They got a taste for winning: after conquering their long-awaited maiden win at Hockenheim, Leonardo Moncini and Rodrigo Testa have won the GT Open 500 in Monza, imposing their Villorba Corse Lamborghini also in an endurance format. They beat the Greystone GT McLaren of Zac Meakin-Dean Macdonald, again second, and the ZRS Motorsport Porsche of Pietro Armanni-Alex Fontana.
The success of the young Italian-Portuguese pair was favoured by the retirement of the Motopark Mercedes of Christian Mansell-Maxi Götz three laps from the end, when a suspension broke. It was a bitter end to the title aspirations of the pair that had dominated the weekend, taking pole and leading the entire race.
Championship leaders Tom Emson and Tom Lebbon, in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari, struggled with pace but took a very useful fourth place, reckoning they were “lucky” and will go to the last round in Barcelona, where the Greystone GT McLaren and the ZRS Porsche will be their only rivals.
Charlie Bateman and Henrique Chaves took their second Pro-Am success in the Blackthorn Aston Martin, the fourth for the Brit, ahead of Muller-Mettler (SPS Mercedes) and Milota-Salaquarda (ISR Audi). In Am, Joel Monegro, associated with Constantin Dressler, took his fourth win of the season. This, and the retirement of Lewandowski, puts the Fach Auto Tech driver in the lead of the class again. Alfredo Hernandez, with Stéphane Trabaudini (Grupo Prom) took a third consecutive podium, with Piotr Wira-Denis Waszek (GoodSpeed Aston) finishing third.
THE RACE - It’s Mansell-Götz (Motopark Mercedes) and Meakin-Macdonald (Geyston GT McLaren) on first row, and it’s Mansell and Macdonald taking command at the start, with a quiet and almost orderly passing through the first chicane for the 33-car field. Moncini is third ahead of Fontana, Emson, Forenzi, Mazepin, Ramirez, Dressler and Bateman (first in Pro-Am). Things remain stable up to the 12th lap, when there is the first incident. Schwarzer touches Veselaho at the braking of the first chicane. The Ukrainian spins, hits the wall and violently collects Stati.
The safety car is out, but at the restart, the action is short-lived as Acosta spins into the gravel in turn one, prompting the second outing of the safety car. The first pit stop is delayed until the race resumes in lap 20. After all changes (lap 27), Götz is in the lead, which he almost loses because a slight off-track at Lesmo, Meakin is second preceding Armanni, Lebbon and Testa, all covered by ten seconds. Chaves leads in Pro-Am and Dressler in Am.
In lap 34, Letlaka without brakes hits the tyre wall at Lesmo, prompting a third safety car period. Four laps later the race restarts, with positions and gaps stable up to the second pit stop and the Ferrari of the Lewandowskis forced to retirement because of technical issues.
After all stops, in lap 49, Mansell leads on Macdonald and Moncini, covered by 5 seconds, ahead of Emson, Fontana, Ramirez, Bateman (first in Pro-Am), Al Zubair and Mazepin, who gets a 5-second penalty for overtaking off track. Monegro has taken the lead in Am ahead of Hernandez.
Not much happens in the central part of the race, except a contact between Monegro and Pedersen at the first chicane, with the BMW spinning and the Porsche getting a 10-second penalty. In the lead, Mansell, Macdonald and Moncini remain very close. The Lambo passes the McLaren, but receives a 5-second penalty for having done it off-track. Emson is fourth, ahead of Mazepin, Forenzi, Ramirez and Al Zubair, while in Pro-Am, Milota has taken the lead from Bateman, and in Am, Monegro leads ahead Wira and Hernandez.
The third and last pit stop is the crucial one, as handicaps are served then, and produces a leader change, with Testa taking command, two seconds ahead of Götz and 16 on Meakin. Follow Armanni, Lebbon, Gazeau, Rodriguez, Mosca and Chaves, who leads ahead of Mettler and Salaquarda. Dressler is first in Am, ahead of Tribaudini and Waszek.
The focus in the final part of the race is on the gap that Testa will be able to build. The Lambo has received a second 5-point penalty for an infringement during the pit stop, and needs a 10-second cushion to win. It reaches 8.5 when three laps from the end, the decisive incident occurs: an apparent suspension failure sends Götz into the wall at the exit of Ascari. Race win and title chances gone for the German.
Testa wins ahead of Meakin and Armanni, with Lebbon fourth comforting the points leadership. In Pro-Am it is Chaves ahead of Mettler and Milota, with Dressler conquering the Am class ahead of Tribaudini and Waszek.
