-
Home
- TV Shows
- TV Schedule
- NASCAR
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
GT Racing
GT1: Navarra Preview
The FIA GT1 World Championship ventures to Spain for the third round of the 2012 season at Circuit de Navarra this weekend...
After a rain-soaked battle in Zolder, the FIA GT1 World Championship heads to what should be the sunny Spanish circuit of Navarra. (Photo: Markus Berns/SRO)
The FIA GT1 World Championship ventures to Spain for the third round of the 2012 season at Circuit de Navarra, Los Arcos – a venue dominated by Lamborghini for the past two seasons.
In 2010, the Reiter Lamborghini Murcielago of Ricardo Zonta and Frank Kechele was all-conquering taking pole and both races around the twists and turns of the 3.94-kilometre layout in northern Spain
In 2011, Navarra belonged to the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team. For the first time in GT1 history, a team managed to complete the ‘perfect weekend’ as the Lamborghinis were utterly dominant – bagging pole position and two comfortable one-two finishes.
This season the Saxony-based team switches from Lamborghini to the Mercedes SLS AMG in pursuit of further glory on May 26-27.
The team currently lies second in the overall standings on 49 points behind Belgian Audi Club Team WRT (66) and have threatened a breakthrough victory for Mercedes at the last two rounds. Most notably when Markus Winkelhock (Marc Basseng) in the No.38 car led the Qualifying Race and appeared to be heading for a comfortable win before his race was ended with throttle problems six minutes from the finish.
It was left to Nicky Pastorelli (NLD) and Thomas Jäger (DEU) to carry the baton in Zolder, the pair finishing second and fourth to take them to third in the drivers’ standings. Pastorelli won the Championship Race in Spain last season.
There was some soul-searching at Reiter Engineering Lamborghini after an indifferent race performance in Belgium despite Darryl O’Young (CHN) and Peter Kox (NLD) qualifying P3. Like several of their counterparts, the team was caught out on tyre strategy on the No.25 car by the wet-dry conditions.
The sister car of Tomas Enge (CZE) and Albert von Thurn und Taxis (DEU) was blighted by gearbox problems. The four points they picked up for eighth place in the Championship Race was the sum total of the team’s weekend.
O’Young, a newcomer to Spain, said: "Navarra is a new circuit for me, but I have heard many good things about the track so I'm looking forward to it.
“Our team continues to make great progress since the first race in France and we proved this by qualifying the car in the top three in Belgium. We hope to carry this momentum over to Spain and if we can piece everything together without mistakes, I feel a podium is very possible.”
The competition in the opening two rounds in France and Belgium was intense. Audi completed a double victory in France while BMW and Porsche rose to the challenge in round two.
The Championship win in Zolder for Mike Parisy and Matt Halliday in the Exim Bank Team China Porsche was a reward for skilled driving and expert strategy in changeable weather conditions.
New Zealander Halliday is aiming to keep the momentum going in Spain. He will be among a group of GT1 first-timers. “I am looking forward to Navarra. I have never seen the circuit before but we are going there with a lot of confidence in the whole of Exim Bank Team China after our strong performance including pole, third and a race win at Zolder,” he said.
“We hope we can continue our strong performance from Zolder and keep fighting for good points. The season has been great and also tough especially at the start as the deal came together so late. I’m really happy to have the chance to drive in the GT1 series.”
After their exploits in Nogaro, a one-two finish in both races, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT endured a troublesome weekend in Zolder.
A wrong choice of tires left the Audis R8 LMS ultra of Oliver Jarvis/ Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor/Stephane Ortelli out of the points in the Qualifying Race, while in the main event, in their effort to climb up positions, the two cars made contact en route to 6th and 10th.
Nonetheless, Vanthoor and Ortelli retained their lead in the drivers’ standings with Parisy and Halliday their closest challengers heading into Navarra.
Belgian Vanthoor said he was looking forward to a return to action following the break.
“Finally we will be back in the car. It has been some weeks now,” he said. “I am looking forward to the weekend, it's a new track for me so that is always exciting. From my understanding there are a lot of slow corners and only a couple of faster ones. But I will know more after Free Practice.
“I hope we can get a good result and extend or at least keep our first position in the championship. But like always we have to do our best and work hard, then the result we deserve will follow. So far the season has been very positive. Nogaro was a dream, Zolder put us back on the ground. So we know what we have to do know. I hope we can continue in this direction.”
In 2010, the Reiter Lamborghini Murcielago of Ricardo Zonta and Frank Kechele was all-conquering taking pole and both races around the twists and turns of the 3.94-kilometre layout in northern Spain
In 2011, Navarra belonged to the ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport team. For the first time in GT1 history, a team managed to complete the ‘perfect weekend’ as the Lamborghinis were utterly dominant – bagging pole position and two comfortable one-two finishes.
