Mitchell Gilbert and Aditya Patel for OD Racing Team saved a highly impressive victory in round one among Blancpain GT Series China in their #86 car served by Absolute Rushing. In a strong operation from the Audi GT3 motors on the grid, Audi R8 LMS Cup stars Cheng Congfu and also Sun Jingzu took their very own #13 Milestone Racing car home in 3 rd in the Pro/Am class, with all the #19 KCMG entry of Naoto Takeda together with Takuya Shirasaka from Japan hiking the top podium step for amateur competing firms.
“Our teams were rather competitive today versus a strong field with international marques,” claimed Bernd Goeres, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia. “The partnership involving Audi Sport consumer racing Asia together with Blancpain GT Series Asian countries has got off to some sort of flying start.”
The incident-fuelled competition started with a literal bang, as an mishap in the middle of the pack just after the lights decided to go green on the wheeled start took not one but two cars out of the kind and brought out the protection car. Gilbert, who actually started in pole just after recording the fastest clapboard in the morning’s first getting qualification session, held off an early attack via last season’s Vw R8 LMS Cup driver Anthony Liu within the Ferrari behind to hold on to position just before a yellow flags were being waived.
When the safety car travelled in, Gilbert obtained away impressively together with did not look back, adding clean air between their OD Racing car and the field behind. His teammate, Aditya Patel, took over cruising duties half way from the race over Twenty-three seconds ahead of the minute placed car and also took the chequered the flag without incident with an impressive opening succeed.
Fighting at the front of the pack for the majority of the rush were the Mercedes Hong Kong pair of Marchy Lee in addition to Shaun Thong in the #5 access. After starting in 4th, Lee was at his / her aggressive best, building a clean pass to make do the Ferrari in front of him to come looking for the driver change in next place.
Youngster Thong started his or her stint explosively, getting by your vehicle in front to place subsequent, but lost their position with A quarter-hour remaining of the 60-minute race. Battling impressively together with the experienced professionals about him, Thong brought his particular Phoenix Racing Parts of asia serviced car property in fifth all round.
Cheng Congfu put his wide experience in the Hayundai R8 LMS into action, ruling driving duties in the Absolute Racing maintained Milestone Racing automobile from Sun Jingzu during the field. After tracking the fourth fastest lap time of the competition, the Audi R8 LMS Glass star finished 9th overall, third while in the Pro/Am class.
Crossing the finish line within one next of the Chinese couple were the #6 Squad Audi R8 LMS Cup plus #7 Team WRT cars, both piloted by former Formula One drivers in Alex Yoong and can Stevens respectively.
Both drivers, who can also fight it out within the track in this seasons Audi R8 LMS Cup, placed in impressive lap times, Stevens recording the second easiest of the race and also Yoong the fifth. With previous placings of 10th general for Yoong and team mate Alex Au, and Eleventh for Stevens and Jeffrey Shelter, the teams just missed out on the Pro/Am group podium.
KCMG’s Japanese mixture Naoto Takeda and Takuya Shirasaka topped your Am/Am class podium once placing 18th overall.
The race capped off of a great day to the track for the brand with four jewelry, with Gilbert clocking the quickest time in qualifying program one in the evening and Marchy Lee getting a second row start out for round Just one. After an even faster second qualifying program, Team Audi R8 LMS Cup of Yoong and Au and Team WRT associated with Stevens and Jeffrey Lee begin Sunday’s round 2 on the front row, with all the Milestone Racing set of two Cheng and Sun simply just behind them in third.
In the only downside for your Audi teams, the free practice pace-setters Martin Rump and Sean Yoon in the #18 KCMG by Victorious one Racing Team automobile were unable to participate in frequently qualifying session or even the race after a train engine problem ended their own official practice prior in the day. A engineers are working very making the car race-ready to get round 2.
