For the second time this weekend the race win has been decided on the final lap in an FIA GT3 race at Navarra. For Round 6 the battle was between Harrie Kolen in the nr36 Faster Racing by DB Motorsport BMW Z4 and the nr33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 of Enzo Ide. Kolen had been handed a 10 second lead by pole position holder Nick Catsburg at the pitstop and looked on course to take the victory. Ide had emerged from the pits in 3rd place and spent a few laps trying to pass the Sainteloc Racing Audi of Jerome Demay.
As soon as Ide was clear he caught the leading BMW with two laps of the race remaining. After several attempts he finally moved ahead of Kolen at T8 on the last lap to take the checkered flag and claim the second win of the season for himself and Greg Franchi. Mike Parisy and Phillipe Giauque and Mike Parisy were 3rd after starting 9th on the grid, with Giauque overtaking Demay’s Audi three laps from home.
Nr33 Belgian Audi Club Audi R8 LMS
Greg Franchi
“It was a good start. After 3 laps, the Aston passed me, and after I tried to lose more time, to give the car over to Enzo in a good position. I had some good fights. After the safety car in win in Portimao, this time we won on the track. It’s a good result. It’s a good result for Audi and the team, and thanks for the mechanics, Enzo and all the staff who did a good job.”
Enzo Ide
“I didn’t know I could catch Harrie when I took over, but the team manager kept saying I could do it over the radio. I pushed the car really hard. It was very hard, but I managed to overtake the leader in the last lap. It was very nice, but it was really tight. I had to make the move at that corner, or it would not have been possible. I was behind him for a few laps, and tried to see where his weak points were, and I think this was one of them, so I had to do it there, it was the last lap. I just went for it, and passed. The Audi is better after the new BOP, but if you see the qualification times, the car is still slower than the BMW and Ferrari, but the balance is quite good to the Mercedes. Now we’re on the same level, but at the beginning of the season, we were struggling behind the new gt3 cars, which was a bit frustrating for us. Now it went a bit better, but still, we can’t catch up with the BMWs and the Ferraris.”
Race 2 Results
- 1 – no33 – GT3 – Enzo Ide / Greg Franchi – Audi R8 LMS
- 2 – no36 – GT3 – Harrie Kolen / Nicky Catsburg – BMW Z4 GT3
- 3 – no3 – Philippe Giauque / Mike Parisy – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
- 4 – no15 – Jerome Demay / Dino Lunardi – Audi R8 LMS
- 5 – no9 – Gael Lesoudier / Maxime Martin – Aston Martin DBRS 9
- 6 – no21 – Duncan Cameron / Matthew Griffin – Ferrari 458 Italia
- 7 – no44 – Dominik Baumann / Brice Bosi – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
- 8 – no2 – Petri Lappalainen / Jan Heylen – Porsche 911 GT3 R
- 9 – no35 – Hoevert Vos / Jeroen den Boer – BMW Z4 GT3
- 10 – no45 – Filip Sladecka / Patrick Hirsch – Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3
- FIA GT3
Looking for more? Have a look below.
- FIA GT3: Sainteloc Audi quickest in first practice at Navarra
- FIA GT3: Prospeed Competition and Belgian Audi Club appeal race result exclusions
- FIA GT3: Team Rosberg Audi on top during first practice
- Belcar: W Racing Team takes its first win with the Audi R8 LMS at Spa-Francorchamps
- This weekends famous Easter Cups marks the debut race for the W Racing Team and its Audi R8 LMS
