FFSA – Magny Cours - Saturday - Race 1

Qualifying

GT1

At the start of the qualifying session, the track was still cold, and the drivers warmed up their tyres progressively. At first, Balthazard (#8 Luc Alphand Aventures C5-R) was first quickest, ahead of Hernandez ( #1 Oreca Saleen) and Narac (#9 Oreca Saleen). Then, Yvan Lebon (#17 PSI Corvette C6.R) set the first significant time (1'41''010). Soon after the session was red flagged, due some oil on the track. So at the restart, within nine minutes of the chequered flag, Lebon was quickest ahead of Brandela ( #10 Mirabeau MTO Chrysler Viper), Hernandez, Narac, Bervillé (#11 SRT Corvette C5-R), Snobeck (#6 Tarrès Team Saleen), Bornhauser (#3 Larbre Compétition Astin Martin DBR9) and Police (#16 PSI Corvette C5-R).

Straight away, Cazenave (#5 SRT Corvette C5-R) was pushing hard to have a clear lap. He claimed the pole position, improving again his lap time one lap later. Behind him, Narac was second while Police, Hernandez, Bornhauser, Balthazard and Debard (#4 Tarrès Team Saleen) were fighting for third place.

Bornhauser was eventually third quickest, ahead of Debard and Hernandez.

GT2 -GT3

Michael Petit (#74 Sport Garage Ferrari 430 GT3) was first quickest in the early stages. Behind him, Berougeon ( #78 Sport Garage Ferrari), Peyroles (#94 Ruffier Racing Dodge Viper), Brière (#76 Hexis Racing Aston Martin DBRS9) and Cabannes (#67 Ruffier Racing Dodge Viper) were fighting for second place. The First Racing Lamborghinis were soon pushing hard, Tuchbant (#72) being in fourth place and Dubreuil (#70) in fifth place. In the late session, Moureu (#75 Sport Garage Ferrari) improved and was now third quickest. Petit was still in the provisional pole position, ahead of Peyroles. Positions did not change afterwards and Petit was poleman, ahead
of Peyroles, Moureu, Dubreuil, Brière, Ballay (#90 Thierry Boutsen Racing Ferrari) and Tuchbant.

In the GT2 Trophy, David Loger (#38 Nourry Compétition Porsche 996 RSR) set his first pole position, ahead of Michel Lecourt (#36 IMSA Performance MATMUT Porsche 997 RSR), the usual poleman. Claude Monteiro (#37 Estoril Racing Porsche 996 RSR) was in third place, ahead of Michel Nourry (#40 Nourry Porsche 996 RS), fourth quickest.

Race 1 Report

GT1

Laurent Cazenave (#5 SRT C5-R) was the best starter, ahead of Narac (#9 Oreca Saleen), Debard (#4 Tarrès Saleen), Bornhauser (#3 Larbre Aston Martin), Police (#16 PSI C5-R) and Hernandez (#1 Oreca Saleen). Cazenave widened a gap over Narac and Debard whileBornhauser, Police, Lebon (#17 PSI C6.R) and Hernandez were fighting for fourth position a bit further down the field.

Soon after, Police spun and fell down back of the field. Then Bornhauser also lost some positions. Before the driver changes, Cazenave had a six second lead on Narac, Debard, Lebon, Hernandez and Balthazard (#8 Luc Alphand C5-R). All drivers pitted. Cazenave was the only one to stay longer on the track, as usual for SRT since the start of the season.

Behind him, Thévenin (#4 Tarrès Saleen), Dayraut (#17 PSI C6.R), Ayari (#9 Oreca Saleen), Groppi (#1 Oreca Saleen) and Policand (#8 Luc Alphand C5-R) were neck and neck, exchanging their positions. So, within 25 minutes of the chequered flag, Cayrolle who had taken over from Cazenave was six seconds ahead of Dayraut, Ayari and Groppi.

Makowiecki (#3 Larbre Aston Martin) had to pit for a stop and go. Dayraut was pushing hard and succeeded in passing Cayrolle, just before that Makowiecki lost his left door. The race was under yellow with the safety car on track.

The race went green again within five minutes of the finish. Dayraut could escape, Soheil Ayari was blocked by a backmarker and Groppi took profit of it to pass his
team mate. Soon after he passed Cayrolle for second place and came close to Dayraut who crossed however the finish line in first position. Lebon and Dayraut had their first win of the season, ahead of Hernandez/Groppi.

