The Teo Martín BMWs lived a round Sunday in Monza, taking a perfect 1-2, with Lourenço Beirão conquering his second win, this time associated with Augusto Farfus, in front of team mates Fran Rueda-Victor Bouveng, who are reducing their gap in the standings. The young duo is now only 5 points behind Giovanni Venturini, only 6th today, leaving all the title fight drama alive for the final round in Barcelona. The Spanish squad also reopened the fight in the Teams’ standings, as it now is only 2 points behind Imperiale Racing.
Mikkel Mac-Miguel Ramos were third on the Spirit of Race Ferrari, while in Pro-Am there was another 1-2, for the Garage 59 McLarens of Côme Ledogar-Alexander West and Michael Benham-Duncan Tappy. Liuzzi-Hamaguchi (FFF Racing Lambo) took third. In Am, Antonio Coimbra-Luis Silva (Sports&You Mercedes) signed their fourth success of the season, beating the SF Racing Ferrari of Fu Songyang-Gabriel Lancieri and reinforcing their class leadership.
THE RACE – Poleman Farfus keeps good control of everything at the start, leading over Lledogar, Rueda, Mac, Morris, Costa, Venturini, Giammaria and Lancieri. There is a contact at the back of the group at La Roggia, with Konrad being hit and sent to the wall. The MS Mercedes bounces back on the track collecting Fontana and Liberati. Only Fontana would rejoin the race after a 4-lap pit stop for repairs.
Positions and gaps stay stable in the top-10, with the show being on Mac who gets closer and closer to Rueda, but nothing will happen until the driver change. After all pit stops, in lap 19, Beirão leads with 3 seconds over West, 6” on Bouveng and 9” bon Ramos. Fromlmenwiler is fifth ahead of Dolby, Biagi, Mapelli and Fu Songyang, first in Am.
Bouveng passes country-fellow West at the end of lap 22, while Dolby takes 5th from Frommenwiler one lap later. Shortly after, Ramos takes 3rd from West and Mapelli passes team mate Biagi for 7th. In lap 25, Dolby takes 4th from West.
Last laps see a nice fight between Ramos and Dolby for third, with the two changing positions a couple of times; eventually Ramos keeps the advantage. Costa is 6th ahead of Venturini, West, Biagi, Tappy and Liuzzi, while in the closing laps Coimbra passes Songyang to take another win in Am.
Source. International GT Open/Photo. Riccardo Righetti R99photography.com