CARGTINTERNATIONAL GT OPEN

Ferrari and Porsche take a win apiece in Imola


Ferrari and Porsche left the opening round of the 2011 International GT Open in Imola with a win each thanks to Vittoria Competizioni’s Marco Frezza and Juan Manuel Lopez and Autorlando Sport duo Andrea Ceccaro and Alvaro Barba.
 
Race 1 started behind the Safety Car due to wet conditions and when the action finally got underway, poleman Michele Rugolo’s AF Corse Ferrari was quickly passed by team-mates Raffaele Giammaria and Luca Rangoni in AF Corse’s other two 430s.
 
However, with drivers struggling for grip on the slippery surface, Frezza came out best of the early stages and had worked his way to the front by lap 6 ahead of Giammaria.
 
The leaders pitted on lap 18 to hand over to their respective co-drivers, but as the pit window shook out it was Alessandro Garofano, who had taken over from Rangoni, ahead with Lopez second having assumed driving responsibilities from Lopez.
 
While Rangoni initially closed the lead, Garofano had pulled away again towards the end of the race but then threw victory away by spinning, allowing Rangoni to dive past and clinch a 3.355 second win. Garofano recovered to second, while the JMB Racing Ferrari of Soheil Ayari and Nicolas Misslin rounded out the podium.
 
GTS class honours went to the Autorlando Sport Porsche 997 GT3 R of Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini who also finished a fine fourth overall less than six seconds behind the winners.
 
In race 2, Lopez led away from pole but was soon under pressure from Barba, who was quickly ahead and cruising into the lead. He kept his advantage until the pit stops, handing over to Ceccato with a 16-second lead.
 
However, during the second half of the race, both Giammaria, who had taken over from Miguel Ramos, and Frezza began charges, the former almost catching the leader at the finish as he crossed the line less than half a second adrift.
 
Frezza faded in the closing stages and ultimately slipped to fourth place behind the Scuderia Villorba Corse Ferrari of Andrea Montermini and Emanuele Moncini.
 
GTS honours went to the Kessel Racing Ferrari of Lorenzo Bontempelli and Stefano Gattuso.
 
Despite that class win, Imola proved to be a disastrous weekend for Kessel Racing as three of the Swiss squad’s four cars crashed in qualifying and couldn’t be repaired in time to take part in the races. The second Mtech Ferrari of Duncan Cameron and Matt Griffin also failed to race as Cameron was taken unwell.
 
International GT Open results – Round 1, Imola

Race 1
 
1 (SGT) Marco Frezza / Juan Manuel Lopez, Vittoria Competizioni, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, 33 laps, 1:11:57.081
2 (SGT) Alessandro Garofano / Luca Rangoni, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +3.355
3 (SGT) Soheil Ayari / Nicolas Misslin, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 GT2, +3.810
4 (GTS) Gianluca Roda / Fabio Babini, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +5.943
5 (SGT) Miguel Ramos / Raffaele Giammaria, Racing Team Edil Cris, Ferrari 430 GT2, +14.921
6 (SGT) Ralph Firman / Ange Barde, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +16.715
7 (SGT) Andrea Ceccato / Alvaro Barba, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, +24.033
8 (GTS) Stefano Bizzarri / Andrea Rizzoli, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 GT3, +38.856
9 (SGT) Andrea Montermini / Emanuele Moncini, Scuderia Villorba Corse, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +42.122
10 (GTS) Thomas Gruber / Marco Seefried, Raceteam Deboeuf, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +48.986
11 (GTS) Luca Pirri / Paul Rees, Mtech, Ferrari 458 GT3, +1:14.179
12 (GTS) Massimiliano Wiser / Gabriele Lancieri, Villois Racing, Aston Martin DBRS9, +1:44.882
13 (SGT) Claudio Sdanewitsch / Michele Rugolo, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +1:48.916
14 (SGT) Alexander Talkanista / Alexander Talkanista Jr, AT Racing Team, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +1:59.040
15 (GTS) Peter Bamford / Alex Mortimer, Team RPM, Ford GT, +2:00.757
16 (GTS) Bruno Hernandez / Joel Camathias, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1 lap
17 (SGT) Gaetan Bischof / Markus Fux, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +1 lap
18 (GTS) Lorenzo Bontempelli / Stefano Gattuso, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 458 GT3, +5 laps
 
Not classified
(SGT) Pol Rosell / Jordi Gene, Sun-Red, SRX, 15 laps
 
Race 2
 
1 (SGT) Andrea Ceccato / Alvaro Barba, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, 28 laps, 51:37.206
2 (SGT) Miguel Ramos / Raffaele Giammaria, Racing Team Edil Cris, Ferrari 430 GT2, +0.471
3 (SGT) Andrea Montermini / Emanuele Moncini, Scuderia Villorba Corse, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +11.401
4 (SGT) Marco Frezza / Juan Manuel Lopez, Vittoria Competizioni, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +13.229
5 (GTS) Lorenzo Bontempelli / Stefano Gattuso, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 458 GT3, +26.085
6 (SGT) Soheil Ayari / Nicolas Misslin, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 GT2, +34.460
7 (GTS) Stefano Bizzarri / Andrea Rizzoli, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 GT3, +38.593
8 (GTS) Gianluca Roda / Fabio Babini, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +40.800
9 (GTS) Massimiliano Wiser / Gabriele Lancieri, Villois Racing, Aston Martin DBRS9, +46.298
10 (SGT) Claudio Sdanewitsch / Michele Rugolo, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +1:10.125
11 (SGT) Alexander Talkanista / Alexander Talkanista Jr, AT Racing Team, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +1:12.064
12 (GTS) Luca Pirri / Paul Rees, Mtech, Ferrari 458 GT3, +1:14.328
13 (GTS) Bruno Hernandez / Joel Camathias, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1:23.709
14 (GTS) Peter Bamford / Alex Mortimer, Team RPM, Ford GT, +1:24.875
15 (GTS) Thomas Gruber / Marco Seefried, Raceteam Deboeuf, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +1:27.339
16 (SGT) Pol Rosell / Jordi Gene, Sun-Red, SRX, +1:30.887
17 (SGT) Gaetan Bischof / Markus Fux, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +2 laps
18 (SGT) Alessandro Garofano / Luca Rangoni, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +6 laps
19 (SGT) Ralph Firman / Ange Barde, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +7 laps
 
Championship Standings (after 1 round)
 
1 Marco Frezza, 30pts
= Juan Manuel Lopez, 30
3 Miguel Ramos, 27
= Raffaele Giammaria, 27
5 Alvaro Barba, 25
= Andrea Ceccato, 25
7 Fabio Babini, 24
= Gianluca Roda, 24
9 Andrea Rizzoli, 21
= Nicolas Misslin, 21
 
GTS
 
1 Gianluca Roda, 16
= Fabio Babini, 16
= Stefano Bizzari, 16
= Andrea Rizzoli, 16
5 Lorenzo Bontempelli, 10
= Stefano Gattuso, 10
 
Next round: 14-15 May, Magny-Cours
 
Watch every round of the International GT Open LIVE on Motors TV.
 

Andy Wilkinson

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Published 03/05/2011 15:36

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