Ramos & Chaves Claim 2020 Title In Controversial Finish At Barcelona
It was a final race with intensity and mixed emotions until the very end.
Eventually, Miguel Ramos and Henrique Chaves were declared the 2020 Champions of the International GT Open, following a thrilling and dramatic finale that saw the two top contenders, Miguel Ramos, leading the race in the penultimate lap, and Vincent Abril (AF Corse APM Monaco Ferrari) collide, with the Portuguese ending his race stuck in the gravel.
The sanction imposed by the Stewards to the Ferrari (10 positions in the race result) gave the title to the Portuguese pair, although everything is to be considered provisional, considering the appeals of AF Corse (and of TMM after Race1).
Victory in Race 2 went to the TF Sport Aston Martin of Salih Yoluc and Charlie Eastwood, ahead of Fabrizio Crestani-Yannick Mettler (Team Lazarus Bentley) and Christian Klien-Patrik Krupinski (JP Motorsport). The success in Pro-Am for the Austrian-Polish pair was not enough to claim the title in the class, with Marcelo Hahn securing the honours after finishing fifth, together with Allam Khodair, in the other TMM McLaren.
That meant a third title this season for Teo Martín Motorsport.
Mauro Ricci-Jérôme Policand (AKKA Mercedes) doubled their success in Am of yesterday.
RACE
Prette took a good start from the pole, pressed immediately by Chaves, but going wide at the first corner being passed by the Portuguese. Khodair and Osborne follow, having passed Barr, who had a poor start from the first row, then Yoluc, Crestani, Krupinski and Iribe.
While Negro spun on lap 4 and Rostan was dealt a drive-through, the gap between Chaves and Prette would grow marginally, reaching 5.7 seconds by lap 14, when both stopped for the driver change and handicap serving. They rejoined separated by 17 seconds. Eastwood in the meantime passed Mettler after a long duel.
When all driver changes were made (lap 21), Ramos led Abril by 11 seconds (which in reality was 13, after the 2-second sanction received for not serving the entire handicap), followed by Moller, Hahn, Eastwood, Mettler, Klien, Moss and Millroy. All the attention was on the final charge by Abril, who benefited from the help of sister car, as Ortelli resisted being lapped. The emotion was also high in Pro-Am, with Hahn spinning after contact with Cerqueda, losing two class positions.
Three laps from the end, Abril attempted a move on Ramos but ran wide, and in the penultimate lap, he tried again, on the inside, with Ramos defending his position. The contact was inevitable and the McLaren ended its race in the gravel. The safety car was scrambled, handing the race win to the TF Sport Aston Martin.
After investigating the incident, the Stewards decided to impose a 10-position sanction to Abril, which gave the title to Ramos-Chaves. AF Corse has appealed the decision.
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