2016 Blancpain GT Series season finale turns out to be a thriller

• Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk overall Blancpain GT Series champions
• Enzo Ide takes the 2016 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup
• Tristan Vautier and Felix Rosenqvist give AKKA ASP their first win

The inaugural edition of the Festival de la Velocidad at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the season finale for the 2016 Blancpain GT Series, completely lived up to all expectations. Thousands of enthusiastic Spanish racing fans witnessed two exciting races, which decided the remaining title fights in all categories of the biggest GT championship of the motorsport planet.

Tristan Vautier and Felix Rosenqvist had no such title worries and could completely focus on the race. After finishing third in this morning’s qualifying race, Vautier took a brilliant start overtaking polesitter Enzo Ide in the second corner. The Frenchman drove away from the leader in the Sprint Cup standings, with the #88 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG clearly in better shape than during the qualifying race. After the driver change, Felix Rosenqvist had little trouble in holding on to first place until the chequered flag. After their position as runners-up in the Total 24 Hours of Spa, this was another great performance for the French-Swedish duo and a first overall win for the AKKA ASP team.

Further down the order, Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk were not having their easiest race of the season. A fight for sixth position nearly turned into disaster when Buhk momentarily went through the grass. In the end the Team-AMG HTP Motorsport duo crossed the line in eighth and with McLaren-driver Rob Bell finishing outside the points for the third race in a row, this was enough to hand the most coveted of GT titles to Baumann and Buhk. The duo – who won the 2012 FIA GT3 European title together – scored points in every race but one this year, notching up victories in the endurance race in Silverstone and the sprint race in Budapest. Maxi Buhk is the first driver in the history of the Blancpain GT Series to win an endurance title (2012), sprint title (2015) and overall title (2016). To make the celebrations even bigger, their Team, AMG HTP Motorsport, also conquered the overall teams’ title.

However, Buhk and Baumann’s troublesome season finale meant that they could never really form a threat to Enzo Ide in the fight for the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. It has to be said that the Belgian again drove a perfect race. Ide never took big risks, even after dropping to third when the Bentley of countryman Maxime Soulet overtook him early in the race. The scariest moment came when co driver Robin Frijns caught up with the Bentley in the dying minutes of the race and went off the track in trying to pass Andy Soucek. However, the much- deserved Sprint Cup win for Enzo Ide was never in danger. 25-year-old Enzo Ide, a successful businessman in his own right and not a professional racing driver like most of his colleagues, took four wins out of ten races in this year’s Sprint Cup. In Brands Hatch he and Christopher Mies took the main race victory, and qualifying race wins came at the Nürburgring, in Budapest and in Barcelona. With the podium finish in today’s main race Ide and Frijns also gave Team WRT the Sprint Cup teams’ title.

The Silver Cup category in the Barcelona event was won by Nikolaj Möller Madsen and Alessio Picariello, at the wheel of the #5 Phoenix Racing Audi. Even though the tyres on his car were long gone,Picariello put up a masterly defence of his sixth position overall, holding off the #19 Grasser Racing Lamborghini of Michele Beretta and Luca Stolz. However, Beretta and Stolz finished on top in the season’s Silver Cup standings however, beating Möller Madsen by 21 points. The Lamborghini duo had their best races in the middle of the season, taking Silver Cup wins in Brands Hatch and at the Nürburgring.

It was a similar story in Pro-Am, where the win went to the #333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari of Rinat Salikhov and Norbert Siedler. The duo of the green Ferrari prevented #11 Kessel Racing drivers Michal Broniszewski and Giacomo Piccini from claiming their fourth win of the season, but second was enough for the Italian-Polish duo to claim the Pro-Am Sprint title. That means that Broniszewski had a perfect score this season, also winning the Pro-Am endurance and overall titles, together with a title in the Blancpain GT Sports Club. In the Pro-Am teams’ standings Kessel Racing held off AKKA ASP.

With the Am Sprint and overall title races decided before the start of the Barcelona event – Claudio Sdanewitsch and AF Corse taking both – the driver could entirely focus on the race. Stéphane Lemeret and Claudio Sdanewitsch had some problems during the driver change, but the race pace of the #55 AF Corse Ferrari was near perfect and the pairing took their fourth win of the season.

