Final race glory for the Comtoyou Racing team at the finale of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Series in Spain

Sunday, October 13, 2024

 


Good things have finally come to those who have waited within the extended Aston Martin Racing powered family at the end of a bizarre finally race weekend of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Series.

When they said that the rain in Spain fell most upon the plain, what they actually meant was that it was to fall predominantly around the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona on Saturday when the opening hour-long race was being run.


Having seen the best of the weather in the morning Qualifying, the thirty-two strong grid was being formed as threateningly dark clouds built up in the not so far distance meaning that many crews elected for wet weather tyres even though the grid was then still dry.

Charging into the tight right hander for the first time, contact between two cars within the second half of the grid saw both make heavy contact with each other and the outer circuit wall where one erupted into a ball of flame as their fuel cell was ruptured before slewing across the track. Mercifully, neither driver was to receive significant injury, and both were able to self-extricate themselves from what was left of their cars, but the race was then destined for a prolonged Safety Car as the necessary clean-up operation and circuit repairs were made.


By this time the rain had arrived with a vengeance but within that half opening lap before the Safety Car was called, some had moved up the order before the yellow flags neutralised the race. With many hanging on with slicks until the pit window, others were to spin off in the conditions.

With the best Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 having qualified in P13 overall, it was to the be gold class #21 car of Matisse Lismont and David Pittard who would come out on top within the teams quartet of cars as by the time the Safety Car was withdrawn – there was little over five minutes of racing left.


Having lost the #11 car of James Jakes after the first lap (racing solo this weekend after his original co-driver was taken ill at a late stage to the weekend) and then the car developing an internal issue, both the #007 and #12 ended up in the gravel for some more heartache with another DNF apiece.

Eventually crossing the line P11 overall, a P3 podium position in Gold was a great reward for their efforts despite the briefest of racing periods.


Sundays finale was all togther different as the sun and the track temperatures eventually returned after something of a delayed start to the track programme due to poor visibility.

With the drivers this time reversed, race two would prove itself to be almost incident free and that allowed those who needed to race to win championships just that although another AMR Vantage GT3 wasn’t to be left out of that fun – although it was just for fun considering their season long turmoil with performance. With further BoP adjustments being made between races, this time the new Vantage GT3 Evo looked and was quick but that was something too little too late for their season aspirations.


Having had AMR driver Drudi run another faultless stint, it was done to Nicolas Baert to see off the unwanted attention of the Garbage 59 McLaren during the closing stages to finally seal that crews first podium finish of the year in second overall. The #21 crew were unable to make the final race weekend a double as they come home fourth in Gold whilst the #12 car of Dante Rappange and Lorens Lecertua this time did manage to finish the race fifth in silver whilst the solo driven #11 car was again another DNF with only a handful of laps completed.

That is now the Sprint Series completed – congratulations to all the new class Champions this time around as the series now looks ahead to its Endurance Cup conclusion way over in Saudi Arabia at the end of November.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
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