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GT Racing
GT1: WRT Audi 1-2 In Nogaro Qualifying Race
Stephane Ortelli, Laurens Vanthoor give Audi first victory in new-look FIA GT1 World Championship...
WRT took the first spoils in the new-look FIA GT1 World Championship Sunday in Nogaro. (Photo: Arno Murith/SRO)
Belgian Audi Club WRT celebrated a 1-2 finish Sunday in Nogaro, in the first Qualifying Race for the new-look FIA GT1 World Championship.
GT veteran Stephane Ortelli took his No. 32 Audi R8 LMS Ultra across the line to take a dominant victory under damp conditions, after an impressive drive that saw him climb from third to first in the closing 25 minutes.
Following a solid opening stint by co-driver Laurens Vanthoor, making his GT debut, Ortelli quickly re-took second place from the No. 2 Hexis Racing McLaren MP4-12C of Gregoire Demoustier before eventually getting around the No. 24 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo of Albert von Thurn und Taxis for the lead with 13 minutes to go.
From there, it was clear sailing for the Frenchman, a driving instructor at the Circuit Paul Armagnac, to take a 6.030-second victory over the sister machine of Frank Stippler, who also got around the Lambo to give the Pierre Dieudonne-led squad a 1-2 sweep in its series debut.
"For sure I have a lot of experience in the rain," Ortelli said. "I’ve raced here for 20 years. My teammate did an amazing job and didn’t crack under pressure. Finishing 1-2 is great for Audi.”
Twenty-year-old F3 ace Vanthoor added: “It was my first race in a GT car, so I had to get used to some things. It for sure was not easy but I tried to do my best. I think we’re dreaming right now. It is very nice.”
Audi R8 LMS development driver Stippler, who teamed with Briton's Oliver Jarvis, brought the No. 33 Audi home in tricky conditions with fading Pirelli wet tires.
“I’m quite happy to be on the podium with the other guys,” Stippler said. “I tried to close the gap at the end but struggled with the rear tires. So I tried to keep second ahead of the Lambo [in the end].”
After a brilliant opening stint by Tomas Enge, who stretched out to an eight-second lead in the opening laps, former ADAC GT Masters champion von Thurn und Taxis held onto the final podium position, despite a late challenge by Demoustier, who had to settle for fourth in his McLaren.
The pole-sitting No. 3 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia of Toni Vilander and Filip Salaquarda completed the top-five in the surprisingly incident-free 60-minute battle.
RESULTS: Qualifying Race
WATCH the FIA GT1 World Championship Championship Race from Nogaro, LIVE! on SPEED2, Monday 7:30 a.m. ET. Click Here for details.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
GT veteran Stephane Ortelli took his No. 32 Audi R8 LMS Ultra across the line to take a dominant victory under damp conditions, after an impressive drive that saw him climb from third to first in the closing 25 minutes.
Following a solid opening stint by co-driver Laurens Vanthoor, making his GT debut, Ortelli quickly re-took second place from the No. 2 Hexis Racing McLaren MP4-12C of Gregoire Demoustier before eventually getting around the No. 24 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo of Albert von Thurn und Taxis for the lead with 13 minutes to go.
From there, it was clear sailing for the Frenchman, a driving instructor at the Circuit Paul Armagnac, to take a 6.030-second victory over the sister machine of Frank Stippler, who also got around the Lambo to give the Pierre Dieudonne-led squad a 1-2 sweep in its series debut.
"For sure I have a lot of experience in the rain," Ortelli said. "I’ve raced here for 20 years. My teammate did an amazing job and didn’t crack under pressure. Finishing 1-2 is great for Audi.”
Twenty-year-old F3 ace Vanthoor added: “It was my first race in a GT car, so I had to get used to some things. It for sure was not easy but I tried to do my best. I think we’re dreaming right now. It is very nice.”
Audi R8 LMS development driver Stippler, who teamed with Briton's Oliver Jarvis, brought the No. 33 Audi home in tricky conditions with fading Pirelli wet tires.
“I’m quite happy to be on the podium with the other guys,” Stippler said. “I tried to close the gap at the end but struggled with the rear tires. So I tried to keep second ahead of the Lambo [in the end].”
After a brilliant opening stint by Tomas Enge, who stretched out to an eight-second lead in the opening laps, former ADAC GT Masters champion von Thurn und Taxis held onto the final podium position, despite a late challenge by Demoustier, who had to settle for fourth in his McLaren.
The pole-sitting No. 3 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia of Toni Vilander and Filip Salaquarda completed the top-five in the surprisingly incident-free 60-minute battle.
RESULTS: Qualifying Race
WATCH the FIA GT1 World Championship Championship Race from Nogaro, LIVE! on SPEED2, Monday 7:30 a.m. ET. Click Here for details.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
FIA GT Nogaro
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