Full box for FFF Racing in Barcelona

FFF Racing and the duo Andrea Caldarelli – Marco Mapelli achieve a historic performance in Blancpain GT Series, by winning thanks to their victory in Barcelona this Sunday, the titles Endurance Cup and GT Series in the cumulative ranking, coronations which are added to the GT World Challenge title, won at the Hungaroring earlier in the month.

No one had ever achieved such a harvest in the same season, Laurens Vanthoor and Maxi Buhk having however won all three titles, over several seasons.

The Sino-Italian team won on Catalan soil ahead of their rivals from the Black Falcon, Maro Engel, Yelmer Buurman and Luca Stolz (Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°4), who therefore fail in the quest for the three 2019 crowns behind FFF Racing.

Le départ de la course avait vu Albert Costa (Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo n°563 – FFF Racing) prendre les commandes dans les premiers mètres, au prix d’un dépassement plein d’audace avec deux roues dans l’herbe, sur Sven Müller (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°98 – ROWE Racing).

But the Spaniard was forced to give up two positions to Maro Engel (Mercedes n°4) and Sven Müller (Porsche n°98) for the maneuver, the race direction judging that the overtaking was carried out outside the limits of the track .

The race was then neutralized following the impressive but minor accident of Zaid Ashkanani (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°54 – Dinamic Motorsport).

The winner of the 3 Hours of Monza would have gone off course after contact with the Ferrari 488 GT3 n°333 – Rinaldi Racing, before violently hitting the protective walls and ending up on the roof.

Unseen by the Cameras, the #54 Dinamic Porsche is upside Down following at first accident. Driver Okay, BUT BARRIER REPAIR requirement.

That's why we're still under safety car conditions.

 https://t.co/IEuq7b74FG#BlancpainGT | #BGTSBarcelona pic.twitter.com/QakSs7OSge

— Blancpain GT Series (@BlancpainGT) September 29, 2019

Another incident, the puncture of the No. 488 Ferrari 3 GT72 – SMP Racing of Endurance Cup championship leaders Miguel Molina, Davide Rigon and Mikhail Aleshin.

The race is then about to resume but the No. 8 – Saintéloc Racing Audi R3 LMS GT25 Evo of Simon Gachet appears to be the victim of engine overheating and has to stop in the gravel trap outside turn n. °9, thus prolonging the neutralization.

The fury Mapelli

After the restart, the first stops saw the #563 Lamborghini Huracan regain the advantage over the #98 Porsche for second place at the pit exit, Marco Mapelli overtaking Romain Dumas.

But the Italian stood out a few minutes later, following the restart following the neutralization for the exit of the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT87 – AKKA-ASP, by taking a muscular advantage over the leader Luca Stolz and the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT4 – Black Falcon in the sequence of turns 1 and 2.

The #563 makes a pass for the lead and goes ahead in the championship fight. Wow!

 https://t.co/IEuq7b74FG#BlancpainGT | #BGTSBarcelona pic.twitter.com/UR7F5Ie796

— Blancpain GT Series (@BlancpainGT) September 29, 2019

At this moment, and due to the setbacks of the No. 488 Ferrari 3 GT72, then in the top 8 necessary to secure the title, FFF Racing is in a position to win the Endurance Cup and Blancpain GT Series crowns.

Caldarelli concludes

La relance a un peu plus de 45′ de l’arrivée voit les derniers espoirs de titre de la Ferrari n°72 s’envoler dans un contact entre Miguel Molina, un temps revenu en 12e position, et Andy Soucek (Bentley Continental GT3 n°108 – Team M-Sport). Molina est pénalisé d’un drive-thourgh pour la manoeuvre.

The double exit from the track of the #9 BMW – Boutsen Ginion Racing and the #5 – Phoenix Racing Audi 9′ from the finish, brings the peloton together one last time but Caldarelli controls the proceedings, even more so that Buurman is put under pressure by Dries Vanthoor (Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo n°2 – Team WRT).

The two drivers made contact in turn 2, sealing the outcome of the championship. The victory of the #563 Lamborghini validates the triumph of Andrea Caldarelli and Marco Mapelli, Albert Costa having only competed in this final with the Italian tandem.

The podium is completed by theAston Martin Vantage GT3 n°76 – R-Motorsport of Jake Dennis – Alex Lynn – Marvin Kirchhöfer and the Bentley Continental GT3 n°107 – Team M-Sport of Jules Gounon – Jordan Pepper – Steven Kane.

In the Silver Cup, Felipe Fraga – Timur Boguslavskiy – Nico Bastian (Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°90 – AKKA-ASP) won by taking advantage of the penalty of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo n°78 – Barwell Motorsport, guilty of a infringement in the pit lane (car not connected to the earth).

The Pro-Am category falls into the hands of the No. 8 Audi R3 LMS GT26 Evo – Saintéloc Racing of Pierre-Alexandre Jean – Edouard Cauhaupé – Pierre-Yves Paque, the title being however awarded to the trio Ahmad Al-Harthy – Charlie Eastwood – Salih Yoluc (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 – Oman Racing with TF Sport).

In the Am Cup, Raton Racing by Target won with the No. 3 Lamborghini Huracan GT29 Evo of Stefano Constantini – Antonio Forne Tomas – Christoph Lenz.

Discover the full report of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup final in Barcelona, ​​in AUTO issue 2236hebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.