Round 1 of the ultra-competitive GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup got underway at Circuit Paul Ricard this weekend. The Iron Lynx trio of Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli and Mirko Bortolotti held their nerve in a frantic race to bring home a hard-fought podium, having battled at the front of the field for the duration of the three-hour contest.
Sunday morning’s Qualifying session marked a significant achievement for the team; the combined time of the three drivers was good enough to top the timesheets, securing a first-ever overall pole position for the team in GT World Challenge Europe’s Endurance Cup.
Starting from the best possible position, Mirko got the race underway with a superb drive. Despite three Safety Cars, several Full Course Yellow periods and intense pressure from the #22 Porsche in the first hour, Mirko remained composed to maintain the lead throughout the opening stint.
As the end of the first hour loomed, Mirko set the fastest lap of the race before a well-timed Full Course Yellow brought most of the field into the pits for their first stops. At the end of the Lap 25, the #63 car was handed over to Andrea who re-joined in second place.
While still under FCY conditions, the leading #22 car received a black and orange flag, forcing them back into the pits and promoting Andrea back into the race lead. Upon the restart, it was now the #998 BMW that posed the greatest threat. Andrea resisted countless attempts, lap after lap, but just after the race’s halfway point, he finally conceded the position.
After the briefest respite, another BMW – this time the #98 car – began piling on the pressure. Once again, Andrea brilliantly repelled his pursuer and maintained position for the remainder of the middle stint.
With the final pitstops completed, Matteo got behind the wheel of the #63 and emerged in second place once more. The third stint was much less eventful, allowing Matteo to get into a rhythm and calmly bring home a hard-fought podium to cap off an encouraging start to the season.
Andrea Piccini, Iron Lynx Team Principal and CEO said: “The entire team executed a great race with no mistakes, maximizing not only the performance of our car, but also the strategy and pit stops. That’s a great start for us in GTWC, we take away lots of points for the championship and a big boost for the whole team. We couldn’t do more than that, so we’ll go home happy and satisfied and we are looking forward to the next race in Spa, where we may have more of an opportunity to fight for the win.”