The third round of the Le Mans Series on the Algarve circuit in southern Portugal was hard to top for excitement in the GT2 class.
From the start of the race Gianmaria Bruni was the fastest GT2 on the track, AF strategy with change driver each Hour is perfect and the Ferrari 430 number 96 takes wonderful victory at Portimao.
Gianmaria Bruni: " it's wonderful to take win in this track, night session remind to LEMANS 24H situation and this can be excitement. Me and Jamie wer very fast in the beginning and keep the time lap during the race! I'm happy for this success and we hope to take another race during the season"
“This is our second time here at Portimao and it’s a fantastic place and an amazing circuit. We
had a poor start this year and the title is gone for us, but we love the Series and will be in Budapest.”
Toni Vilander had a great fight for second place late in the race with Richard Lietz and could pass him with five
laps to go. They drove door to door for a while before the Finn could get the better on the Austrian.
Has Ferrari really made a big leap back into contention? Did the nature of Portimao simply favor the aspects of its package? These were just some of the questions ricocheting around the paddock after AF Corse Ferrari's
dramatic comeback victory in the Portuguese race, which set the scene for further battle in the championship
struggle in both Hungaroring and Silverstone.
After almost six hours of racing packed with duels, overtaking manoeuvres and changes in positions, the title defenders saw the finish line as third in their Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Porsche works drivers Marc Lieb (Germany) and Richard Lietz (Austria) defended their GT2 points’ lead by securing a podium result with two races left on the calendar. Fifth position went to the driver trio in the second 911 of the German Felbermayr team, earning them crucial points.
“The competition this time was very strong,” said the former GT2 Le Mans Series champion Marc Lieb. “The leaders were simply unreachable. With the others, we fought for our position to the last minute and achieved our main goal of defending our lead in the points.” The reason for not yielding second place was a minor defect. After two hours of racing, Richard Lietz lay just 20 seconds behind the leaders when a vibration forced him into the pits. A panel under the wheel arch had come loose. The extra pit stop threw the pair back an entire lap – and at the flag about a second separated them from the second-placed Ferrari. “Our car was difficult to drive because initially we couldn’t find a really good set-up,” said Lietz. “So we’re quite pleased with third place and that we bring home precious points.”
The second Felbermayr crew also put in gripping duels with strong opposition, the likes of former Formula 1 drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Jean Alesi. The two regular Felbermayr drivers Martin Ragginger (Austria) and Christian Ried (Germany) received support on the 4.655 kilometre Autodromo Internacional do Algarve from Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler (Germany), who won the Le Mans 24 Hours with Lieb and Lietz in June. “The two-way fight was huge fun and the last two hours of racing in the night was something quite special,” said Henzler, the newcomer to the team. Securing fifth in Portugal, Ried and Ragginger defended their third position in the GT2 drivers’ classification.
The two Porsche customer teams from France and Belgium, however, left southern Portugal disappointed. Porsche works driver Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac (both France) took up the race feeling optimistic. “Our 911 GT3 RSR ran well right from the first minute of practice. We were certain we’d bring home a podium result,” said Pilet. A problem with the throttle cable and the ensuing repairs robbed the Frenchmen from IMSA Performance Matmut of all chances early in the race. They crossed the finish line as tenth in the GT class.
ProSpeed Competition and its drivers Porsche Junior Marco Holzer (Germany) and Richard Westbrook (Great Britain) were hit even worse. The Briton put in a sensational drive in the opening phase after starting from ninth on the grid. Sitting third, he handed the wheel of the 911 GT3 RSR over to Holzer at the first pit stop, who held the position – until he retired two hours into the race with a broken rim. “It’s such a pity,” said a frustrated Marco Holzer. “Our car was brilliant, everything was running smoothly. The only consolation is that, as a new team in the series, we’re finally competitive.”
Statistics: round 3 of the Le Mans Series in Portimao
Result GT2 class
1. Bruni/Melo (I/BR), Ferrari F430 GT, 192 laps
2. Fisichella/Vilander/Alesi (I/FIN/F), Ferrari F430 GT, 191
3. Lieb/Lietz (D/A), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 191
4. Bell/Turner (GB/GB), Aston Martin V8 Vantage, 190
5. Ried/Ragginger/Henzler (D/A/D), Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 190
6. Perez Companc/Russo (ARG/ARG), Ferrari F430 GT, 190