GT Open: Hungaroring

Cultism
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Bruni set pole for race 1 in the #4 AF Corse Ferrari F458

A packed grid of 25 cars visit Budapest. After the summer break who will be the most hungry for success?

Wow. It seems like ages since I was last at a race track, and I suppose it was - the previous GT Open round was back in mid-July at Circuit Paul Ricard. The weather in Budapest is as good as it was in the south of France, and a wonderful change from the somewhat cool September we're experiencing in the UK thus far.

The results from Paul Ricard are still provisional, with appeals from the Villois Aston in Race 1 and the Villorba Ferrari from Race 2 not due to be heard until the 14th of September.

This means that both of these cars race this weekend with the success penalty from winning those races. Should the appeals be rejected, it remains to be seen what happens to the penalties…and with that in mind, considering that both cases are apparently fairly clear-cut, it's curious that the teams would choose to jeapordise the races here too.

As for other teams with success penalties, in Super GT the #4 AF Corse car of Bruni/Leo has 25 seconds of penalty following 3 podiums in a row, the #2 Villorba Ferrari of Montermini/Lopez and the #12 Villois Aston (Barba/Malucelli) both carry 15 seconds penalty resulting from the aforementioned wins in Paul Ricard which are now under protest, the #8 Manthey Porsche of Holzer/Tandy has 10 seconds penalty, and the #17 V8 Racing Corvette of Giamaria/Ramos has 5 seconds penalty.

In GTS the #44 Kessel Ferrari carries 30s penalty, #55 Autorlando Porsche carries 20s penalty, and then 5 cars are on 15s penalty: #33 Swiss Team Maserati, #54 Autorlando Porsche, #75 Schubert BMW, #77 Kessel Ferrari, #78 GDL Mercedes SLS.

It seems that the Schubert, GDL and Swiss Team cars are given penalties for being late joiners to the series - with them all making their debuts here.

Qualifying 1

The Corvettes look quick, and are carrying fewer success penalties than the other front-runners

Heading up to the Chicane for Q1, I was pleased to discover that a Media Shuttle is running, thus taking my 15 minute walk, down to a 5 minute ride in a people carrier. This is much better than yesterday in free practice where I was consigned to Shanks' pony, and racked up over 16,000 steps according to my pedometer!

Lighting is good at the chicane, and some of the drivers opt to attack the kerbs with gusto. Not so the polesitter - a very composed-looking Gianmaria Bruni, who places the #4 AF Corse Ferrari 458 on pole, over a quarter of a second clear of the #17 V8 Racing Corvette piloted by Raffaele Giammaria.

I commented at the last race on the comparative lack of results for the #4 AF Corse car, and whilst it did not win at Paul Ricard it did score a 2nd and 3rd in the two races, thus meaning it has had 3 podiums in a row. It's possible these could still become P1 and P2 subject to the hearings on the 14th, which would take them  up to P2 in the championship, and not far behind Holzer/Tandy.

3rd on the grid is the ever-fast #12 Villois Aston, piloted by Alvaro Barba for Q1, followed by Andrea Montermini in the #2 Scuderia Villorba Ferrari F458. Montermini, whilst quick, is apparently not that happy with the balance of his Ferrari, and along with Peter, who qualified P5 in the Kessel Racing Ferrari, did the most laps of any of the front runners.

  1. #4 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT - 1:45.268
  2. #17 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - 1:45.546
  3. #12 Villois Racing - Aston Martin Vantage - 1:45.718
  4. #2 Scuderia Villorba - Ferrari 458 GT -1:45.783
  5. #11 Kessel Racing - Ferrari 458 GT - 1:46.109
  6. #8 Manthey Racing - Porsche GT3 RSR - 1:46.166
  7. #19 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - 1:46.705
  8. #44 Kessel Racing - Ferrari 458 GT3 (Pole GTS) - 1:46.830
  9. #56 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT3 (2nd GTS) - 1:46.858
  10. #16 IMSA Performance - Porsche GT3 RSR - 1:46.897

Qualifying 2

Malucelli places the unfeasibly quick Aston Martin on Pole for Race 2

Matteo Malucelli continued his strong performance from free practice yesterday, and whilst his best lap was a second slower than seen by the fastest cars in Q2, his time of 1:46.227 was strong enough to put the Villois Aston Martin Vantage on pole for the second race at the Hungaroring.

Close on his tail - just a tenth of a second back - was Emanuele Moncini in the #19 V8 Racing Corvette C6R, meaning we have a Corvette in P2 for both races, confirming the strong pace of the car here.

Federico Leo placed the AF Corse #4 Ferrari 458 in P3 a couple of tenths further back, ahead of López in the #2 Scuderia Villorba F458. The top 5 was rounded out by Nick Tandy, who dragged the #8 Manthey Porsche GT3 RSR into a competitive position, albeit four tenths back from pole position.

In GTS, the #75 Schubert BMW Z4 looks competitive with Daniel Roos at the wheel, taking 6th overall on the grid and P1 in class, ahead of Lorenzo Bontempelli in the #60 Ombra Racing F458 GT3.

  1. #12 Villois Racing - Aston Martin Vantage - 1:46.227
  2. #19 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - 1:46.345
  3. #4 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT - 1:46.470
  4. #2 Scuderia Villorba - Ferrari 458 GT -1:46.550
  5. #8 Manthey Racing - Porsche GT3 RSR - 1:46.615
  6. #75 Schubert Motorsport - BMW Z4 GT3 (Pole GTS) - 1:46.972
  7. #60 Ombra Racing - Ferrari 458 GT3 (2nd GTS) - 1:47.055
  8. #5 AT Racing - Ferrari 458 GT - 1:47.221
  9. #54 Autorlando Sport - Porsche GT3 R (3rd GTS - 1:47:251
  10. #17 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - 1:47.362

 

Race 1

Stop…wait…I need to catch my breath. Phew!

