Gorini and Tamburini head LP Racing one-two in Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli opener at Spa

Leonardo Gorini and Carlo Tamburini extended their Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli points lead with victory in race one at Spa-Francorchamps, heading a one-two finish for LP Racing.

The two Maserati GT2 crews worked their way to the front early on in an intense opening contest in Belgium, confirming a third win of the term for Gorini and Tamburini just 12 months on from when the Trident’s newest model was first unveiled at the same location.

They were chased home by team-mate Philippe Prette, who finished just 2.8s further back to confirm a one-two for the Italian squad and his third Am class spoils of the year.

A frenetic race was turned on its head in the latter stages. Razoon - More Than Racing’s Simon Birch put in a spirited charge to climb from sixth to the final podium step with Thomas Andersen, holding off the similar KTM X-BOW GT2 of Martin Koch and Reinhard Kofler (Team MZR).

Pole-sitter Alexandre Leroy kept his TFT Racing Maserati in podium contention for much of the 50-minute race, but fell to fifth in his battle with Pro drivers late on. Despite a first corner skirmish for Eric De Doncker, he and Motorsport 98 partner Loris Hezemans fought back in style to round out the top six in their Mercedes-AMG GT2.

Tamburini and Gorini head Maserati one-two to extend series lead

Local driver Leroy started from pole position for the first time in his rookie Fanatec GT2 campaign and held the lead into La Source during a congested first lap. Further back, De Doncker was tagged into a half-spin after contact in a four-car squeeze, which also forced Stefano Costantini and Alfio Andrea Spina to retire with damage to the #88 LP Racing Audi R8 LMS GT2.

Up front it took until the run to Fagnes for Gorini to dive past Leroy and take the race lead, leaving the latter in combat with his Am class rival Prette for second. The Italian made his move stick on Leroy two laps later, diving up the inside under braking for the Bus Stop chicane.

Further back, Gilles Vannelet was on the move in the #87 Akkodis Mercedes-AMG entry. The Frenchman evaded the opening lap dramas to climb from 14th into the top six, before powering past the #89 KTM of RTR Projects debutant Petr Lisa.

That theme continued as the Mercedes-AMG driver swept past Koch’s KTM into fourth on the Kemmel Straight. He repeated the move on Leroy shortly afterwards before catching and passing the #2 Maserati of Prette in the same manner before handing the car over to Jean-Luc Beaubelique in second spot.

Gorini handed the lead #1 Maserati over to Tamburini with a slender advantage, but Beaubelique soon faded with an issue that dropped him out of contention. Despite a minor off-track excursion at Les Combes late on, Tamburini held on under pressure to lead home Prette and seal a hard-earned one-two finish for LP Racing.

The battle for the final podium place raged behind, Birch making the decisive move on Beaubelique at Fagnes to match his and Andersen’s best result of the campaign in third. Kofler’s KTM followed by into fourth, with Leroy rounding out the top five in the #24 Maserati.

Hezemans climbed aboard the Motorsport 98 car vacated by De Doncker and charged his way through the pack to sixth, disposing of the hobbled Beaubelique, who salvaged seventh ahead of the similar #888 Mercedes-AMG of NM Racing’s Stéphane Perrin and Jörg Viebahn.

Both Ginetta and Lamborghini enjoyed top-10 finishes on their GT2 debuts. Lawrence Tomlinson elevated the Team CMR G56 GTX to an impressive ninth, ahead of Alfredo Hernandez Ortega, who rounded out the top 10 in the BDR Compétition by Grupo Prom Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2.

Results are HERE