First victory for the Audi R8 LMS

Magny-Cours is always a circuit conducive to overtaking and spectacle. The French Championship FFSAGT was a perfect illustration of this. If Wilfried Mérafina takes the lead at the start of the race, all eyes are on the opposition between Éric Debard and Bruno Hernandez. An explanation that ends in friction. Debard in fact tries to brake Hernandez in Adelaide, but the Lyonnais does not let it happen. The maneuver results in a spin for Éric Debard.

After the driver changes, Jean-Philippe Dayraut firmly leads the race. Only behind him, Soheil Ayari whips and returns to contact. At the start of the last quarter of an hour, there was a dramatic turn of events. Dayraut hangs on with a GT3 which he takes for a spin. Ayari doesn't ask for time. Driver Luc Alphand Aventure took first place. Dayraut remained on his wheels until the checkered flag, but the situation did not change. Bruno Hernandez and Soheil Ayari win. “It was an incredible race to experience from the inside” explains Soheil Ayari. “Championship positions fluctuate from race to race, ballast has nothing to do with it. Tomorrow for us, with 80 kg of ballast on board, it will be more complicated. If we finish third, that will be great. »

But on Sunday morning, the panel of commissioners imposed a 25-second penalty on Soheil Ayari and Bruno Hernandez following contact between Hernandez and Debard at the start of the race. Victory therefore goes to Jean-Philippe Dayraut and Wilfried Mérafina. Ayari and Hernandez are finally second.

The good move of the day is made by Yvan Lebon and Stéphane Ortelli, in the French FFSA GT3 Championship. The two men allowed the Audi R8 LMS to achieve its first hard-won victory. Yvan Lebon started the race perfectly, remaining in the leading group. As soon as the stands opened, he handed over to Stéphane Ortelli. It didn't take long for the Monegasque to understand how his mount worked. He overtakes Olivier Thévenin then Christopher Campbell and takes the lead. A position that he will never let go of until the checkered flag.

“It’s a great moment for Audi, Oreca and for us,” admits Yvan Lebon, obviously happy. “I kept pace with the leaders at the start of the race, avoiding pitfalls. The idea was to bring a perfect car back to Stéphane so that he could finish the job, which he did very well. »

“This car is fantastic,” adds Stéphane Ortelli. “GT3 is a very tough championship, I quickly got into the game. The Audi R8 LMS is a very pleasant racing car to drive. The end of the race was not easy, we had to go to the end to get this first victory. »

Christopher Campbell and François Jakubowski finished second. By climbing onto the third step of the podium, Olivier Thévenin and Arnaud Peyroles took first position in the provisional general classification.

The debates continue tomorrow, with a second race certainly just as competitive.