Al Zubair-Grenier (Al Manar GetSpeed Mercedes) take the GT Open 500

In their second appearance in the series this year, Al Faisal Al Zubair and Mikaël Grenier took their second win, dominating the first of the GT Open 500, held at spa-Francorchamps, in their Al Manar Racing by GetSpeed Mercedes AMG. The Omani and the Canadian were at the helm of the race since the start but could certainly not rest, as they were never completely clear from opponents. The main ones, Diego Menchaca-Marcos Siebert (Motopark Mercedes) were slowed by a refueling went wrong, finishing sixth.

Behind the two leading Mercedes, developed many lively fights. Eventually, Alessio Deledda-Jordan Pepper took second in their Oregon Team Lamborghini ahead of the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage of Matisse Lismont-Lorens Lecertua. The young Belgian duo (their added ages barely reach 34 years…) had a fantastic debut in the series and in front of their fans.

In the overall standings, Al Zubair-Grenier lead but behind team, three pairs competing full-season (Deledda-Papper, Menchaca-Siebert and Pitamber-Baumann) are covered by only two points.

Karol Basz-Marcin Jedlinski (Olimp Racing Audi) took a meaningful first win of the year in Pro-Am, with a bit of luck as they inherited the position a few minutes from the end when the Lionspeed Porsche of Antares au-Alessio Picariello ran out of fuel. The Pro-Am podium was completed by Valentin Pierburg-Aaron Walker (Get Speed) and Thomas Ikin-Morten Stromsted (Motopark).

In Am,  Giuseppe Cipriani, this time sharing the Lambo of Il Barone Rampante with Dmitry Gvazava, extended his advantage in the class with a second win, ahead of Heiko Neumann-Timo Rumpfkeil (Motopark Mercedes) and Stanislaw Jedlinski-Krystian Korzeniowski (Olimp Ferrari).

THE RACE - Conditions are good when the start of the 2.40 hours is given, with 35 cars in the grid and only the #63 Oregon Lambo missing after the heavy crash at Raidillon of Rolf Ineichen in qualifying, luckily with no consequences for the driver.

The two Mercedes of Menchaca and Al Zubair, which sat in first row, fight side by side in the Kemmel straight and it’s the Omani taking the advantage. In the meantime, the passage through first corner at La Source brings drama as always. This time is Marinangeli braking too late in the very inside and hitting Bergström who spins. The rest of the group manages to go through almost unscathed. For the Porsche it’s retirement, while the Ferrari gets a drive-through.

The first half-hour sees Al Zubair lead with a minimal margin on Menchaca, with Lismont an excellent third, then Petrov, Dunner and Deledda who have passed Bartone. Van der Helm is first in Pro-Am while Neumann takes the lead in Am from Cipriani. There are also a few contacts, between Hahn and S.Proctor and Hash and Nana, but nothing serious.

At the first hour mark, and after the first pit stop, Grenier has a 5-second lead on Siebert, with Lecertua holding third but 30 seconds from the lead, then Pepper, Moretti, Schiller, Baumann, Basz (first in Pro-Am), Walker and local hero Picariello who is putting the show and charging from the back. Entertaining the public are also Moretti and Schiller, in full fight for fifth, with the Italian resisting fiercely and Haase and Baumann catching them. In lap 30, eventually, the Italian has to concede to both rivals. In the meantime, Fluxá (brake issue) and Salaquarda had to stop in the pits.

After the second pit stop, in lap 37, there is the first safety car period, deployed to rescue the Ferrari of Jedlinki, who has spun at Les Combes. Al  Zubair is in the lead, with a 3-second gap on Menchaca, and 51 on Deledda, then Lesmont, Bartone, Reicher, Pitamber and M.Jedlinski, first in Pro-Am, Petrov and Au. In Am, Cipriani is back in the lead while Osieka had to retire.

In lap 45 opens the final driver change window, the one where handicaps are served. Drama strikes for the Motopark Mercedes #17 as a misunderstanding in the refueling phase cost them a lot of time. After all changes (lap 51) Grenier leads with 5 seconds on Pepper, while Lecertua is third followed closely by Baumann, Schiller, Siebert, Haase and Moretti, with the last two having a contact at Les Combes. The fight is intense in Pro-Am as well, with Picariello taking the lead from Basz in lap 52, and Walker in third followed by Ikin, Love and Cheever, while Leitch has to stop in the pits.   In Am, Gvazava holds the lead ahead of Rumpfkeil.

The last laps are equally intense: Picariello’s car stops on the track eight minutes from the end (lap 60) and it turns out that it remained with no fuel because of a malfunctioning of the rig during the pit stop. The attention is all for the fight for third, with Baumann catching Lecertua, but the young Belgian holds the podium finish up to the end, while Grenier wins despite a slow puncture over Deledda. In Am, Gvazava takes the Lambo to victory.

Results are HERE