This is not me being epically unfit - but more that I have just experienced 70 minutes of the most excillerating racing, ever. This may sound melodramatic, or over the top, but on every lap something was changing - and that is just from the view point of where I was on track at the time. Considering I walked from T1, to T8 during the race, covering over half the race track, it is almost certain that wherever you chose to look there would be something going on.

The start is an event in itself - the straight line pace of the #12 Aston is incredible, with it able to initially outdrag the #17 Corvette, and the #4 Ferrari in the run up to the first corvner, however, due to the corner double back on itself, this leaves Barba out wide, and unable to make up positions.

Bruni in the pole sitting #4 Ferrari, attempts to break away from the field, knowing that he has a 25 second penalty to make up if there is to be any chance of victory. However he has a magnet stuck to his tail - in the shape of Giammaria in the #17 Corvette, who keeps within a few tenths as they sprint away form the pack.

After the pit stops, initially this means Ramo taking over the #17 Corvette has a huge lead, being followed by the #11 Ferrari of Broniszewski, and #12 Aston wotih Malucellia t the wheel, with Tandy in the #8 Porsche just behind him.

However, as Leo exits the pits, after the very long wait, he comes out just behind the Aston. This he quickly devours, and Broniszewski falls by the wayside too. Within a few laps Leo is on the tail of Ramos in the Corvette. 

 

Corvette class of the field today at the Hungaroring

 

The drive from Leo until this point has been so assured, aggressive and downright fast that a fellow photographer is sure that it must be Bruni at the wheel!

However, Ramos is able to make the Corvette very wide, and with the massive grunt from the V8, is able to power away on corner exits, there is no way through for Leo.

So that is the positions for P1 and P2 sorted.

How about P3. Well it looks for the most part that it is going to be Malucelli in the #12 Aston, and as they approach the chicane on the very last lap, this is still the case. However - Nick Tandy in the #8 Porsche has other ideas. This is a place I have grandstand view of - as I'd opted to watch the end of the race from that point.

Tandy gets a better exit out of the chicane, and makes an assertive move on the inside to T7. It seems as first as if Malucelli hasn't seen Tandy, as he moves left, with very light touching, and forcing Tandy to put two wheels on the grass. However, Tandy makes the move stick, and with that another podium finish for the Manthey car. This means 6 podiums so far this season for them and also P1 in the championship.

Malucelli's day goes from bad to worse as Juan Manuel Lopez manages to force a move past in the very last corner.

The closeness of the racing means that the top 5 cars are seperated by only 3 seconds as they cross the line.

Now - having read that, don't you wish you were here to see it in action too? 

 

  1. #17 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - 38 laps
  2. #4 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT -- +0.699
  3. #8 Manthey Racing - Porsche GT3 RSR - +2.478
  4. #2 Scuderia Villorba - Ferrari 458 GT -  +2.719
  5. #12 Villois Racing - Aston Martin Vantage - +3.291
  6. #11 Kessel Racing - Ferrari 458 GT - +19.274
  7. #56 AF Corse - Ferrari 458 GT3 (1st GTS) - +26.495
  8. #16 IMSA Performance - Porsche GT3 RSR- +26.830
  9. #19 V8 Racing Bv - Chevrolet Corvette C6R - +39.998
  10. #54 Autorlando Sport - Porsche GT3 R - +53.274

 

Race 2

With the temperatures for today's race exceeding those of yesterday, tyre wear is a question on many driver's minds, despite the race today being only 50 minutes compared to the 70 minute one yesterday.

Indeed, the Aston appeared to suffer from tyre wear toward the end of yesterday's race, which enabled the Manthey and Villorba cars to pass for position on the final lap. It would be too much to experce another race of the intensity of yesterday, but for sure it is likely to be a good one!

From pole Malucelli (#12 Aston) makes a strong start, but so does Leo in the #4 Ferrari, with a challenge taking place at turn 2, where I choose to stand for the start. However, by lap 2, it was clear that the Aston is in first place, as it breaks away from the field.

Leo settles in 2nd place, ahead of Moncini in the #19 Corvette. Tandy in the #8 Porsche soon finds a way past Moncini and runs in 3rd place for most of his stint - just off the front pair.

Following the pit stops, the 35 second penalty for Bruni as he takes over the #4 Ferrari from Leo pushes him back into the pack - and also Holzer suffers in the #8 Porsche he shares with Tandy, as this drops him behind the #19 Corvette again - by now piloted by Sijthoff.

Unlike his teammate Holzer is unable to find a way past the machine from detroit - with the powerful torque of the Corvette's V8 enabling it to power out of corners, and make it a very difficult machine to pass.

Up front free from any time penalty, Barba rejoins post pit stop in the lead in the #12 Aston, and the big benefiter is #2 Ferrari, now piloted by Montermini.  For a long time Montermini shapes up to pass the big Aston, but the incredible acceleration of the Villois car makes this an impossible task.

Today Manthey settle for 5th - behind the big red AF Corse Car

Bruni, in the fastest car on track, sets the fastest lap on the 22nd lap - 1:47.560 - although in doing so he short cutted the second past of the chicane - and his turn of speed, enables him to pass car after car, and close in on Holzer in the #8 Porsche. As Holzer has been tied up behind the Corvette in front, his tyres have faded, and in the end Bruni is able to take the position on the last lap - and finishes 4th overall.