Two class podiums at Paul Ricard

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BLACK FALCON’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 have scored a pair of class podiums at the third round of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. Held over a grueling 1,000km distance, twice the normal race length for the season, the team’s Silver Cup, and Pro-Am entries both delivered excellent results in a dramatic race that has further improved their respective championship positions.

BLACK FALCON’s trio of Mercedes-AMG GT3 were part of a stellar 51-car field that raced into the night, with almost half the grid participating in the top-line Pro class for all-professional driver squads. The race used the full length of the legendary Mistral straight, a 1.8km blast that leads into the high-speed challenge of Signes corner, which put maximum stress on both cars and drivers alike. Non-stop action through the evening and into the darkness resulted in high attrition, but BLACK FALCON’s drivers came through to finish as the highest placed AMG in both the Silver Cup and Pro-Am classes, taking second in the former and third in the latter.

The drivers of the #6 Mercedes-AMG GT3, Abdulaziz Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia), Hubert Haupt (Germany) and Gabriele Piana (Italy), again showed well throughout the weekend. They qualified 28th overall, fourth in the Silver Cup class, and the three drivers put in stellar drives over the long race. As with the #5 crew, they raced sensibly and consistently, putting in a spurt of speed during the final third of the race that catapulted them up the order. The result was a fine second in class – their third podium in a row – and a creditable 15th overall, which sees them increase their championship lead in the Silver Cup.

The driver line-up for the #5 AMG in Pro-Am comprised Rui Aguas (Portugal), Saud Al Faisal (Saudi Arabia) and Kriton Lendoudis (Greece). They maintained a solid pace through the opening sessions, but had to settle for starting eighth in class and 45th overall after a tough Qualifying. Come the race they had the chance to shine: throughout the opening hours #5 made consistent progress forward, and as the sun began to set around 21:00 they were already up to 34th and in the thick of the Pro-Am battle. Within half an hour the track was blanketed in darkness and #5 continued its fantastic run, eventually crossing the line in an excellent 25th overall and third in class, claiming the final podium spot in Pro-Am. The result has moved them up to fourth in the Pro-Am Teams standings, within just a handful of points of the teams ahead.

The Pro class #4 Mercedes-AMG Team BLACK FALCON AMG GT3 featured Yelmer Buurman (Netherlands), Maro Engel (Germany) and Luca Stolz (Germany). Following up their strong results at Monza and Silverstone, it was no surprise to see the #4 crew around the top of the time-sheets in the early sessions, and in fact, Maro set the fastest time of any driver in the 90-minute Pre-Qualifying session that brought Friday’s preliminary activities to a close. The three-part Qualifying on Saturday morning netted #4 a ninth-place starting position on the grid; times were incredibly tight at the top, and the AMG was barely half a second from pole.

There was an initial false start before the race got underway, triggering a second formation lap and some jostling as the grid got itself back in order for the green lights. Maro had to take avoiding action as the pole-sitting car bogged down on the rolling start, but kept his cool around a frantic opening lap to consolidate #4’s position in the top 10. An early safety car period just seven minutes into the race gave the drivers a brief opportunity to regroup, but the high-speed action was soon back underway. Unfortunately, after the promising start, disaster struck #4 just half an hour into the race. Maro made contact with a BMW into Signes corner, and with nowhere to go the AMG was turned round and sustained race-ending damage.

Attention now turns to preparing for another marathon event: July’s iconic Spa 24 Hours, held at the famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Big points are available for holding positions throughout the race, so it will be a pivotal event for the team’s championship hopes – to consolidate their existing lead in Silver Cup, further improve their position in Pro-Am and for the #4 crew to bring themselves back into the Pro class hunt. You can support BLACK FALCON across all social media platforms: follow them via twitter.com/TeamBlackFalcon, facebook.com/teamblackfalcon/ and instagram.com/teamblackfalcon to get live action updates direct from the tracks, as well as fantastic images of the team in action.

RACE DATES
Blancpain Endurance Series
Test Day: 3 July (Spa)
Round 4: 26-29 July (Spa 24 Hours)
Round 5: 29-30 September (Barcelona)