BMW M6s dominate mid-race at Kyalami

BMW dominates the 9 Hours of Kyalami at the halfway mark with the M6 - Walkenhorst Motorsport and Team Schnitzer. The Porsche clan was in the lead before a collision between Michael Christensen (GPX Racing) and Nick Tandy (Frikadelli Racing).

Published on 23/11/2019 à 16:43

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The first half of the 9 Hours of Kyalami has just been completed with, depending on refueling and other driver changes, the domination of the two BMW M6 GT3s – Walkenhorst Motorsport and Team Schnitzer.

But it's Porsche, avec GPX Racing, qui avait imprimé le tempo durant la quasi totalité des 4h30 déjà écoulées, le trio Kévin Estre – Michael Christensen – Richard Lietz, ne cédant les rênes de l’épreuve qu’au fil des passages aux stands.

Including the two neutralizations under safety car for the accidents of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 n°13 – Stradale Motorsport then of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°44 – Strakka Racing, had not called into question the domination of the winners of the 24 Hours of Spa.

But a recent contact between Michael Christensen and Nick Tandy (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°31 – Frikadelli Racing) caused GPX Racing to lose the lead of the race, the Porsche n°31 being penalized with a drive-through .

Rule #1: Never, ever take out your team-mate, and especially when you're running 1-2! @NickTandyR tags the back of @ChristensenMK and they both go around!

And just as we put up the championship graphic… #IntGTC | #Kyalami9H pic.twitter.com/0jBx27I6Xx

— Intercontinental GT Challenge (@IntercontGTC) November 23, 2019

It is therefore Christian Krognes (winner of the 24 Spa 2018 Hours) who is currently in the lead with the #6 BMW M3 GT34 – Walkenhorst Motorsport, 3″5 ahead of the #6 M3 GT42 – Team Schnitzer entrusted to Sheldon van der Linde.

Michael Christensen remains 3rd with the Porsche 911 – GPX Racing at 4″5 and precedes Hugo de Sadeleer (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 n°62 – R-Motorsport) and Oliver Jarvis (Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 n°18 – KCMG).

Suivent Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°12 – Dinamic Motorsport), Maxime Soulet (Bentley Continental GT3 n°107 – Bentley Team M-Sport), Luca Stolz (Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°10 – SPS Automotive Performance), Frédéric Vervisch (Audi R8 LMS GT3 n°25 – Audi Sport Team WRT) et Dennis Olsen (Porsche n°31).

Remember that the Mercedes clan lost the No. 999 – GruppeM Racing of championship leader Maxi Buhk, supported in South Africa by Maro Engel and Raffaele Marciello, on the first lap, due to an ignition problem.

Tristan Vautier, for his part, went off the track with the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT44 – Strakka Racing, apparently following a brake problem.