Drivers quotes

Maxi Buhk (#84 Team-AMG HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG) 
2016 Blancpain GT Series champion
“We did not have the pace in the race, so it was really tough today. Especially at the end of my stint, because we needed some points to not only win the drivers’ championship but also the teams’ championship. So I could not attack as aggressively as others were defending, but in the end I am more happy to have won the championship together with Dominik. I think this is the most important championship you can win, because it shows you are consistent in both endurance and sprint. I am proud to share this title with Dominik.”

Dominik Baumann (#84 Team-AMG HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG)
2016 Blancpain GT Series champion
“After qualifying we realised we were not quick enough to go for the win – which was what we needed to claim the Sprint Cup – so we focused even more on the overall championship. In the qualifying race we were a bit lucky to claim the one point and with the McLaren getting a penalty things were looking good. The main race was a bit crazy, because it seemed like I was constantly under investigation. Fortunately we did not get a drive-through. We are very happy this weekend is over, because it was really tough, and even more happy to have won the championship. We are very happy with what we showed this season, so now all that is left to do is to celebrate this title!”

Enzo Ide (#33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8)
2016 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup winner
“We won four races this season and I am quite happy about that, because I am a mix of a Pro and an Am driver together. I am happy about the season and winning the championship. For me it’s the first time that I win a championship. Some of these guys are used to that but I am not, so I think I will only realise in a few days that I am the Sprint Cup champion. I never thought I would win the title because when you look at the entry list, there are a lot of good drivers, with a lot of experience. But after Brands Hatch when we saw where we were, Christopher and I found a good rhythm. I would like to thank him and congratulate him. Without him and Robin it wouldn’t have been possible for me to win this title.”

Tristan Vautier (#88 AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG GT)
Winner Barcelona Sprint Cup race
“Everything came together today. We had to take risks between the qualifying race and the main race because we lacked some pace, and we had to do some changes and hope it would work. The car was very competitive, very good. The start was really fun, it was a nice battle with Enzo. There was quite a big focus on tyre degradation today. I tried to push hard but preserve the tyres for the whole stint and kept pushing hard to keep the gap. A very good achievement for the team as well, because we were chasing a podium in a main race the whole season but there was always something. Everything came together today so I am very happy for the whole team.”

Andy Soucek (#8 Bentley Team M-Sport Continental) 
Runner-up Barcelona Sprint Cup race
“At the end the tyres were really gone. In the beginning I felt that the pace was very good, because I was able to keep up with Felix. But then I was looking in my mirror and I saw a black car coming and I knew it was the Audi of Robin Frijns. I tried to stay on the line and keep him behind in turn 15, to get a clear run into the straight line but we had contact. However, I am very pleased to finish second in front of my public and my family. Barcelona is my home track so I think we are going to celebrate tonight.”

Luca Stolz (#19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini) 
2016 Silver Cup winner with Michele Beretta
“After a bad qualifying we expected a tough race, but we changed a lot on the car and the race went quite well. We could not win the race, but we are very happy to have won the Silver Cup this year. We were able to fight for the win in every race.”

Alessio Picariello (#5 Phoenix Racing Audi)
Winner Barcelona Silver Cup category
“It was a really hard stint for me, because I had to use the tyres from yesterday’s qualifying. It was really hard to survive, but I wanted to win the Silver Cup and have a good result overall as well. I was trying to defend in a correct way and I think I did, although there were a few contacts. It was really hard to keep the car on track, but it’s a good result for the team and I am happy about that.”

Giacomo Piccini (#11 Kessel Racing Ferrari)
2016 Pro-Am Cup winner in the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, together with Michal Broniszewski
“Michal did not take any risks, so it was a pretty easy race today. We have to thank the Kessel Racing team, for we did not have a single issue during the whole of the year and that is one of the most important things if you want to win a championship. Now we need to work hard in the winter to come back next year and be even more competitive. But first we will celebrate!”

Rinat Salikhov (#333 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari) 
Winner Pro-Am category Barcelona race
“I changed my racing lines a bit since this morning and I have to say that had a positive effect. The car was a bit better as well, and Norbert did a perfect stint holding on to first.”

Claudio Sdanewitsch (#55 AF Corse Ferrari)
2016 Am Cup winner, both overall and in Sprint Cup
“It feels very good to win this title, this is one of the toughest championships around. I would love to do some more endurance races next year, so we will work on that.” 
 

