Vita4One BMW one-two in Slovakia GT1 World qualifying race
The Vita4One BMWs took an ultimately comfortable one-two finish in the GT1 World Championship qualifying race at the Slovakia Ring
Team boss Michael Bartels led from pole position and initially had to fend off a four-car train, led by Markus Winkelhock's Munnich Mercedes, with the second BMW of Mathias Lauda, WRT Audi driver Oliver Jarvis and Winkelhock's team-mate Thomas Jager on their tails.
The Audi dropped out of contention with an early puncture, and by quarter distance Bartels was starting to edge away a little.
His team-mate Yelmer Buurman then extended that advantage following the pitstops, while the second BMW dropped to fourth in the pits but soon passed both Mercedes as Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof produced an excellent charge back up to second.
As the Vita4One cars stretched away to score a result that extended Bartels and Buurman's championship lead, the two Mercedes managed to fend off Stephane Ortelli in the second Audi to secure third and fourth.
After Albert von Thurn und Taxis' heavy qualifying crash, Reiter prepared a new Lamborghini from its workshop in Germany in time for the race. It finished last in the slim field.
The SUNRED Ford, which had qualified sixth, was withdrawn pre-race due to illness afflicting driver Milos Pavlovic.
Results - 29 laps: Pos Drivers Team/Car Time/Gap 1. Buurman/Bartels Vita4One BMW 1h00m32.986s 2. Mayr-Melnhof/Lauda Vita4One BMW + 3.214s 3. Basseng/Winkelhock Munnich Mercedes + 12.730s 4. Pastorelli/Jager Munnich Mercedes + 13.713s 5. Ortelli/Vanthoor WRT Audi + 13.996s 6. Kox/O'Young Reiter Lamborghini + 24.534s 7. Vilander/Salaquarda AF Corse Ferrari + 42.046s 8. Makowiecki/Dusseldorp Hexis McLaren + 43.285s 9. Demoustier/Parente Hexis McLaren + 51.693s 10. Ide/Castellacci AF Corse Ferrari + 56.829s 11. von Thurn und Taxis/Rosina Reiter Lamborghini + 1m59.542s Retirements: Stippler/Jarvis WRT Audi 7 laps
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