SPS automotive performance started successfully into the new season of the International GT Open with a class victory. Dexter Müller and Yannick Mettler (both SUI) triumphed in the #54 Mercedes-AMG GT3 under the entry CBRX by SPS in Saturday’s race in the PROAM class. The young driver duo Reece Barr (IRL) and Mikaeel Pitamber (RSA) also impressed on their first race weekend for the Willsbach-based team with fifth and seventh places in the PRO category.
Already in the first qualifying of the season at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, both teams showed good form. Yannick Mettler in the #54 Mercedes-AMG GT3 set the second-fastest lap time and thus qualified for the first row of the grid, which also meant second starting position in the PROAM class. One position behind Mettler, team-mate Reece Barr placed third and thus started from pole position in the PRO category.
For the first round of the International GT Open on Saturday, 32 GT cars hit the track over a distance of 70 minutes. Yannick Mettler defended his second position at the start and fought for the overall lead throughout his stint. Mettler pitted late for his mandatory stop and handed over the Mercedes-AMG GT3 to his teammate Dexter Müller. This strategy put Müller in first position in the PROAM class after the pit stop window closed and he went into the final phase of the first race with a comfortable lead. Müller defended his lead all the way to the finish and thus took the first class win in the first race of the season for SPS automotive performance.
In his first race in the International GT Open for his new team, Reece Barr avoided tough duels with his competitors in the number 20 sister car. As a result, Barr lost a few places, but continued to fight for positions in the leading group. After the driver change, Mikaeel Pitamber delivered exciting duels over many laps. At the end of the race, the young South African crossed the finish line in a good seventh position in the PRO category.
In Sunday’s race, starting driver Mikaeel Pitamber in car number 20 came into the one-hour race from sixth place in his class. Pitamber found himself fighting for positions after the start, as he had done the day before, but held his own in the top ten overall. After the driver change, Reece Barr also showed a strong performance and drove up to fifth place, which the Irishman defended until the end. This meant further championship points for the young driver duo and a strong debut with SPS automotive performance in the International GT Open.
The #54 Mercedes-AMG GT3 was piloted by Dexter Müller at the start of the second round and started from ninth place in the PROAM category. Müller defended this position during his stint and moved up a few positions overall. At the pit stop, where an additional 15 seconds had to be served due to the class win the day before, Yannick Mettler took over the #54. In the first laps, Mettler was blocked in heavy traffic by some competitors who had not yet completed a stop and lost valuable time. But the Swiss didn’t give up and with a strong drive and excellent lap times made up a few more positions and after 60 minutes of racing he was flagged off in sixth position in the PROAM class. With this result, the duo scored important championship points in the PROAM category, which has a strong field of 13 cars.
The next challenge awaits SPS automotive performance as early as next weekend. From 5 to 7 May, the 12-hour race of the 24H Series is on the agenda at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Stephan Sohn, Team Principal SPS automotive performance: “We can be satisfied with the result this weekend. A class win in the PROAM as well as very good finishes for our youngsters in the PRO category, where they held their own well against much more experienced teams, some of which are staffed with factory drivers. Yannick had a bit of bad luck with the traffic in the second run, but the pace was good. A big compliment to all the drivers and the whole team who performed strongly again.”