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Results Main Race

End of season standings

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Click here for the 2017 Calendar

Blancpain GT Series - Round 10 - Barcelona - Qualifying

Perera on pole, Ide best of the title contenders

Franck Perera gave the #74 ISR Audi pole position for the final qualifying race of the 2016 Blancpain GT Series season at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this afternoon. The French driver pipped Mirko Bortolotti in the #63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini to pole, with Robin Frijns – team-mate of Sprint Cup points leader Enzo Ide – claiming third in the #33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. Blancpain GT Series overall leader Maxi Buhk will start from eighth, two positions behind his main competitor Rob Bell.
  

In the 10-minute-long final part of the qualifying session the 17 drivers effectively had only two or three flying laps to try and claim pole position for tomorrow morning’s qualifying race. At a certain point the top-four was covered by just 0.05s, but then Franck Perera crossed the line to lower the provisional pole time by more than a tenth. That was enough to claim his second pole position of the season, after also being top of the timing sheets at Brands Hatch.

Mirko Bortolotti got closest to Perera by just beating Robin Frijns. By claiming third the Dutchman gives Sprint Cup leader Enzo Ide the best grid position of all the title contenders, much to the joy of the Belgian who was watching nervously from the garage.

Jules Szymkowiak, together with Bernd Schneider in third in the Sprint Cup standings, put the #86 HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG fourth on the grid, with his team-mate Maxi Buhk claiming eighth in the #84 car.

Buhk, who together with Dominik Baumann is not only second in the Sprint Cup standings but also the overall Blancpain GT Series leader, has some work to do in tomorrow’s races, for his main competitor in the overall standings, Rob Bell aboard the #58 Garage 59 McLaren, qualified two places higher up the grid.

Worse off is Laurens Vanthoor. The Belgian – and his co-driver Fred Vervisch – failed to reach Q3, probably as a consequence of missing the second free practice session due to gremlins in the engine department. The #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT-run R8 starts from 18th, leaving Vanthoor - who must make up 29 points on Buhk and Baumann in the overall standings - with an enormous mountain to climb.

In the Pro-Am division of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, championship leader Giacomo Piccini and Michal Broniszewski extended their lead by claiming the point for pole position and now enjoy a 27-point lead. Victory in tomorrow’squalifying race would give the Italian-Polish duo the title.

In the Am Cup Claudio Sdanewitsch is certain of the 2016 crown, by teaming up with sole remaining opponent Stéphane Lemeret. The Belgian emphasised the pairing’s domination of the category by claiming pole position.

But Silver Cup championship leaders Luca Stolz and Michele Beretta did not have such a good session. They must be satisfied with 27th overall and third in the Silver Cup. With co-driver Alessio Picariello taking pole position Nikolaj Möller Madsen edges one point closer to the leaders, but the Dane still has to make up 30 points. Stuart Leonard and Michael Meadows, 22 points behind Stolz/Beretta, qualified in second in the Silver Cup.

Tomorrow’s qualifying race starts at 09.15, with the season decider getting underway at 14.10. Both races will be streamed live on the series’ official website: www.blancpain-gt-series.com.

Drivers quotes

Franck Perera (#74 ISR Audi): “It is not so easy to have a perfect lap here in Barcelona. The car moves around a lot, but that is the same for everybody. But we did a really good job today, especially since we focused on the race during the preparation. My aim was to be in the top-four, but since the beginning of the year we have known that if everything works out fine this team can put the car at the front.”

Mirko Bortolotti (#63 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini): “Front row is always nice, even though my lap in Q3 was not perfect and maybe I could have improved by a couple of tenths. But as Franck said, it is not easy to put everything together at the right time, especially when there are so many cars on track.”

Robin Frijns (#33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8): “With Enzo enjoying a 17-point lead in the standings we will not take too many risks in the race tomorrow. We need to survive the start without any damage, and Franck and Mirko can do whatever they want, I do not really mind. I just have to finish in front of the Mercedes-AMG.”

Alessio Picariello (#5 Phoenix Racing Audi): “This morning the car was quite good, but in qualifying we must have missed something. I was not really happy with the balance of the car and getting a good lap time proved to be quite difficult. Pole in the Silver Cup is nice, but I would like to have been a bit higher on the overall grid.”