This season the Saxony-based team switches from Lamborghini to the Mercedes SLS AMG in pursuit of further glory on May 26-27.
The team currently lies second in the overall standings on 49 points behind Belgian Audi Club Team WRT (66) and have threatened a breakthrough victory for Mercedes at the last two rounds. Most notably when Markus Winkelhock (Marc Basseng) in the No.38 car led the Qualifying Race and appeared to be heading for a comfortable win before his race was ended with throttle problems six minutes from the finish.
It was left to Nicky Pastorelli (NLD) and Thomas Jäger (DEU) to carry the baton in Zolder, the pair finishing second and fourth to take them to third in the drivers’ standings. Pastorelli won the Championship Race in Spain last season.
There was some soul-searching at Reiter Engineering Lamborghini after an indifferent race performance in Belgium despite Darryl O’Young (CHN) and Peter Kox (NLD) qualifying P3. Like several of their counterparts, the team was caught out on tyre strategy on the No.25 car by the wet-dry conditions.
The sister car of Tomas Enge (CZE) and Albert von Thurn und Taxis (DEU) was blighted by gearbox problems. The four points they picked up for eighth place in the Championship Race was the sum total of the team’s weekend.
O’Young, a newcomer to Spain, said: "Navarra is a new circuit for me, but I have heard many good things about the track so I'm looking forward to it.
“Our team continues to make great progress since the first race in France and we proved this by qualifying the car in the top three in Belgium. We hope to carry this momentum over to Spain and if we can piece everything together without mistakes, I feel a podium is very possible.”
The competition in the opening two rounds in France and Belgium was intense. Audi completed a double victory in France while BMW and Porsche rose to the challenge in round two.
The Championship win in Zolder for Mike Parisy and Matt Halliday in the Exim Bank Team China Porsche was a reward for skilled driving and expert strategy in changeable weather conditions.
New Zealander Halliday is aiming to keep the momentum going in Spain. He will be among a group of GT1 first-timers. “I am looking forward to Navarra. I have never seen the circuit before but we are going there with a lot of confidence in the whole of Exim Bank Team China after our strong performance including pole, third and a race win at Zolder,” he said.
“We hope we can continue our strong performance from Zolder and keep fighting for good points. The season has been great and also tough especially at the start as the deal came together so late. I’m really happy to have the chance to drive in the GT1 series.”
After their exploits in Nogaro, a one-two finish in both races, the Belgian Audi Club Team WRT endured a troublesome weekend in Zolder.
A wrong choice of tires left the Audis R8 LMS ultra of Oliver Jarvis/ Frank Stippler and Laurens Vanthoor/Stephane Ortelli out of the points in the Qualifying Race, while in the main event, in their effort to climb up positions, the two cars made contact en route to 6th and 10th.
Nonetheless, Vanthoor and Ortelli retained their lead in the drivers’ standings with Parisy and Halliday their closest challengers heading into Navarra.
Belgian Vanthoor said he was looking forward to a return to action following the break.
“Finally we will be back in the car. It has been some weeks now,” he said. “I am looking forward to the weekend, it's a new track for me so that is always exciting. From my understanding there are a lot of slow corners and only a couple of faster ones. But I will know more after Free Practice.
“I hope we can get a good result and extend or at least keep our first position in the championship. But like always we have to do our best and work hard, then the result we deserve will follow. So far the season has been very positive. Nogaro was a dream, Zolder put us back on the ground. So we know what we have to do know. I hope we can continue in this direction.”
FIA GT Nogaro
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
V8: Red Bull's Whincup On A Roll At COTA
Jamie Whincup takes pole for V8 Supercar Races 15 and 16, Live! on… -
V8: Nissan Coming To Grips With New Altima
John Dagys explores Nissan's new factory venture in V8 Supercars… -
GT: O'Connell, Aschenbach Win Saturday's WC GT, GTS Races At COTA…
Johnny O’Connell led all the way to win Saturday’s Pirelli… -
V8: COTA Saturday Notebook
John Dagys explores some of the storylines from Saturday’s… -
V8: Whincup Sweeps Saturday's Rounds At COTA
Red Bull Racing goes 1-2 in opening rounds of V8 Supercars at Circuit… -
ELMS: TDS Oreca-Nissan Wins Imola
Mathias Beche, Pierre Thiriet claim victory in second round of European… -
INDYCAR: Ed Carpenter Scores Shock Indy 500 Pole At 228.782 MPH
Carpenter had the Brickyard in a state of rapture as he knocked off… - More News
