This weekend, the International GT Open guests in the Royal Park of Monza – one of the last high-speed lines of the modern era: long straights combined with a high full-gas content. This promises pure tension and the thrill of racing!
In the 6th round the Team SPS of teamchef Stephan Sohn a second Mercedes AMG GT3 adds to Monza entry list:
Start number 20 as always steered by the well-known driver duo Valentin Pierburg and Tom Onslow-Cole. The Swiss team Roberto Pampanini and Mauro Calamia are new with SPS automotive performance. Yes, they are experienced drivers but for the first time in the cockpit of the AMG GT 3. Their car shows number 40.
In the first free practice on Friday, the two SPS Mercedes reach P12 (# 20) and P22 (# 40), the 2nd free practice at the same day is a clear shot forward for the team Pierburg/Onslow-Cole up to P2 – and also the Swiss are able to improve 4 places to P18.
On Saturday it is at 11:30 that for drivers, bolides & teams the 30-mins Qualifying 1 starts. The fine-tuned team-tactics of the previous evening worked perfectly – up to the Red Flag. It was somewhat “rough running” at the Pitlane for a short moment – but without serious consequences. Apart from: an internal re-alignment of the team in case of an emergency during Race 1 starting the very same day at 16:15 CET.
On the grid for Race 1 the two SPS GT3 have established themselves at P4 (Pierburg/Onslow-Cole) and P8 (Pampini / Calamia) in their class.
At this point “Chapeau Chapeau” to the two Swiss, who deliver a respectable debut appearance here.
But now there is only little left till the engines will start.
We stay tuned and keep you in the loop …
Saturday – back on air again:
Starting Grid, final check with the drivers, then the team back to the box and follow the race on the screen. Both cars are coming off well – the # 20 is piloted by Tom Onslow-Cole, the # 40 by Roberto Pampanini.
After being blocked over rounds by his front man and not being able to bring his full speed on the track Tom succeeds after felt countless rounds the overtaking maneuver. From there, he drives forward sovereignly and without any incidents, and in round 22 hands over the wheel to Valentin Pierburg … who finally sees the chequered flag on P3 in his class. Bravo – once again Podium for SPS and the duo Pierburg / Onslow-Cole.
Roberto drills # 40 professionally and very ambitiously over this very fast course – his ambition is “rewarded” with a spin in round 6, which costs him valuable places which in parts he is able to gain back until the driver change in round 15. Now it is on Mauro Calamia to improve the position in the field … and it goes well over rounds. Until a collision with a rival in the field in which he got involved. This costs Calamia precious places and some carbon parts – the other car gets shot off the track, for him the race is finished. The result for the AMG GT3 with the starting number 40 is P9 in PROAM class.
The Qualifying 2 on Sunday morning runs smoothly, for the car with the number 20 Valentin Pierburg reaches grid position 10 in the class – Mauro Calamia places the # 40 on P8 in the class on the grid.
At 14:00 the Pit Lane is open at 14:15 flying start. It is getting damn tight in the field … parts fly and a vehicle distributes its parts on the track. Thank goodness, none of the SPS Mercedes gets involved here and both continue without further damage. After this adrenaline rush, the field calms down and both cars reach the finish line after a perfect pit stop with driver change without any damages: the
# 20 fixes P5 in the class (3/10 seconds faster and it would have been the 4 L), the # 40 ends up on a sober P9.
All Motorsport friends can follow the races and SPS automotive performance on various online channels:
http://instagram.com/sps_performance