Once again, all GT Open titles to be decided at Barcelona finale

The decisive moment has arrived. The 2023 International GT Open will come to an end next weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, respecting the tradition. The conclusive round on the beautiful and technical 4.657 track has become one of the preferred by all drivers and teams, who also enjoy the mild climate and the many attractions of the region.

Still, with all the titles battle still open, everybody’s main focus will be on what will happen on the track. That too is part of the tradition: for the 17th time in 18 editions, the overall title is going to be decided in the last round!

For the ‘grande finale’, the field looks great, with 34 cars entered, a great level, and some interesting novelties.

OVERALL: A VERY OPEN BATTLE BETWEEN FOUR DIFFERENT BRANDS

There are three main contenders for the title in the present situation, with the standings pending the notification of the decision by the Court of Appeal of the Spanish Federation (RFEdA) following Motopark appeal the results of Race 2 at the Red Bull Ring.

They are the Optimum Motorsport McLaren of Sam De Haan-Charlie Fagg, the Motopark Mercedes of Diego Menchaca, here associated with local hero and 2019 GT Open champion Albert Costa, and the Eastalent Racing Audi of Simon Reicher-Christopher Haase, all covered by only 8 points. The British duo has a 4-point advantage on the Mexican and 8 on the Austrian outfit (5 and 7, respectively, in net points at the moment, as two results will have to be dropped), with a maximum of 30 points still in contention.

Mathematically still in the race is also the Oregon Team Lamborghini Huracán of Pierre-Louis Chovet-Max Paul, who have the highest number of race wins (four) and are 19 points behind, while Riccardo Agostini-Nicola Marinangeli (AF Corse Ferrari) are fifth but narrowly off the race in net points.

The number of candidates to top honours in the Catalan races though is much wider. Al Manar Racing by GetSpeed is back for their third planned outing of the season, with Al Faisal Al Zubair-Fabian Schiller eager to go for a third success. In the other Mercedes of GetSpeed, Antony Bartone is back alongside Aaron Walker.

After taking their maiden win in Monza, young guns Reece Barr-Mikaeel Pitamber (SPS Mercedes) are eager for more, while Pietro Perolini-Daan Arrow (Oregon Team Lambo) and the returning Lionspeed GP Porsche of Patrick Kolb-Alfred Renauer are determined to close the season on a high.

PRO-AM:  ANOTHER FOUR-WAY BATTLE

Nothing is done either in the very competitive Pro-Am class, where there is also a four-way battle. Keeping a 7-point advantage is the Ferrari by AF Corse driven by Marco Pulcini-Eddie Cheever. In second, with the same number of wins (2) is the Olimp Racing Audi of reigning class champions Marcin Jedlinski-Karol Basz.

The other two contenders are somehow further back, 16 and 18 points away respectively, but still in the race mathematically. Those are the Kessel Racing Ferrari of Nicolò Rosi-Niccolò Schirò and the GetSpeed Mercedes of Steve Jans-Axel Blom.

The class though is rich with many potential winners. In the Ferrari camp, Laurent De Meeus-Jamie Stanley defend the colours of AF Corse, with Frédéric Jousset-David Fumanelli driving the other Kessel Racing car. Lamborghini is well represented by the Bonaldi Motorsport car of Sanporn Jao Javenil-Milos Pavlovic and so is McLaren by the Greystone GT car of the Proctors father and son.

Two Mercedes complete the field, with class stars Dexter Müller-Yannick Mettler (CBRX by SPS) and a new entry by Motopark, whose drivers will be announced on Monday.

AM: SIX FOR ONE CROWN

The situation is even more complex in the Am class, which has been fiercely fought this year, as no less than six contenders are still mathematically in the race.

Leading the standings are Heiko Neumann-Timo Rumpfkeil, with the Motopark Mercedes, who have collected the most wins, three. Their most direct rivals, 6 points off, are Jean-Claude Saada-Conrad Grunewald, in the AF Corse Ferrari.

Another Ferrari, the Baron Motorsport one of Ernst Kirchmayr-Philipp Baron, is third, nine points behind, preceding by one point the Barone Rampante Lambo of Giuseppe Cipriani. Further back are the other AF Corse Ferrari of Alessandro Cozzi-Giorgio Sernagiotto and the GetSpeed Mercedes of Kiki San Nana-Adam Osieka.

AF Corse is fielding two more cars in the class, for Gino Forgione-Andrea Montermini and one-off participants Jay Schreibman-Oswaldo Negri. As customary, Aston Martin is represented by the Street Art Racing car of Jahid Fazal Karim-Pascal Bachmann, and Olimp Racing fields a Ferrari 296 for Stanislaw Jedlinski-Krystian Korzeniowski.