GT - 1 Lap
22 - 40 - Cloet/Bergmeister - Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S - 1 Lap
23 - 12 - Van Der Zwaan/Rambeaud - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 1 Lap
24 - 33 - Hall/Quaife - Jaguar XKR - 1 Lap
25 - 22 - Jeannette/De Doncker - Ford Mustang FR500 GT - 1 Lap
26 - 4 - Warren/Hyman - Ferrari F430 GT3 - 1 Lap
27 - 35 - Lamot/Penders - Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S - 1 Lap
28 - 16 - Errani/Zenere - Aston Martin DBRS9 - 2 Laps
29 - 7 - Shelley/Nuttall - Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S - 7 Laps
30 - 19 - Von Gartzen/Pirri - Ford GT - 10 Laps
31 - 29 - Scheier/Lesoudier - Morgan Aero 8 GT3 - 11 Laps