Mighty Mustang makes history at Circuit Paul Ricard

The Ford Performance Junior Team drivers surged from sixth on the grid to win a thrilling opening race, and in doing so scored both the first victory for the Multimatic-developed Mustang in the GT4 European Series, and the first win for any form of Mustang in GT4 Europe since 2008.

Viny Beltramelli and Nicco Ferrarin claimed Pro-Am honours after a consistent performance in their JSB Compétition Porsche 718 Cayman, while Chazel Technologie Course BMW drivers Jean-Mathieu Leandri and Antoni De Barn celebrated a lights-to-flag success in Am.

SILVER: ACADEMY SCHOOLS THE COMPETITON

An early pitstop in a quiet pitlane proved vital for Evans and Signoretti, as the Academy Motorsport drivers came out on top of a three-car battle for victory.

From sixth, Evans climbed to third by the time the pit window opened, and the American was the first to stop and hand to Canadian Signoretti. The undercut worked, with Signoretti benefitting from a clear out-lap and rejoining second. Hadrien David had put in a superb maiden GT4 stint in the #87 Matmut Évolution Toyota, stealing the lead from the pole-sitting Pro-Am W&S Motorsport Porsche driven by Hendrik Still just before the pit window opened.

David handed to Duran, who rejoined in the lead, but had Signoretti right behind. The Mustang found a gap at Turn 1 to sneak into the lead, and then held on despite  pressure from Duran and the chasing Elite Motorsport McLaren of Josh Rattican and McKenzy Cresswell, which had climbed from seventh to join the fight.

Signoretti took the flag less than a second ahead of Duran, and although Cresswell was with them the car was dropped to fourth by a five-second penalty for Rattican overtaking off the circuit. That elevated Ricardo van der Ende and Benjamin Lessennes to the podium in the L’Espace Bienvenue BMW.

Lluc Ibañez and Alex Papadopulos (NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG) were fourth, with Benjamin Lariche and Robert Consani (Team Speedcar Audi) fifth. The sister Audi of Gregory Guilvert and Paul Petit that had started on class pole retired with wheel bearing problems.

PRO-AM: PENALTY HELPS JSB TO VICTORY

Beltramelli and Ferrarin kept things clean to win Pro-Am, as a penalty hurt the pole-sitting #32 W&S Motorsport Porsche that had led much of the race.

Still had put the #32 on pole and led for most of the first half, but he was handed a five-second penalty at his pitstop for speeding before the start, which dropped co-driver Joachim Bolting to seventh.

That left JSB to succeed, with Beltramelli holding a place inside the top eight overall before handing to Ferrarin, who brought the car home comfortably clear.

Brothers Hugo and Thibaut Mogica were second in their CMR Ginetta, ahead of Olivier Jouffret and Eric Tremoulet in the Vic’TEAM Mercedes-AMG.

AM: CHAZEL PROVES UNBEATABLE

After taking class pole, Leandri and De Barn scored their first victory as a pairing, controlling the race in the #317 BMW M4 GT4 Evo from Chazel Technologie Course.

Leandri was unshakable over the first half, handing across to De Barn to secure the win well clear of their closest opponents. Max Kronberg and Daniel Blickle were second for W&S Motorsport, with Julien Ripert and Philippe Thalamy just holding third ahead of Christoffer and Mikael Brunnhagen in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR Supra.

Results are HERE