Mercedes fights back with win in Race 2 thanks to Revesz-Cairoli (Motopark)

Levente Revesz and Matteo Cairoli, in one of the Mercedes of Team Motopark, took a resounding win in Race 2 at the Autódromo do Algarve. For both of them, it is their maiden win in the series. The Hungarian and the Italian leave Portugal as the first provisional standings’ leaders.

In a sunny and warm day in Portugal, youngsters were the heroes, as the podium was completed by two duos of British young guns: Michal Porter and Zak Meakin were second in the Optimum Motorsport McLaren, ahead of Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson, in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari.

There were more happy faces at the end of the race, as ‘Hash’ and Alex Fontana (Car Collection Porsche) won in Pro-Am, rounding an excellent weekend which saw the Swiss taking the overall pole for Race 2, beating the SPS Mercedes of Valentin Pierburg-Dominik Baumann and Dexter Müller-Yannick Mettler.

Local hero Miguel Ramos delighted local fans with a hardly-sought in in Am, in the Garage 59 McLaren shared with Mark Sansom, ahead of the Team Thor Porsche of Audunn Gudmunsson and Thorvaldur Gissurarson, the first Icelandic outfit to ever compete in the series, and yesterday’s winners Gino Forgione-Michele Rugolo (AF Corse Ferrari).

THE RACE – At the start, Alex Fontana, in pole for the first time, keeps the advantage despite being challenged by Aron for a couple of corners, while Haase is third, followed by Nesov and Baumann, who has some rubbing. The leading Porsche manages to build an advantage of 8 seconds by lap 10, with Aron being closely challenged by Haase for second. Follow, in a quite compact group, Baumann, Nesov, Revesz, Dunner, Maekin, Kell, Emson, Bonduel, Korzeniowski (first in Am), Petrov and Abril.

The fight between Aron and Haase is what catches the fans’ attention, with the nose of the Audi almost touching the exhausts of the Mercedes. Still, nothing changes for a long while, actually up to the end of the first stint, with the window having opened in lap 14.

After all driver changes, Hash leads with 13 seconds over Martinez and 15 over Reimann, Porter and Cairoli, followed by Lebbon, Kizilov, Neumann, Macdonald and Mosca, with S.Jedlinski keeping the advantage in Am.

After all changes, ‘Hash’ leads with a 13-second gap on Ramirez and 15 on Reicher, Porter and Cairoli, followed by Lebbon, Kizilov, Neumann, Macdonald and Mosca. S.Jedlinski is still first in Am. Things are bound to change, with Porter and Cairoli leading the charge and passing ‘Hash’ in lap 27. Lebbon is fourth ahead of Macdonald (who will receive a 5-second penalty for not serving the entire handicap), Reicher and Mosca.

The chequered flag drop 3 thousandths of a second before completion of race time and to be safe, Cairoli makes and additional lap, but positions are not impacted. The Italian wins over Porter, Lebbon, Mosca, Reicher and Macdonald.  ‘Hash’ has dropped to seventh but retains a fantastic success in Pro-Am, while in Am, a titanic effort by Miguel Ramos allows the local hero to win and add a new chapter to his GT Open legend.