Ferraris scored 1-2 finishes in both races at round 2 of the International GT Open at Magny-Cours last weekend as Vittoria Competizioni’s Marco Frezza and Juan Manuel Lopez extended their lead at the top of the standings.
The opening encounter was won by Andrea Montermini and Emanuele Moncini as the Scuderia Villorba duo avoided a big start line shunt and went on to dominate the race.
Having qualified on pole position, former champion Montermini made a good getaway as Soheil Ayari (JMB Racing), Philipp Peter (Kessel Racing), Jordi Gene (SunRed), Frezza, Peter Bamford (RPM) and Miguel Ramos (Edil Cris) were all involved in the accident at the start. Ayari, Peter and Gene were eliminated on the spot, with Bamford and Ramos retiring a few laps later, although Frezza was able to continue.
With confusion behind, Montermini was able to build a comfortable advantage prior to handing over to Moncini at mid-distance, with the non-professional driver extending that lead during his stint to score a first win of the season.
Ange Barde crossed the line in second place in the Luxury Racing Ferrari he shares with former F1 driver Ralph Firmin, while Autorlando Sport pair Andrea Ceccato and Alvaro Barba secured some pride for Porsche with third.
Lorenzo Bontempelli and Stefano Gattuso where a fine fourth overall in one of Kessel Racing’s Ferrari 458 GT3s, clinching GTS class honours ahead of the similar AF Corse car of Stefano Bizzarri and Andrea Rizzoli. Frezza and Lopez recovered to sixth overall.
Moncini led again in race 2 but soon came under heavy pressure from Barba and dropped to second place.
However, during the pit stops, both the Scuderia Villorba Ferrari and Autorlando Porsche had to observe their 20-second handicaps following the results of race 1, meaning Frezza emerged as the leader as the race settled back down.
Frezza maintained his advantage to the finish to secure victory, while Ramos, who had also leapfrogged up the order during the stops, held off a late challenge from Ceccato to finish second. Montermini was fourth while the AF Corse Ferrari F430 of Alessandro Garofano and Luca Rangoni completed the top five.
Gianluca Roda and Fabio Babini extended their points lead with the GTS category victory in their Autorlando Porsche ahead of the Villois Racing Aston Martin of Massimiliano Wiser and Gabriele Lancieri.
International GT Open results – Round 2, Magny-Cours
Race 1
1 (SGT) Andrea Montermini / Emanuele Moncini, Scuderia Villorba Corse, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, 36 laps, 1:11:44.653
2 (SGT) Ralph Firman / Ange Barde, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +6.868
3 (SGT) Andrea Ceccato / Alvaro Barba, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, +40.991
4 (GTS) Lorenzo Bontempelli / Stefano Gattuso, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 458 GT3, +45.902
5 (GTS) Stefano Bizzarri / Andrea Rizzoli, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 GT3, +46.711
6 (SGT) Marco Frezza / Juan Manuel Lopez, Vittoria Competizioni, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +54.505
7 (SGT) Alessandro Garofano / Luca Rangoni, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +59.318
8 (SGT) Alexander Talkanista / Alexander Talkanista Jr, AT Racing Team, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +1:02.757
9 (GTS) Gianluca Roda / Fabio Babini, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +1:22.593
10 (GTS) Thomas Gruber, Raceteam Deboeuf, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +1:53.525
11 (GTS) Bruno Hernandez / Niccolas Marroc, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1 lap
12 (GTS) Benjamino Caccia / Massimo Mantovani, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1 lap
13 (SGT) Claudio Sdanewitsch / Michele Rugolo, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +1 lap
14 (GTS) Steven Earle / Gianandrea Crespi, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1 lap
15 (GTS) Massimiliano Wiser / Gabriele Lancieri, Villois Racing, Aston Martin DBRS9, +4 laps
Not classified
(SGT) Miguel Ramos / Raffaele Giammaria, Racing Team Edil Cris, Ferrari 430 GT2, 4 laps
(GTS) Peter Bamford / Alex Mortimer, Team RPM, Ford GT, 1 lap
(SGT) Soheil Ayari / Nicolas Misslin, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 GT2, 1 lap
(SGT) Pol Rosell / Jordi Gene, Sun-Red, SRX, 0 laps
(SGT) Philipp Peter / Michael Broniszewki, Kessel Racing, Ferrar 430 GT2, 0 laps
Race 2
1 (SGT) Marco Frezza / Juan Manuel Lopez, Vittoria Competizioni, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, 29 laps, 50:42.734
2 (SGT) Miguel Ramos / Raffaele Giammaria, Racing Team Edil Cris, Ferrari 430 GT2, +5.635
3 (SGT) Andrea Ceccato / Alvaro Barba, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, +7.110
4 (SGT) Andrea Montermini / Emanuele Moncini, Scuderia Villorba Corse, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +7.559
5 (SGT) Alessandro Garofano / Luca Rangoni, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +22.442
6 (GTS) Gianluca Roda / Fabio Babini, Autorlando Sport, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +25.525
7 (SGT) Alexander Talkanista / Alexander Talkanista Jr, AT Racing Team, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, +34.660
8 (GTS) Massimiliano Wiser / Gabriele Lancieri, Villois Racing, Aston Martin DBRS9, +43.053
9 (SGT) Soheil Ayari / Nicolas Misslin, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 GT2, +46.819
10 (GTS) Thomas Gruber, Raceteam Deboeuf, Porsche 997 GT3 R, +53.578
11 (GTS) Lorenzo Bontempelli / Stefano Gattuso, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 458 GT3, +56.525
12 (GTS) Bruno Hernandez / Niccolas Marroc, JMB Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1:00.103
13 (SGT) Claudio Sdanewitsch / Michele Rugolo, AF Corse, Ferrari 430 GT2, +1:03.895
14 (GTS) Steven Earle / Gianandrea Crespi, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +1:38.359
15 (GTS) Benjamino Caccia / Massimo Mantovani, Kessel Racing, Ferrari 430 Scuderia, +4 laps
Not classified
(SGT) Ralph Firman / Ange Barde, Luxury Racing, Ferrari 458 GT Italia, 20 laps
(GTS) Peter Bamford / Alex Mortimer, Team RPM, Ford GT, 20 laps
(GTS) Stefano Bizzarri / Andrea Rizzoli, AF Corse, Ferrari 458 GT3, 9 laps
(SGT) Pol Rosell / Jordi Gene, Sun-Red, SRX, DNS
(SGT) Philipp Peter / Michael Broniszewki, Kessel Racing, Ferrar 430 GT2, DNS
Championship Standings (after 2 rounds)
1 Marco Frezza, 62pts
= Juan Manuel Lopez, 62
3 Andrea Ceccato, 53
= Alvaro Barba, 53
5 Andrea Montermini, 47
= Emaneuel Moncini, 47
7 Fabio Babini, 45
= Gianluca Roda, 45
= Raffaele Giammaria, 45
= Gianluca Roda, 45
GTS
1 Gianluca Roda, 32
= Fabio Babini, 32
3 Stefano Bizzari, 24
= Andrea Rizzoli, 24
= Lorenzo Bontempelli, 24
= Stefano Gattuso, 24
Next round: 24-26, Spa-Francorchamps
Watch every round of the International GT Open LIVE on Motors TV and Magny-Cours highlights tonight at 10:45pm (BST)
Andy Wilkinson
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