Following an exciting start to the season, the International GT Open is off to one of its stellar events: the GT Open 500 at Spa-Francorchamps. The second round of the season will feature the first endurance race, on the legendary track in the Ardennes. It is now the fifth time that the round in Belgium is held as a single race of 500 kms (or 2 hours 55 in duration), awarding double points.
The proposition is getting more and more appreciated by contenders, and 32 cars are entered this year, with eight different car brands represented and very interesting novelties.
PRO: 10 CARS AND ALREADY A FOUR-WAY BATTLE AT THE TOP
It’s way too early in the season, but the close races of the season-opener in the Algarve have already yielded some interesting indications. Leading the standings by a mere one-point margin is the Greystone GT McLaren 720S of Zac Meakin (who became in Portugal the 200th driver to win a GT Open race) and Dean Macdonald, victors in Race 2. At Spa, the British squad will enter a second car in the class for McKenzy Cresswell and Jayden Kelly.
Second in the standings is the Team Motopark Mercedes of Christian Mansell and Maxi Götz, strong of two second finishes in Portimão. The German team enters two AMGs in the class, with the other regulars Marcelo Ramírez-Dominik Baumann completing the ranks.
Third in contention, two points from the top, is the ZRS Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3R of Pietro Armanni and Alex Fontana, with the Italian squad winning outright their debut race in Portugal.
A fourth car brand, Ferrari, is not far from the fight at the top, thanks to the Elite Motorsport 296 of Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson. The Prancing Horse is also represented by the AF Corse cars of Tommaso Mosca-Rafael Durán and Yaroslav Vaselaho, associated this time with WEC star and former Euroformula champion Yifei Ye.
Last but not least, the Villorba Corse Lamborghini of Rodrigo Testa and Leonardo Moncini will seek revenge after an unlucky start to the season in the Algarve.
PRO-AM: 15 CARS, WITH BIG NAMES AND NEW FACES
The Pro-Am class proved again in Round 1 to be the most well-attended and extremely competitive. The Blackthorn Aston Martin is leading the standings, with Charlie Bateman aiming at a second win associated this time with returnee Johnny Adam. Only one point behind the Aston are the Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo2 of Michaël Blanchemain-Jim Pla and the CBRX by SPS Mercedes of Dexter Müller-Yannick Mettler. Strong of a race win at their debut in the series, the Alexanders, Fach and Schwarzer, of the Swiss outfit Fach Race Tech, are third with their Porsche, only four points from the top.
The class, clearly, is full of top contenders, including the other Audi of Libor Milota-Filip Salaquarda (ISR Racing), the three Ferraris of Marcin Jedlinski-Karol Basz (Olimp Racing), Laurent de Meeus-Vincent Abril (AF Corse) and Xolile Letlaka-Axcil Jefferies (Into Africa Racing by Dragon), and the McLarens of the Kells father and son (Track Focused) and Andrei Borodin-Ollie Webb (Greystone GT).
Still, particular focus will be on the newcomers: Optimum Motorsport is back for a one-off in a series dear to its heart, with a McLaren for Morgan Tillbrook-Ben Barnicoat, while, like last year, Iron Linkx is joining the Spa party with a Mercedes for GT Open returnee Ameerh Naran and young LMP2 star Theodor Jensen.
Another welcome return is that of 2Seas Motorsport, the British-Bahraini squad entering a Mercedes for American racers Scott Noble and Jason Hart.
Spa marks also the season debut for two squads: Poland’s PTT Racing, a GT Cup Europe champion in 2023, is entering its brand new BMW M4 GT3 EVO for Hubert Dermetko and young gun Fabian Dybionka, while Mikkel Pedersen Racing will be making the first of the planned four outings with a Porsche 911 GT3R, in the hands of WEC star Mikkel Pedersen himself and Lars Pedersen, the two not having any family link despite what could be thought.
AM: 7 CARS AND THE FIGHT IS ON
The Am class is proving this year particularly lively. At the moment, leading the standings are two Ferraris, who shared race wins in the Algarve: Andrzej and Adrian Lewandowski, father and son, at the wheel of the Baron Motorsport 296, are only two points ahead of Brazilians Marcelo Hahn and Galid Osman, in an AF Corse car.
Also representing the Cavallino are Stanislaw Jedlinski-Krystian Korzeniowski (Olimp Racing), with another Polish pair, Piotr Wira-Tomasz Magdziarz, defending the colours of Aston Martin, in the Good Speed Racing Team car.
André Fernandes and Angelo Fontana are in the AF Motorsport Porsche, while the two drivers normally racing solo have this time teammates given the format of the race: Mexico’s Alfredo Hernández is paired like last year with Frenchman Stéphane Tribaudini in the Grupo Prom Mercedes, while rookie Joel Monegro, currently lying third in the standings with the Fach Auto Tech Porsche, is paired with Lucas Wolf.
