Monza: Start of the Blancpain GT Series 🎥
The Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup starts in Monza this weekend. With the exception of Rolf Ineichen, the Swiss drivers are only strongly represented in two sub-rankings. As teams, R-Motorsport is aiming for overall victories. The GT4 European Championship also starts in Italy. After the departure of Emil Frey Racing (change to the International GT Open), only R-Motorsport from [...]
Following the departure of Emil Frey Racing (switch to the International GT Open), only R-Motorsport from St. Gallen is still in the running for overall victories. The two new Aston Martin Vantage GT3s are prepared and fielded by Brits, but the team under the Swiss flag is managed by the two doctors and motorsport enthusiasts Andreas Bänziger and Florian Kamelger from Aston Martin St. Gallen.
The year of decision for Kris Richard
No Swiss driver has yet found shelter in this GT3 team for a full season (Huge de Sadeleer is driving the third car at the Spa 24 Hours). At least Kris Richard enjoys the status of an official Junior Driver of R-Motorsport. All the more reason for the Bern native to make his mark in 2019 with top performances in partner team Daiko Lazarus Racing in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
Kris Richard: "After two mixed seasons, I've finished with TCR and am now fully focused on this GT3 project. I feel more prepared and motivated than ever before. I know that I have to show performance in order to recommend myself for the future at R-Motorsport. It's all about everything for me, because I want to be able to make a living from this sport one day."
Advantage or disadvantage?
With Fabrizio Crestani (I) and Nicholas Pohler (D), the 2016 European Touring Car Cup winner has two strong teammates. The fact that Lazarus, unlike all the other Lamborghini teams, is not yet running the EVO update may well be an advantage because less downforce at Monza results in higher top speed on the straights.
Their goal is not primarily to achieve top rankings in the overall classification, which is mainly contested by the professional teams (Platinum and Gold classification). Rather, they have their sights set on winning the Silver Cup for drivers with an FIA Silver rating, which has become more prestigious. Last year, this title went to the three Jaguar drivers Alex Fontana, Adrian Zaugg and Mikael Grenier (CDN) from Emil Frey Racing.
Ineichen and Mauron on top Lamborghinis
13 of the total of 49 registered teams will be competing in the Silver Cup. With Philipp Frommenwiler and Lucas Mauron, two more Swiss drivers with great ambitions will be competing in this sub-category. Mauron shares one of the two Lamborghinis of the multiple winning team GRT Grasser Racing with the Austrian Gerhard Tweraser (known to us as winner of the Formula Lista Junior 2006) and Arno Santamato (F).
The top car will be driven by Rolf Ineichen from Lucerne, who over the years has developed from a gentleman driver into a thoroughbred racing driver who no longer needs to shy away from comparison with the professionals. With victories at the 24 Hours of Daytona and Sebring, the 2019 season began more successfully than ever for the entrepreneur from Sursee - he wants to build on this success with works driver Mirko Bortolotti (I) and his long-time partner Christian Engelhart (D) in the Blancpain Endurance Cup.
Is Honda finding its way to the top?
With Struan Moore (GB) and Matt McMurry from the USA, Philipp Frommenwiler also has two good teammates at Jenson Team RJN from England. As reported, ex-world champion Jenson Button is one of the partners behind the team, whose closeness to Honda stems from his time in Formula 1.
If the new NSX GT3 Evo is not only fast but also reliable, this trio can be expected to do a lot. Symbolically, the Honda was already at the head of the ten-make field at the TV shoot during the official test drives in Le Castellet.
Adrian Amstutz as AM titleholder
In the AM Cup category for bronze-rated drivers, Adrian Amstutz won the title in 2018 with the Russian Leo Matchiski. Never change a winning team, so the Lucerne native remains loyal to the team (Barwell from England), the brand (Lamborghini) and the teammate. The new third driver is the Portuguese Miguel Ramos. One of Amstutz's opponents is Christoph Lenz on a Huracán from another team.
Also quite a few Swiss in the GT4
The season kicks off on Sunday with the first race over three hours in Monza (start at 3 p.m.). The GT4 European Series will also hold its first two races over one hour each in the pre-season program.
With Cédric Freiburghaus (Audi R8 LMS), Pascal Bachmann, Florian Thoma (both Aston Martin Vantage), Patric Niederhauser (KTM X-Bow) and Niki Leutwiler (Porsche 718 Cayman CS), several Swiss with good chances of winning the overall standings and their classes (Pro-Am, Silver Cup and AM) are also competing here.
The GT3 race from Monza will be broadcast live on the internet and on Youtube (search term "Blancpain GT Series") as well as on the pay-TV channels Eurosport 2 and Motorvision. The GT4 can also be followed online.
