GT Open Red Bull Ring Report: Kell and Macdonald Secure Victory
James Kell and Dean Macdonald clinched their first victory since the season opener in Portimao, capturing the top spot in Sunday’s GT Open race at the Red Bull Ring. The win reinstated their competitive edge in the championship.
The race featured an all-British podium, with Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson finishing second in the Elite Motorsport Ferrari, while Jayden Kelly and Josh Rattican rounded out the podium in third place with the Greystone GT McLaren—both teams making impressive series debuts.
In Pro-Am, Ernst Kirchmayr and Giacomo Altoè showcased dominance again, securing pole and victory in the Ferrari 296 of Austria’s Baron Motorsport. Steve Jans and Aaron Walker in a GetSpeed Mercedes, along with Maksim Kizilov and Alexey Nesov in a Car Collection Porsche, followed with solid performances in the class.
Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo of AF Corse maintained their lead in the Am category, achieving their seventh victory of the season and outpacing Mark Sansom and Marco Pulcini in the Garage 59 McLaren, and Ameerh Naran in the Vimana by GetSpeed Mercedes.
Levente Révész regained the overall points lead, finishing fifth with Max Götz in the Motopark Mercedes. He holds a narrow three-point advantage (105 to 102) over Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase in the Eastalent Racing Audi, who faced a setback due to a puncture.
Race Highlights
- Start: Pole-sitter Altoè maintained his lead initially. However, Macdonald quickly moved into second place, with Mosca soon following him.
- Early Incidents: A technical issue sidelined Vos on the first lap, and a collision involving Kell and Dörrbecker brought out the safety car.
- Key Moments: On lap 9, Haase pitted due to a puncture after minor contact. By lap 17, Mosca overtook Altoè to take the lead during the pit sequence.
- Final Stages: The leading trio of Kell, Lebbon, and Rattican battled closely, all within a second of each other in the closing laps. Positions remained mostly unchanged, with Kirchmayr prevailing in Pro-Am and Rugolo securing the win in Am over Sansom.
Results Overview
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GT Open Red Bull Ring Race 2 Results:
- Kell/Macdonald (GT Open McLaren)
- Lebbon/Emson (Elite Motorsport Ferrari)
- Kelly/Rattican (Greystone GT McLaren)
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Pro-Am: Kirchmayr/Altoè (Baron Motorsport Ferrari)
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Am: Forgione/Rugolo (AF Corse Ferrari)
This race highlights the competitive landscape of the GT Open series, as young drivers continue to vie for supremacy in a tightly packed field. The next installment promises to maintain this intensity as teams prepare for continued battles in the 2025 season.