Giacomo Piccini (#11 Kessel Racing Ferrari): “We did not drive in Q3 because we had a small electronic problem, but since we already had the point for pole position that was not such a problem. Now our aim is to win the qualifying race, which would give us the Pro-Am Sprint Cup title.”

Stéphane Lemeret (#55 AF Corse Ferrari): “With Claudio now certain of the Am Cup, we can start without any pressure in the races. We will be able to push a bit more, and our aim is to have fun.”

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Timetable

Sunday October 2nd
09:15 – 10:15 Qualifying Race
14:10 – 15:10 Main Race

Blancpain GT Series - Round 10 - Barcelona - Qualifying

Perera on pole, Ide best of the title contenders

Franck Perera gave the #74 ISR Audi pole position for the final qualifying race of the 2016 Blancpain GT Series season at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this afternoon. The French driver pipped Mirko Bortolotti in the #63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini to pole, with Robin Frijns – team-mate of Sprint Cup points leader Enzo Ide – claiming third in the #33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT. Blancpain GT Series overall leader Maxi Buhk will start from eighth, two positions behind his main competitor Rob Bell.
  

In the 10-minute-long final part of the qualifying session the 17 drivers effectively had only two or three flying laps to try and claim pole position for tomorrow morning’s qualifying race. At a certain point the top-four was covered by just 0.05s, but then Franck Perera crossed the line to lower the provisional pole time by more than a tenth. That was enough to claim his second pole position of the season, after also being top of the timing sheets at Brands Hatch.

Mirko Bortolotti got closest to Perera by just beating Robin Frijns. By claiming third the Dutchman gives Sprint Cup leader Enzo Ide the best grid position of all the title contenders, much to the joy of the Belgian who was watching nervously from the garage.

Jules Szymkowiak, together with Bernd Schneider in third in the Sprint Cup standings, put the #86 HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG fourth on the grid, with his team-mate Maxi Buhk claiming eighth in the #84 car.

Buhk, who together with Dominik Baumann is not only second in the Sprint Cup standings but also the overall Blancpain GT Series leader, has some work to do in tomorrow’s races, for his main competitor in the overall standings, Rob Bell aboard the #58 Garage 59 McLaren, qualified two places higher up the grid.

Worse off is Laurens Vanthoor. The Belgian – and his co-driver Fred Vervisch – failed to reach Q3, probably as a consequence of missing the second free practice session due to gremlins in the engine department. The #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT-run R8 starts from 18th, leaving Vanthoor - who must make up 29 points on Buhk and Baumann in the overall standings - with an enormous mountain to climb.

In the Pro-Am division of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, championship leader Giacomo Piccini and Michal Broniszewski extended their lead by claiming the point for pole position and now enjoy a 27-point lead. Victory in tomorrow’squalifying race would give the Italian-Polish duo the title.

In the Am Cup Claudio Sdanewitsch is certain of the 2016 crown, by teaming up with sole remaining opponent Stéphane Lemeret. The Belgian emphasised the pairing’s domination of the category by claiming pole position.

But Silver Cup championship leaders Luca Stolz and Michele Beretta did not have such a good session. They must be satisfied with 27th overall and third in the Silver Cup. With co-driver Alessio Picariello taking pole position Nikolaj Möller Madsen edges one point closer to the leaders, but the Dane still has to make up 30 points. Stuart Leonard and Michael Meadows, 22 points behind Stolz/Beretta, qualified in second in the Silver Cup.

Tomorrow’s qualifying race starts at 09.15, with the season decider getting underway at 14.10. Both races will be streamed live on the series’ official website: www.blancpain-gt-series.com.

Drivers quotes

Franck Perera (#74 ISR Audi): “It is not so easy to have a perfect lap here in Barcelona. The car moves around a lot, but that is the same for everybody. But we did a really good job today, especially since we focused on the race during the preparation. My aim was to be in the top-four, but since the beginning of the year we have known that if everything works out fine this team can put the car at the front.”

Mirko Bortolotti (#63 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini): “Front row is always nice, even though my lap in Q3 was not perfect and maybe I could have improved by a couple of tenths. But as Franck said, it is not easy to put everything together at the right time, especially when there are so many cars on track.”

Robin Frijns (#33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8): “With Enzo enjoying a 17-point lead in the standings we will not take too many risks in the race tomorrow. We need to survive the start without any damage, and Franck and Mirko can do whatever they want, I do not really mind. I just have to finish in front of the Mercedes-AMG.”

