GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
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GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
GT World Challenge Europe ... Ferrari One-Two at 1000 Km of Paul Ricard
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Le Castellet, 5th June, 2022

The Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s pulled off an extraordinary one-two in the 1000 km of Paul Ricard, the second round of the Endurance Cup of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. The victory of Antonio Fuoco, Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra, and the second place for Miguel Molina, James Calado and Nicklas Nielsen, were complemented by podiums in the Gold Cup and the Pro-Am class for the Iron Dames and AF Corse, making it a weekend to remember. The winners also took the lead in the standings.

Pro
In a race featuring three Safety Cars and two Full Course Yellows, the last of which just over 15 minutes from the end, the number 71 Iron Lynx Ferrari, which started from pole with Daniel Serra, took the lead at the midpoint with Davide Rigon at the wheel. The Italian driver extended his advantage to around ten seconds before passing the baton to Antonio Fuoco, who, in his double stint, managed and increased the margin over his rivals before crossing the finish line in first place at the six-hour mark. The victory was down to perfect management of race pace, Pirelli tyres and track traffic at every stage of a race that featured plenty of twists and turns.

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The number 51 488 GT3 Evo 2020, second under the chequered flag, spent the race among the leaders after Nicklas Nielsen’s excellent recovery in the early hours. James Calado followed the Dane in the hot seat. The Briton lost a few seconds due to a slow puncture just as he was approaching his second stop and was about to attack the podium positions. He spun but did well to avoid contact with the barriers and limit the time lost. Miguel Molina, who took over from Calado, recovered a couple of positions to move into third place. At the end, taking advantage of the group recompacting due to the last Safety Car, the Spaniard attacked Gounon and took the second step of the podium.

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Gold Cup
Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting took their first podium of the season
, the best possible payback for the disappointment of their Imola retirement. The Iron Dames crew claimed a splendid second place despite a 25-second penalty and having also battled for the race lead. In contrast, AF Corse’s 488 GT3 Evo 2020 completed an excellent comeback with a fifth-place finish for Alessandro Balzan, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli and Hugo Delacour.

Pro-Am
The Ferrari of Andrea Bertolini, Louis Machiels and Stefano Costantini secured third place but with some regrets, penalised by a drive-through that deprived them of a potential victory after leading the race for a few stages. However, the result provides valuable points for the standings.

Standings

With extra points at stake in this race, Antonio Fuoco, Davide Rigon and Daniel Serra take the lead in the standings with 38 points, while teammates James Calado, Nicklas Nielsen and Miguel Molina follow in third place on 30. In the Gold Cup, Balzan-Sbirrazzuoli-Delacour are third with 30 points and Bovy-Gatting-Frey fourth with 24. In the Pro-Am class, Bertolini-Machiels-Costantini are third on 38 points.
The next round of the Endurance Cup will be the eagerly awaited 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps from 28 to 31 July. However, the GT World Challenge Europe drivers have two Sprint Cup races at Zandvoort and Misano before the Belgian classic.


Comments From the Podium of 1000 Km of Paul Ricard

The Paul Ricard racetrack delivered a special one-two for the Iron Lynx crews competing in the Pro class in the second round of the Endurance Cup of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS. It was an unexpected result, hoped for after the morning’s pole position, but achieved by the drivers and team at the end of an intense and perfect six hours. The drivers spoke to us directly from the French podium.

Antonio Fuoco
It was an amazing race. My teammates and I managed the pace very well. We had a good pace today, and an outstanding mechanics team during the pit stops. I am delighted because we came away with maximum points after starting from pole position. Punctures were a problem in the race, and to avoid them, we tried to keep away from the kerbs as much as possible. We succeeded”.

Davide Rigon
I am delighted about this result. We knew we would struggle at the start of the race because we chose used tyres, so we could count on new ones at the end of the race. We had assumed, among various scenarios, the possibility of a Safety Car in the last hour and wanted to give Antonio fresh sets of tyres. My stint was excellent. The car was very well balanced, and I thank the technicians and engineers at Ferrari and Iron Lynx for that. For me, it is payback after the accident at Spa-Francorchamps, and to stand on the podium’s top step after such an intense race and against so many strong opponents is an immense joy. Now let’s think about preparing Le Mans and then the Spa event as best we can”.

Daniel Serra
This is my first win in the GT World Challenge, and I am thrilled with the result. It’s true that I have only had a few races in this series, but the first victory always has a special flavour. The team did an excellent job in terms of strategy and pit stops, as always. We made no mistakes, and both Davide and Antonio were very fast. It was an honour for me to share the cockpit with them. Let’s hope this bodes well for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Spa”.

Miguel Molina
“What I did at Gounon was one of the most wonderful and important overtakes of my career. I pushed from the first to the last lap to try to score valuable points. This morning we struggled a bit in qualifying, but we modified the car for the race, and I think the work paid off as the last two stints showed. The one-two is an excellent result for Ferrari and Iron Lynx”.

James Calado
I can’t believe we managed to finish second in this race. I had a puncture which caused me to spin at the end of my second stint. I had struggled a bit earlier, especially comparing my pace with our teammates, but we are delighted to take away this result for the team. I am also happy because this is my first podium in this series”.

Nicklas Nielsen
I am pleased with this result! At one point in the race, our podium hopes were over, especially after James’ puncture. However, we were very good at coming back, and Miguel made an amazing overtaking move to take second place from the Mercedes. We can feel satisfied and happy, both for the team and for this Ferrari one-two”.
Michelle Gatting
“I think we needed to finish on the podium this year. Indeed, the pace was always good in every race, but we always had a bit of bad luck, whereas today, we did well. I think we all did a fantastic job and were also lucky to gain another position at the end. We have proved to ourselves that we can be on the podium. Now we want to continue to do it in the coming races”.

Andrea Bertolini
The podium is a good result, but we could have hoped for more. I received a drive-through in the penultimate stint that compromised the entire race. We lost the lead and could not capitalise on the problem experienced by the McLaren. We could have won today. They are valuable points for the championship. Louis and Stefano did a great job, so we aim to do well at Zandvoort and Spa, the most important race”.

Louis Machiels
It was a good weekend although difficult, especially in the first stint in the race, because I struggled a lot with the car and tyres. We won points, and that is what counts. Unfortunately, the drive-through affected the final result, but we are already looking forward to making up for it at Zandvoort”.

Stefano Costantini
I am happy with the result, although there is some disappointment because we were very competitive. The drive-through obviously ruined everything, and this was compounded by the Safety Car at the end. We could have won without the drive-through, but I am still happy because we scored valuable points.

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