10/03/2009
After qualifying practices on Friday, the competition has really started today for the FFSA GT & GT3 Championship and the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo with the first races.
Bornhauser/Groppi won the FFSA GT>3 Championship race 1 at the wheel of the Saleen S7R of Larbre Competition, whereas the Team Oreca leaded by David Hallyday and Stéphane Ortelli won the GT3 race.
The 16th round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo allowed Sanna/Bernard to up on the first podium step for Automobil Lamborghini team after the race n°1. The duo was less lucky during the second race because they didn't finish the race. Hayek Kox (Reiter Engineering) were the winners of race n°2.
The FIA GT Championship qualifying practice was dominated by Enrique Bernoldi (Sangari Team Brazil - Corvette Z06R) in GT1 and by Italian Gianmaria Bruni (AF Corse) in GT2. Bruni's Ferrari F430 will start ahead the GT2 race on Sunday. In GT1, Müller's Maserati MC12 will start from the front of tomorrow's grid, Bernoldi having been given a five-position grid penalty due to causing an avoidable accident in pre-qualifying yesterday. Sunday race starting at 14:15.
The honours in the two qualifying sessions for rounds 9 & 10 of the 2009 FIA GT3 European Championship were shared by the Alpina BMW Alpina B6 GT3 of Jens Klingmann and the Hexis Racing AMR Aston Martin DBRS9 of Thomas Accary. At the end of the day, the round 9 was suspended after several accidents occurred on lap 4 of the 60-minute race when rain fell on the exit of Turn 7, while the cars were on slick tyres.
Sunday timetable: FFSA GT>3 Championship race n°2; Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo race n°3; the most expected one, the FIA GT Championship race, and the FIA GT3 European Championship race n°2.
Photo : ERDA
