Garage 59 Reshuffled Squad Takes The Win On Saturday

GT Open Hockenheim Race 1 Summary

Hockenheim, Germany – Marvin Kirchhöfer and Tom Fleming delivered a commanding performance to secure pole position and a decisive victory in Race 1 at Hockenheim, driving the Garage 59 McLaren 720S. The win was particularly impressive given the last-minute change in driver lineup due to Miguel Ramos’s illness, which saw Kirchhöfer step in alongside Fleming, who was originally set to drive with Alexander West.

The duo demonstrated remarkable synergy throughout the race, particularly during a chaotic phase that included a safety car deployment. Their efforts were rewarded as Garage 59 also clinched the Am class victory with the pairing of Mark Sansom and Alexander West.

Results Overview:

Overall Winner: Marvin Kirchhöfer / Tom Fleming (Garage 59 McLaren 720S)
Second Place: Simon Reicher / Christopher Haase (Eastalent Audi)
Third Place: Tom Lebbon / Tom Emson (Elite Ferrari)

Reicher and Haase’s consistent performance throughout the weekend has narrowed their championship deficit to just 11 points against Levente and Révész, who finished sixth. Lebbon and Emson’s result marked their second podium finish of the season.

In the Pro-Am category, Steve Jans and Aaron Walker of GetSpeed secured consecutive victories, finishing ahead of their SPS teammates Valentin and Dominik Baumann, and Dexter Müller with Yannick Mettler.

Class Results:

Am Class Winner: Mark Sansom / Alexander West
Second Place: Gino Forgione / Michele Rugolo (AF Corse Ferrari)
Third Place: Petr Fulín / Jiri Navrátil (Fullin Race Audi)

The race opened with a fierce start, with Kirchhöfer quickly establishing a lead of 2.5 seconds by lap 10. However, the weather turned sour, resulting in a significant storm that complicated track conditions and led to multiple incidents. A safety car was deployed on lap 22 to manage the situation, during which all mandatory pit stops were completed.

At the restart, Bartone briefly held the lead but was soon overtaken by Fleming, who maneuvered past a group of lapped cars. The conclusion of the race saw Fleming clinch victory, followed by Haase and Emson, while Jans, Sansom, and Forgione rounded out the top spots in their respective classes.

Key Takeaways:

Garage 59’s last-minute reshuffle proved successful in both overall and Am class wins.
The Eastalent Audi continues to close the gap in the championship standings.
Track incidents and weather conditions remained pivotal factors influencing the race outcome.