Nurburgring GT1: AF Corse Ferrari wins as Munnich Mercedes takes points lead
AF Corse Ferrari drivers Toni Vilander and Filip Salaquarda claimed a second victory of the FIA GT1 World Championship season on a day the points lead changed hands at the Nurburgring
The Ferrari 458 Italia vaulted from eighth on the grid to second at the start of the championship race in Vilander's hands and then a quick turnaround during the mandatory pitstops put Salaquarda into the lead.
The Czech maintained his lead over the second-placed All-Inkl Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG driven by Markus Winkelhock and Marc Basseng, who moved into the lead of the championship.
Salaquarda said: "Toni did a very good job at the start and the team did the same in the pitstop. After I came out, I was just cruising."
The qualifying race winning Reiter Lamborghini Gallardo LP560 driven by Peter Kox and Stefan Rosina finished third. Kox had led from the start until a slow stop dropped the car to fourth.
Rosina was able to pass Michael Bartels on the Vita4One BMW Z4's first lap out of the pits and then challenged Winkelhock for second.
BMW pairing of Bartels and Yelmer Buurman ended up fourth, which means they travel to next weekend's championship finale at Donington Park trailing Basseng and Winkelhock by one point.
Hexis McLaren duo Frederic Makowiecki and Stef Dusseldorp are all but out of the championship after retiring from the race with gearbox issues.
The results remain provisional pending an investigation into the winning car's pitstop.
The FIA GT3 European Championship race, which ran concurrently with the world series event, was won by Heico Gravity-Charouz drivers Dominik Baumann and Maximillian Buhk.
Results - 31 laps:
Pos Drivers Team/Car Time/Gap
1. Vilander/Salaquarda AF Ferrari 1h01m51.376s
2. Basseng/Winkelhock Munnich Mercedes + 6.437s
3. Kox/Rosina Reiter Lamborghini + 9.932s
4. Buurman/Bartels Vita4One BMW + 19.071s
5. Lauda/Mayr-Melnhof Vita4One BMW + 33.481s
6. Vanthoor/Ortelli WRT Audi + 51.272s
7. Ide/Castellacci AF Ferrari + 1m20.846s
8. Pastorelli/Jager Munnich Mercedes + 1 lap
Retirements:
Parisy/Bleekemolen Reiter Lamborghini 26 laps
Makowiecki/Dusseldorp Hexis McLaren 23 laps
Lariche/Groppi SUNRED Ford 2 laps
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