World Challenge Asia-C1: Craft-Bamboo Racing wins at Sepang

The passage of Craft-Bamboo Racing into the clan Mercedes-AMG this year in Blancpain World Challenge Asia quickly materialized with the victory of the No. 88 of Alessio Picariello and Jeffrey Lee this Saturday morning on the Sepang track in Malaysia.

From the start, the team showed its advantage since, on a track where the rain was still present in certain areas, Darryl O'Young (Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°99) made a great start from fifth place. to come and take the lead in the middle of the three Porsche 911 GT3 R qualified at the top of the starting grid.

O'Young is then pursued by the 911 GT3 R n°911 – Absolute Racing of Tanart Sathienthirakul, Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°918 – Panther/AAS Motorsport) and pole sitter Bo Yuan (Porsche 911 GT3 R n°912 – Absolute Racing).

The safety car is then deployed after less than five minutes of racing, the McLaren 720S GT3 n°61 – ABSSA Motorsport of Piti Birombhakdi being stopped in the middle of the track.

On the restart, a little over 5′ later, O'Young held off Sathienthirakul, while Weiron Tan (Audi R8 LMS GT3 n°12 – Audi Sport Asia Team Absolute Racing) temporarily moved up to second place before diving into the pit lane as the safety car is deployed again, with the rain getting heavier.

If several cars switch to wet tires, O'Young and Sathienthirakul make the right choice by remaining on the track and face off again on the second restart, the first once again retaining the advantage.

But David Chen (No. 8 Audi R3 LMS GT999 – Team TSRT), then third, hit Sathienthirakul while braking for turn No. 9, sending the No. 911 Porsche 3 GT911 R into a spin. Chen immediately found the opening on O'Young when braking for the last corner and took the advantage at the head of the race.

Picariello dynamites the peloton

The safety car is restarted on the track again, when the driver change window opens 35′ from the finish, in order to evacuate the Porsche 911 GT3 n°8 stuck in the gravel trap at the level of the turn n°11.

All the cars then go back through the pitlane, providing a certain rush as the Pro drivers leave. The order is thus disrupted with the No. 8 Audi R3 LMS GT999, entrusted to André Couto, relegated out of the top 5.

Gabriele Piana emerges at the forefront with the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT97 – Indigo Racing ahead of the Ferrari 488 GT3 n°27 – HubAuto Corsa of David Russell and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°99 of Christina Nielsen.

But it is Alessio Picariello (Mercedes-AMG GT3 n°88 – Craft-Bamboo Racing) who will liven up the end of the race by returning to second position less than 15′ from the finish. Picariello then set off in pursuit of Piana and passed the Italian less than three minutes from the checkerboard.

Picariello wins ahead of Piana, winner with his teammate Roelof Bruins in Pro-Am, and Russell, but the No. 488 Ferrari 3 GT27 remains under investigation for overtaking under safety car regime. Victory for the #3 Lamborghini Huracan GT51 EVO – AMAC Motorsport in Am. The #4 BMW M81 won in GT4.