GT4 European Series: Barcelona Race 2 Report
Barcelona, Spain — Hadrien David and Jan Duran delivered a strong performance at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, securing a double victory for the #87 Toyota. Their win was aided by a timed penalty for the rival #78 Elite Motorsport McLaren, driven by McKenzy Cresswell and Josh Rattican, which ultimately allowed the Toyota to emerge victorious.
Following a chaotic start that saw a multiple-car incident causing red flags, Cresswell initially led the race but was later penalized with a 10-second time penalty for a jump start. Despite this setback, he managed to create a gap, allowing Rattican to chase down David over the final laps. With fierce competition in the closing stages, David held off Rattican, finishing just 0.3 seconds ahead.
Key Highlights:
- Pro-Am Victory: The Mogica brothers, Hugo and Thibaut, triumphed in the Pro-Am category, marking their second consecutive win. They controlled the race from start to finish, fending off a strong challenge from Branden Oxley’s #16 NM Racing Team Mercedes-AMG.
- Am Class Champions: Daniel Blickle and Max Kronberg capped their season with a seventh class win. Blickle started on pole and maintained a commanding lead, while the duo of Ali and Reema Juffali finished second after overcoming early damage.
Final Standings:
- Overall: 1. #87 David/Duran (Toyota) | 2. #78 Cresswell/Rattican (McLaren) | 3. #9 Nicolae/Tudurachi (Audi)
- Pro-Am: 1. Mogica/Mogica (Ginetta) | 2. Oxley/de Fulgencio (Mercedes-AMG) | 3. Vaintrub/Safronov (Aston Martin)
- Am: 1. Blickle/Kronberg (BMW) | 2. Juffali/Juffali (McLaren) | 3. Gatehouse/Sorokin (Mercedes-AMG)
David and Duran’s victory secured them the championship runner-up position, while Aleksandr Vaintrub and Stanislav Safronov clinched the Pro-Am title despite finishing third. They benefited from a chaotic start that saw their closest rivals retire.
The GT4 European Series continues to showcase intense competition, with significant implications for next season’s championship landscape.
