Weekend notebook: Ferrari triumphs in Barcelona and Spielberg

Success on Catalan soil for the Maranello-based manufacturer in the 24H Series and at the Austrian Spielberg circuit in the GT Open. 

24H Series. First overall win in the series for the WTM Racing team at the 24 Hours of Barcelona. The no. 22 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Georg Weiss, Leonard Weiss, Nicolas Varrone, Daniel Keilwitz and Indy Dontje started from the front row, holding the lead in the opening stages of the race, only to drop several places after a collision, without damage to the car. Thanks to fine pace throughout the night, the WTM Racing car soon found itself in the battle for third place, before eventually reaching the head of the field and defending the top spot until the chequered flag with Indy Dontje at the wheel. "It has been four years since we last stood on the top step of the podium," explained an emotional Georg Weiss, team owner. "In this period we have taken several podiums; finally the win has arrived. It’s unbelievable!" With the European rounds of the calendar out of the way, the competition now moves on to the 12 Hours of Kuwait scheduled from 30 November to 2 December.

GT Open. Ferrari were protagonists at the Spielberg circuit in Austria with the no. 91 Baron Motorsport entry taking the victory spoils in their Am class debut in Race-1, driven by Ernst Kirchmayr and Philipp Baron. In the same category, the Piacenza-based AF Corse team with Laurent de Meeus and Johnny Mowlem scooped a notable third place in Race-2. Meanwhile, in the Pro Am class, the Kessel Racing-run Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 with Murat Ruhi Cuhadaroglu and David Fumanelli at the wheel posted second place in the opening race and third in Race-2, just ahead of AF Corse’s no. 182 car crewed by the Willem Van der Vorm and Michele Rugolo pairing.

The next round of the series, the penultimate date of the season, is set for 25 September at Monza.

NLS. The Nürburgring Langstrecken-Series championship celebrated the 12 Hours of Nürburgring, the fifth round of the season, split into two six-hour legs, which, in the SP9 class, saw Octane 126's Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 with Björn Grossmann and Luca Ludwig finish fourth.  The no. 26 was even involved in the battle for the top podium positions, particularly in the early stages of the 6-hour race held on Saturday. The second Ferrari entry in the round, the no. 39 with Christian Kohlhaas, Constantin Schöll, William Tregurtha, Jody Fannin and Michele Di Martino failed to make it to the finish line. The next round of the championship, the 54th edition of the Zewotherm ADAC Barbarossapreis, is scheduled for October 8 over the four-hour distance.