
SMP Racing Ferraris dominate Race 1
SMP Racing took a brilliant double podium in today’s first race of the International GT Open Winter Series at the Paul Ricard track. Russian Roman Mavlanov and Italian Daniel Zampieri claimed the win in the Ferrari 458 ahead of team mates José Manuel Pérez-Aicart–Vyecheslav Maleev. The AF Corse car of the Alexander Talkanitsa Jr & Sr ended third.
Matteo Cairoli, who set the third time in the qualifying with the Ombra Racing‘s Ferrari, didn’t start due to an engine problem, while Claudio Sdanewitsch kicks off from the pits. Pérez-Aicart took the lead ahead of polesitter Zampieri. At first corner, Thomas Kemenater was off the track, while shortly after Stefano Gattuso spun. Eric Dermont’s Porsche encountered a problem and was forced to stop in the first lap.
After the pit stop Mavlanov took the lead with 6s on Maleev and Talkanitsa third. Positions did not change until the finish, with the Jan Seyffarth’s Mercedes stopping again in the pits – after a previous puncture – in the last lap.