Palma-Barri (Lamborghini Huracan) end the French weekend with a great win in race-2

Victory in the other categories to Magnoni-Garbelli (GT3L and GT4) and Pisani-Sauto (GT Cup). Fisichella and Gai still on top of the GT3 classification at 48 points. Next round at the Misano World Circuit next June 16th and 17th.
Image

Race-2 ended the French exit of the Italian GT Championship at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet with the victory going to Andrea Palma and Giacomo Barri (Lamborghini Huracan). The Petri Corse pairing proceeded, at the end of a wet race due to the heavy rain that fell in the morning, Zampieri-Altoè (Lamborghini Huracan-Antonelli Motorsport) by 10”874s and Mancinelli-Fontana (Ferrari 488-Easy Race) by 15”016s. Regarding the other classes, the victory went to Nova Race Magnoni-Garbelli in GT3 Light on Audi R8 LMS, while they won GT4 on Ginetta G55, while GT Cup saw a repeat of the race-1 win by Pisani-Sauto (Porsche 997-Siliprandi Racing).

In the GT3 classification, Fisichella and Gai, fourth at the flag today, are still in the lead at 48 points, and lead Zampieri and Altoè (46), Mancinelli, Fontana, Palma, Barri (43), Veglia and Vedel (42) and Baruch (37). The third round of the season will take place at the Misano World Circuit next June 16-17.

Race-2: Andrea Palma and Giacomo Barri run a recovery race as they started from the third row of the grid. Their victory was helped by a problem to one tyre on Barauch’s Audi, who had been leading until the penultimate lap, Petri Corse Motorsport’s pairing deserved the win nevertheless and this was the first triumph in the Italian GT for the team from Tuscany.

Palma recovered one position in the first stint completing a good overtaking move on Fontana, but in the duel with Veglia and Fisichella, the driver from Rome spun and lost sight of his rivals. After the pit stop, Barri rejoined in P2 behind Barauch, as the latter took over from Treluyer, who had been leading since lap seven when he had the best of poleman Zampieri in a hard-fought battle. When positions seemed to be quite stable the sting in the tail arrived at the penultimate lap, when the rear left tyre of the R8 LMS of the Israeli driver dechapped, event that gave way to the Petri Corse lineup. Big disappointment for Audi as a possible victory, greatly built by Treluyer and lost by a whisker by Baruch. Behind the winners, Zampieri-Altoè were second at the end of a good race. Following a great stint by the driver from Rome, his young co-equiper fought a long duel with Mancinelli, ending ahead of Easy Race’s drivers that won race-1. Fisichella-Gai (Ferrari 488-Scuderia Baldini 27) closed their race at the feet of the podium completing a weekend below expectations due to a technical problem to the wastegate that hey had since free practice. They proceeded Vedel-Veglia (Lamborghini Huracan) and Baruch-Treluyer.

The seventh place, and first of GT3 Light, went to Magnoni-Garbelli (Audi R8 LMS), that led Pisani-Sauto (Porsche 997), as the latter repeated the race-1 victory in GT Cup. Siliprandi Racing’s pairing run a strong race with Pisani that had to concede his position to Di Benedetto (Porsche 991) early on, but then recovered in the closing stages handing the car over to his co-equiper on top of their class, the latter managed to cross the finish line in eighth place ahead of Merendino. After the wins in Imola, Island Motorsport’s color bearers had a troubled weekend in France as they were penalized by failures and technical issues.

The tenth place, and first of GT4 went to Magnoni-Garbelli. The Nova Race lineup not only contested GT3 Light, but also in the entry-level class that saw then victorious leading teammates Marchetti-Kauppi (Ginetta G 55). The French lineup Mezard-Hiesse did not make it to the start of race two due to a technical problem to their Lamborghini Huracan run by team SVC Sport Management.

On Twitter

@CIGranTurismo

@GTavoni

http://www.facebook.com/CIGranTurismo