Alessio Picariello (#5 Phoenix Racing Audi): “This morning the car was quite good, but in qualifying we must have missed something. I was not really happy with the balance of the car and getting a good lap time proved to be quite difficult. Pole in the Silver Cup is nice, but I would like to have been a bit higher on the overall grid.”

Giacomo Piccini (#11 Kessel Racing Ferrari): “We did not drive in Q3 because we had a small electronic problem, but since we already had the point for pole position that was not such a problem. Now our aim is to win the qualifying race, which would give us the Pro-Am Sprint Cup title.”

Stéphane Lemeret (#55 AF Corse Ferrari): “With Claudio now certain of the Am Cup, we can start without any pressure in the races. We will be able to push a bit more, and our aim is to have fun.”

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Timetable

Sunday October 2nd
09:15 – 10:15 Qualifying Race
14:10 – 15:10 Main Race

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup - Barcelona

2016 Blancpain GT Series season finale promises to be unpredictable

It is the first time that the Blancpain GT Series visits the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona and the meeting immediately forms the conclusion of an exciting and unpredictable season. For the overall title anything is still possible, while the fight for the Sprint Cup is also wide open.

Barcelona forms the 10th and final round of the 2016 Blancpain GT Series, which combines five Endurance races with five Sprint meetings. After nine rounds the leaders in the drivers’ standings are separated by just five points, so predicting the outcome of the 2016 season is as good as impossible.

Thanks to their fourth place in the Endurance race at the Nürburgring, #84 AMG-Team HTP Motorsport pairing Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk have re-taken the lead in the overall drivers’ standings, a lead they first held during the early part of the season but lost after a stroke of bad luck at the Paul Ricard Round. Since the Austrian-German duo only just missed out on the Endurance title at the Nürburgring, they are highly motivated to claim the overall crown in Barcelona.

To do so, they will have to maintain their advantage over McLaren’s Rob Bell. The Briton is on a high travelling to the Spanish circuit after he (and team-mates Van Gisbergen and Ledogar) pocketed the Endurance title at the Nürburgring. A recent dry spell - Bell has only scored two points in the last three rounds - saw him lose what looked like a comfortable lead in the overall drivers’ standings, but with the difference between he and Baumann/Buhk limited to just five points, nothing is decided yet. In Barcelona, Bell again drives with regular Sprint Cup partner Alvaro Parente.

But there is also a proverbial third dog in the fight at Barcelona. Laurens Vanthoor totals 100 points after nine meetings, and - with 34 still up for grabs - the 2014 Blancpain GT Series champion has a chance of erasing a 29-point deficit and claiming his second overall title.

A good result would also help his Belgian Audi Club Team WRT outfit in their quest for a successful defence of their teams’ title. On the eve of the Barcelona meeting, the Belgian squad is 14 points down on HTP Motorsport. For the German team it is the best chance they have ever had of claiming a title that, up until now, has always eluded them. Just like the drivers’ championship, there is a third contender with an outside chance on the teams’ title, but Garage 59 McLaren must make up 30 points on HTP Motorsport.

While the teams’ and drivers’ title fight in the overall Pro-Am category is already decided – Michal Broniszewski and Kessel Racing took the crown – the teams’ title in the Am class is not: AF Corse and Rinaldi Racing are only separated by 10 points. The Am Cup drivers’ title will probably be decided at the moment the entry list is fully confirmed. The two drivers that still have a shot at the title – Claudio Sdanewitsch leads Stéphane Lémeret by 10 points – are again entered in the same car, effectively handing the title to the German driver.

Sprint Cup to also be decided

Barcelona is not only the final round of the overall Blancpain GT Series but also the conclusion of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. Leading the Sprint Cup standings are Belgian Enzo Ide and German Christopher Mies. Unfortunately Mies cannot make it to Barcelona, due to other commitments. That means that the 25-year old Belgian will have to defend his lead with the help of another team-mate, but in Robin Frijns – the 2015 Blancpain GT Series champion – he gets some first-class help.

In the Sprint Cup standings Ide has a lead of 17 points over Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk. Their win at the Hungaroring brought the Mercedes-AMG duo right back into the title fight after some lesser performances in the middle of the season. Their team colleagues Jules Szymkowiak and Bernd Schneider have been scoring points all season, but a lack of a win means they have to close a 20-point gap on Ide.