Cayrolle and Cazenave were downgraded after the race (technical non-conformity). So Ayari and Narac were on the third step of the podium and claimed the FFSA GT title.

GT3

On their home track, First Racing could not hope for a better result. Amado/Dubreuil (#70 Lamborghini Gallardo) took the win ahead of their team mates Tuchbant/Leclerc (#72 Lamborghini Gallardo).

Christopher Campbell finished in fourth position, he is now very close to the GT3 title, but it isn’t over yet and he will have to wait for the Sunday race result.

GT2

Balandras/Lecourt (#36 IMSA Peformance MATMUT), already champions, took their thirteenth win in a row, ahead of the #38 Nourry Porsche driven by Moiez and Loger.

Claude Foubert

RACE 1 RESULT

1 LEBON Y / DAYRAUT J - PSI CORVETTE C6.R GT1- 1:00:11.347 - 1:38.182
2 HERNANDEZ B / GROPPI L – ORECA SALEEN S7-R GT1 +0.189 - 1:37.770
3 CAZENAVE L / CAYROLLE E – SRT CORVETTE C5-R GT1 +6.246 - 1:38.774
4 NARAC R / AYARI S – ORECA SALEEN S7-R GT1 +6.508 - 1:38.812
5 BALTHAZARD / POLICAND J - LAA CORVETTE C5-R GT1 +7.233 - 1:38.672
6 BERVILLE R / BOUCHUT C – SRT CORVETTE C5-R GT1 +7.554 - 1:38.591
7 DEBARD E / THEVENIN O - TARRES SALEEN S7-R GT1 +27.532 - 1:38.920
8 ADAM J / ZACCHIA - LARBRE FERRARI 550 Maranello GT1 +1 lap - 1:40.865
9 LECOURT /BALANDRAS - IMSA PORSCHE 997 RSR GT2 +1 lap - 1:45.013
10 PEYROLES A / RUFFIER J - RUFFIER VIPER EXP +1 lap - 1:43.665
11 DUBREUIL B /AMADO U- FIRST GALLARDO GT3 +1 lap - 1:44.954
12 LECLERC A / TUCHBANT D - FIRST GALLARDO GT3 +1 lap - 1:45.130
13 BALLAY /SCHEIER – T. BOUTSEN FERRARI 430 GT3 + 1 lap - 1:44.424
14 MOUREU / CAMPBELL - S GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 + 1 lap - 1:45.743
15 PETIT M / VANNELET G - S GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 +1 lap - 1:45.913
16 BEROUGEON /LESOUDIER - S GARAGE FERRARI 430 GT3 + 1 lap - 1:46.559
17 DELLUS G / BRIERE B - HEXIS AM DBRS9 GT3 + 1 lap - 1:46.744
18 MOUEZ E / LOGER D - NOURRY PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 +1 lap - 1:45.482
19 POLICE J C / ZANGARELLI M - PSI CORVETTE C5-R GT1 +2 laps - 1:39.558
20 CABANNES G / SOURD M - RUFFIER VIPER GT3 + 2 laps - 1:45.621
21 MONTEIRO /MONTEIRO ESTORIL PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 +2 laps - 1:46.082
22 RODRIGUES M / RODRIGUES J HEXIS AM DBRS9 GT3 +2 laps - 1:45.687
23 LEPREUX T / OUDIN J P – RUFFIER VIPER GT3 +2 laps - 1:46.121
24 CLAIRAY G / CLEMENT H - GCR DODGE VIPER GT3 + 2 laps - 1:47.451
25 BRIGAND E / LAURIN J – GCR DODGE VIPER GT3 +2 laps - 1:47.981
26 TONELLI /ZOLLINGER - RED RACING PORSCHE 996 RSR GT2 +2 laps - 1:47.901
27 BACHELIER J M / MALLEGOL Y - FERRARI DEALER TEAM GB FERRARI 430 CHALLENGE GT3 + 2 laps - 1:46.626
28 BAUDINIERE P / NOURRY M - NOURRY Porsche 996 RS GT2 + 2 laps - 1:49.154
29 SNOBECK D / PORTA O - TARRES SALEEN S7-R EXP + 3 laps - 1:41.434
30 BORNHAUSER P / MAKOWIECKI F - LARBRE AM DBR9 GT1 +8 laps - 1:38.808
31 BRANDELA R / LASSERRE L - MIRABEAU VIPER GTS-R GT1 +31 laps - 1:42.673