GT Open Race Summary: Algarve International Circuit
Algarve, Portugal — James Kell and Dean Macdonald secured their second consecutive victory in the GT Open series at the Algarve International Circuit on Saturday, driving the McLaren 720S Evo for Greystone GT. The British duo, fresh off their win at the Monza 500, triumphed in a competitive field of over 30 cars.
Kell expressed confidence post-race, stating, “It’s nice to be at the top again, and this year we’ll definitely go for the title.” Their win came following a vibrant race characterized by intense battles among the top contenders.
The race saw Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase in the Eastalent Racing Audi finishing second, closely followed by Anthony Bertone and Fabian Schiller in the GetSpeed Mercedes.
In the Pro-Am category, Valentin Pierburg and Dominik Baumann clinched the victory in their SPS Mercedes, outracing the Car Collection Porsche driven by ‘Hash’-Fontana and the SPS Mercedes of Jans-Walker. In the Am category, Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo, piloting the Ferrari 296 of AF Corse, triumphed over Miguel Ramos and Mark Sansom in the Garage 59 McLaren, as well as the Vimana Mercedes of Naran.
The race commenced with Schiller, who started from pole position, initially battling side-by-side with Macdonald but managed to establish a lead. After several laps, Schiller controlled a narrow 1.1-second lead. However, the dynamics shifted drastically on lap 8 when a safety car was deployed due to an incident involving S. Jedlinski and Hernández, altering the race’s pace.
Post-restart on lap 11, the crucial driver change window opened, and Kell emerged in front after the pit stops, followed by Bertone, Revesz, and Haase. A late-race maneuver by Revesz brought him up to third, but a subsequent five-second penalty saw him relegated to fourth.
Race Results
- Overall Winner: James Kell/Dean Macdonald (McLaren 720S Evo – Greystone GT)
- 2nd Place: Simon Reicher/Christopher Haase (Audi – Eastalent Racing)
- 3rd Place: Anthony Bertone/Fabian Schiller (Mercedes – GetSpeed)
Class Winners
- Pro-Am: Valentin Pierburg/Dominik Baumann (SPS Mercedes)
- Am: Gino Forgione/Michele Rugolo (Ferrari 296 – AF Corse)
The GT Open continues to heat up, with teams positioning themselves for the season ahead. The next race will be critical as competitors seek to make their mark and chase championship points.