In fourth are McLaren duo Bell and Parente. They scored a win at the Sprint round at the Nürburgring, but failed to score any points in Budapest, which means they are now trailing the standings leader by 23 points. Belgian Audi duo Vanthoor and Frédéric Vervisch still have a mathematical chance of winning the title, but with a 33-point deficit need a minor miracle to end the season on top.

In the other categories things are also still undecided. In the Pro-Am category Kessel Ferrari drivers and triple race winners Michal Broniszewski and Giacomo Piccini enjoy a 26-point advantage over French Mercedes-AMG duo Beaubelique and Moullin-Traffort, while in the Silver Cup (reserved for Silver drivers) Lamborghini pairing Luca Stolz and Michele Beretta have 24 points in hand over British Audi drivers Leonard and Meadows. The Dane Moller-Madsen will need a perfect weekend if he wants to close the 31-point gap on the Silver Cup leaders.

As you can see on the attached entry list there have been some changes in different driver line-ups since the last sprint round at the Hungaroring, but the Barcelona grid will still be 35 cars strong.

The Barcelona meeting is not only the final round of the Blancpain GT Series, but also includes races for the Blancpain GT Sports Club and several demo runs by the impressive machinery of the Blancpain Ultracar Sports Club.

Drivers quotes

Maxi Buhk (#84 AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG): “Barcelona is where the most important decision of the season will be taken. It was frustrating to miss the Endurance title by just one point, but we should not be too disappointed: thanks to our fourth place at the ‘Ring we still have a good shot at the overall titles, both for the drivers and the team.”

Rob Bell (#58 Garage 59 McLaren): “Barcelona will be like the Nürburgring: a big fight. 
But we are ready for it, we are looking forward to it even. We want this championship as well. I think the spectators in Barcelona will see some great racing with a lot of action.”

Enzo Ide (#33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8): “I don’t think that the fact that I cannot drive with Christopher is a big disadvantage. Robin Frijns is a factory driver as well, and very quick too. We have done some testing together and we get along really fine. The only thing left to do is to get used to certain procedures, like the driver changes, but there is plenty of time to prepare ourselves.”

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Provisional Entry list

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Provisional Timetable 

Saturday October 1st
09:00 – 09:40 Free Practice 1 for Bronze & Silver Drivers
09:40 – 10:20 Free Practice 1
12:30 – 13:50 Free Practice 2
15:30 – 16:25 Qualifying

Sunday October 2nd
09:15 – 10:15 Qualifying Race
14:10 – 15:10 Main Race
 

Click here for the event poster

Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup - Barcelona

2016 Blancpain GT Series season finale promises to be unpredictable

It is the first time that the Blancpain GT Series visits the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona and the meeting immediately forms the conclusion of an exciting and unpredictable season. For the overall title anything is still possible, while the fight for the Sprint Cup is also wide open.

Barcelona forms the 10th and final round of the 2016 Blancpain GT Series, which combines five Endurance races with five Sprint meetings. After nine rounds the leaders in the drivers’ standings are separated by just five points, so predicting the outcome of the 2016 season is as good as impossible.

Thanks to their fourth place in the Endurance race at the Nürburgring, #84 AMG-Team HTP Motorsport pairing Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk have re-taken the lead in the overall drivers’ standings, a lead they first held during the early part of the season but lost after a stroke of bad luck at the Paul Ricard Round. Since the Austrian-German duo only just missed out on the Endurance title at the Nürburgring, they are highly motivated to claim the overall crown in Barcelona.

To do so, they will have to maintain their advantage over McLaren’s Rob Bell. The Briton is on a high travelling to the Spanish circuit after he (and team-mates Van Gisbergen and Ledogar) pocketed the Endurance title at the Nürburgring. A recent dry spell - Bell has only scored two points in the last three rounds - saw him lose what looked like a comfortable lead in the overall drivers’ standings, but with the difference between he and Baumann/Buhk limited to just five points, nothing is decided yet. In Barcelona, Bell again drives with regular Sprint Cup partner Alvaro Parente.

But there is also a proverbial third dog in the fight at Barcelona. Laurens Vanthoor totals 100 points after nine meetings, and - with 34 still up for grabs - the 2014 Blancpain GT Series champion has a chance of erasing a 29-point deficit and claiming his second overall title.

