FFSA GT, Magny Cours - Race Two Report
A Dramatic End To The Season Qualifying In the qualifying session, for top-seeded drivers, Laurent Groppi (#7 Larbre Compétition Porsche 911 GT3 R) set the pole position, with a laptime of 1'54"7. Julien Briché ("4 JSB Compétition Lamborghini) was second quickest. Dino Lunardi (#16 Sainteloc/Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS), was third quickest and shared the second row with Soheil Ayari (#26 ORECA Audi R8 LMS), while Christophe Bouchut (#8 Saintéloc/Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS) was on the third row, alongside Greg Franchi (#37 WRT Audi R8 LMS); while Renaud Derlot, leader in the Championship standings was fifteenth quickest only. Race At the start, Briché took the lead, ahead of Groppi, Franchi – starting well – Bouchut, Panis (#1 DKR Ford GT), Makowiecki (#31 Hexis AMR Aston Martin DBRS9), Ortelli (#25 ORECA Audi R8 LMS), Badey (#35 Saintéloc/Phoenix Racing Audi R8 LMS) and Ayari. Further back in the field, Derlot had moved up to 11th position as early as lap 3. However, two laps later, Derlot had to retire. In the early laps, he had a contact with Clivio Piccione (#32 Hexis AMR Aston Martin DBRS9) which badly damaged the exhaust of his Corvette. Soon, on lap 5, the engine broke; a real drama as regards the championship for Derlot and Arnaud Peyroles, his teammate. Ayari, whose start had been difficult, was moving up too and passed Badey and Ortelli. On lap 10, Briché had a ten seconds lead on Groppi, Franchi and Bouchut. Makowiecki was quickest on the track and succeeded in passing Bouchut and Groppi. All leaders pitted very late and, after the driver changes, Jean-Claude Lagniez who had taken over from Briché was still in first place, while Patrick Bornhauser (#7 Larbre Porsche) was now runner-up and was coming back quickly on the leading Lamborghini. Rodrigues (#31 Aston Martin) was in third place, ahead of Merafina (#8 Audi), Hernandez (#26 Audi), Hallyday (#25 Audi), Beaubelique (#35 Audi), Lemeret (#37 Audi), delayed after a bad pitstop, and Tonelli (#9 Graff Racing Audi). Eric Debard (#1 Ford GT) was in 15th position because Olivier Panis had a puncture just before the driver change. Bornhauser was quicker on the track than Lagniez, but, with only three laps to the chequered flag, the Lamborghini was still leading the race, Rodriguez staying in third position. Bornhauser was soon however close to Lagniez, while Hallyday passed Merafina for fifth place. In the very late stages of the race, Gérard Tonelli had an off; the Graff Racing Corvette going straight on into the wall. The medical car was called and the race was red flagged. Tonelli was taken to the Nevers hospital. Lagniez and Briché thus gave JSB Compétition their first win while Patrick Bornhauser and Laurent Groppi claimed the FFSA GT drivers championship. Race results – here
Final points table - here Claude Foubert | 
