Sultanov on the podium, the sole Ferrari in the Iron Cup

After claiming third place at the end of Race-1 of the Blancpain GT Sports Club on the Spa-Francorchamps track, Murod Sultanov keeps alive his hopes of disputing the Overall Class title with Jens Reno Moller. In the Iron Cup, Stephen Earle with his sixth success of the season, takes a further step towards a third consecutive title.

Safety Car and restart. As the race got underway Jens Reno Moller defended his pole position from the attacks of rivals, while behind, Murod Sultanov, at the wheel of Kessel Racing’s 488 GT3 snatched third position thus setting up the conditions for an assault on the leader of the general standings. After the opening laps, where Moller had attempted to break away, Cordoni came into contact with McKansy at the Bus Stop chicane, dropping down the order to tenth place before a similar accident in the very same place – this time with Howard Blank – put an end to his race. The episode brought out the Safety Car and once the competition got underway again, the race leader was once more forced to rebuild the advantage gained earlier and fend off the attacks of Remenyako. The Russian driver failed to get the better of Moller, but at the same time was forced to keep Sultanov in check. The driver in the Kessel Racing livery sought to take advantage of any subsequent errors brought about by the battle for victory up ahead, but in the end had to settle for the lowest step of the podium. Sixth overall place, first in the Iron Cup, for Stephen Earle who battled long and hard with Pavel Strukov and Louis-Philippe Soenen and who, literally on the final turn of the last lap, made a decisive overtaking manoeuvre which saw him cross the finish-line to grab sixth place. Third place in the Iron Cup, behind Soenen, was Howard Blank, tenth overall.