Finally - a first race win of the year for the Zakspeed AMR in the ADAC GT4 Germany Series
Monday, September 30, 2024
Competing at their penultimate round of the season from the Red Bull Ring in Austria, the torrential rain of Friday testing had at least disappeared in time for the more formal of track sessions on Saturday where Marschalkowski put the car on Pole ahead of race 1.
Competing within another grid of twenty-three cars, the #55 car had established a 3.5 second lead within the opening ten minutes of the race before that was nullified as a Safety Car was called for a stranded car in the gravel at the fast-sweeping last corner. Getting back to green ten minutes later, however, saw the body language of the car show that something wasn’t quite right as it zig zagged repeatedly into the final corner before the restart.
Accelerating away comfortably across the line, something within the car was certainly wrong as Marschalkowski braked and continued up the escape road out of turn one - seemingly unable to make the tight right hander before placing the car into retirement.
At least Sunday was another day as this time, Gogollok qualified the car in P3 overall for race two in the late afternoon sunshine.
Despite taking a hit on the opening lap, the #55 car had already gained a place as carnage ensued at the final corner after multiple cars tagged another already struggling with a front puncture which called out the Safety Car before the race was red flagged such was the debris field.
After something of a fifteen-minute delay, it was this time a Safety Car restart for the remaining field of seventeen cars it was this time a faultless stint from Gogollok as he retained his P2 position for all his thirty-five-minute stint before handing the car back to Marschalkowski.
As the pit window came to an end and the last cars were exiting pit lane, another multiple car collision at the top of the circuit at turn three brought out a FCY for the clean-up leaving little over ten minutes of racing. For almost a whole lap, the top two cars raced side by side for the race win with the #55 eventually securing the race lead with just four minutes remaining. Eventually, the Zakspeed Aston Martin did enough to take the race win in the twilight after four laps of a three way battle for the lead.
Photo credits - ADAC