A good result would also help his Belgian Audi Club Team WRT outfit in their quest for a successful defence of their teams’ title. On the eve of the Barcelona meeting, the Belgian squad is 14 points down on HTP Motorsport. For the German team it is the best chance they have ever had of claiming a title that, up until now, has always eluded them. Just like the drivers’ championship, there is a third contender with an outside chance on the teams’ title, but Garage 59 McLaren must make up 30 points on HTP Motorsport.

While the teams’ and drivers’ title fight in the overall Pro-Am category is already decided – Michal Broniszewski and Kessel Racing took the crown – the teams’ title in the Am class is not: AF Corse and Rinaldi Racing are only separated by 10 points. The Am Cup drivers’ title will probably be decided at the moment the entry list is fully confirmed. The two drivers that still have a shot at the title – Claudio Sdanewitsch leads Stéphane Lémeret by 10 points – are again entered in the same car, effectively handing the title to the German driver.

Sprint Cup to also be decided

Barcelona is not only the final round of the overall Blancpain GT Series but also the conclusion of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup. Leading the Sprint Cup standings are Belgian Enzo Ide and German Christopher Mies. Unfortunately Mies cannot make it to Barcelona, due to other commitments. That means that the 25-year old Belgian will have to defend his lead with the help of another team-mate, but in Robin Frijns – the 2015 Blancpain GT Series champion – he gets some first-class help.

In the Sprint Cup standings Ide has a lead of 17 points over Dominik Baumann and Maxi Buhk. Their win at the Hungaroring brought the Mercedes-AMG duo right back into the title fight after some lesser performances in the middle of the season. Their team colleagues Jules Szymkowiak and Bernd Schneider have been scoring points all season, but a lack of a win means they have to close a 20-point gap on Ide.

In fourth are McLaren duo Bell and Parente. They scored a win at the Sprint round at the Nürburgring, but failed to score any points in Budapest, which means they are now trailing the standings leader by 23 points. Belgian Audi duo Vanthoor and Frédéric Vervisch still have a mathematical chance of winning the title, but with a 33-point deficit need a minor miracle to end the season on top.

In the other categories things are also still undecided. In the Pro-Am category Kessel Ferrari drivers and triple race winners Michal Broniszewski and Giacomo Piccini enjoy a 26-point advantage over French Mercedes-AMG duo Beaubelique and Moullin-Traffort, while in the Silver Cup (reserved for Silver drivers) Lamborghini pairing Luca Stolz and Michele Beretta have 24 points in hand over British Audi drivers Leonard and Meadows. The Dane Moller-Madsen will need a perfect weekend if he wants to close the 31-point gap on the Silver Cup leaders.

As you can see on the attached entry list there have been some changes in different driver line-ups since the last sprint round at the Hungaroring, but the Barcelona grid will still be 35 cars strong.

The Barcelona meeting is not only the final round of the Blancpain GT Series, but also includes races for the Blancpain GT Sports Club and several demo runs by the impressive machinery of the Blancpain Ultracar Sports Club.

Drivers quotes

Maxi Buhk (#84 AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG): “Barcelona is where the most important decision of the season will be taken. It was frustrating to miss the Endurance title by just one point, but we should not be too disappointed: thanks to our fourth place at the ‘Ring we still have a good shot at the overall titles, both for the drivers and the team.”

Rob Bell (#58 Garage 59 McLaren): “Barcelona will be like the Nürburgring: a big fight. 
But we are ready for it, we are looking forward to it even. We want this championship as well. I think the spectators in Barcelona will see some great racing with a lot of action.”

Enzo Ide (#33 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT R8): “I don’t think that the fact that I cannot drive with Christopher is a big disadvantage. Robin Frijns is a factory driver as well, and very quick too. We have done some testing together and we get along really fine. The only thing left to do is to get used to certain procedures, like the driver changes, but there is plenty of time to prepare ourselves.”

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Provisional Entry list

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Provisional Timetable 

Saturday October 1st
09:00 – 09:40 Free Practice 1 for Bronze & Silver Drivers
09:40 – 10:20 Free Practice 1
12:30 – 13:50 Free Practice 2
15:30 – 16:25 Qualifying

Sunday October 2nd
09:15 – 10:15 Qualifying Race
14:10 – 15:10 Main Race
 

Click here for the event poster