It was not only at Hellfest that we were able, on this weekend of June 25/26, to hear some choice music, if Nightwish, Guns n' Roses and Metalica entered the stage in Clisson in the west of France.
In the southwest, it was melodies in 4-cylinder turbo from the Alpine A110, 6 in twin-turbo lines from the Toyota Supra and BMW M4 or flat from the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, V8 bi-turbo AMG from Aston-Martin and Mercedes even V10 Audi R8 LMS GT4 which kept us on tenterhooks.
With its 3.565 meters, the track around the Albi aerodrome runway promised two confrontations of 60 minutes, one on Saturday and the other on Sunday.
Everything is in place for an exciting weekend.
French FFSA GT Championship
Free practices
The thunderstorms of the night gave way to large clearings when the competitors of the French FFSA GT Championship took to the track this Friday at 1:40 p.m. for the first one-hour free practice session.
This session was marked by many red flags, in order to put back the markers delimiting the track.
FP1 : Final Classification
Pro-Am
Valentin Hasse-Clot / Romano Ricci Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #13 - Mirage Racing
Pro-Am
Victor Weyrich / Romain Carton Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #74 - Racing Spirit Of Léman
Am
Michael Blanchemain / Christophe Hamon Audi R8 LMS GT4 #69 - Full Motorsport
The second free practice session began at 4:45 p.m. under bright sunshine.
FP2 : Final Classification
Pro-Am
Nicolas Prost / Rudy Servol Alpine A110 GT4 #36 - CMR
Silver
Lonni Martins / Sacha Bottemanne Audi R8 LMS GT4 #6 - Full Motorsport
Am
Jean-Laurent Navarro / Pierre-Arnaud Navarro Alpine A110 GT4 #138 - JSB Compétition
Qualifying practices
It is time, on this Saturday morning, to concentrate on the 2 qualifying practice sessions in order to determine the two starting grids.
QP1
Loris Cabirou (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #89 - AGS Events) had the bitter experience, from the start of the first qualifying session, of the difficulty of the Albi circuit.
The young driver violently left the track at the Séquestre chicane during his first flying lap.
The repair of the protections interrupted the session for a long time.
QP1 : Final Classification
Pro-Am
Jim Pla Mercedes-AMG GT4 #16 - AKKODIS ASP Team
Silver
Lonni Martins Audi R8 LMS GT4 #6 - Full Motorsport
Am
Florent Grizaud Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #72 - GPA Racing
QP2
Ricardo van der Ende (BMW M4 GT4 #17 - L'Espace Bienvenue), left no doubt about his motivation during the session reserved for drivers 1, he repeatedly improved the reference time to finally place him in 1 '23''317.
QP2 : Final Classification
Pro-Am
Rudy Servol Alpine A110 GT4 #36 - CMR
Silver
Ricardo Van Der Ende BMW M4 GT4 #17 - L'Espace Bienvenue
Am
Pierre-Arnaud Navarro Alpine A110 GT4 #138 - JSB Compétition
Races
Race 1
The green lights giving the start of race 1 of this Albigensian weekend went out at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday.
This start, given in single file for safety reasons, allowed the pole man to maintain his position on the track in front of Simon Gachet (Mercedes-AMG GT4 #81 - AKKODIS ASP Team) his teammate.
After only a few minutes, a collision between Laurent Coubard (Alpine A110 GT4 #76 – Bodemer Auto) and Lauris Nauroy (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #79 – AGS Events) forced the race management to bring out the safety car for the first time.
A few minutes after the restart, Grégory Guilvert (Audi R8 LMS GT4 #42 - Saintéloc Racing) pierced the radiator, his coolant was losing, transforming the track into an ice rink.
Timothé Buret (Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport #121 – K-Worx) and Viny Beltramelli (Mercedes-AMG GT4 #31 – CD Sport) hit the safety rail, which again caused a long neutralization to carry out repairs.
During this, all the crews took the opportunity to return to the pit lane and make the mandatory driver change.
The leaders both lost a few places.
At the restart Sacha Bottemanne was in the lead, but had to serve a penalty for stopping too short.
From then on, it was the other two cars of the AKKODIS ASP Team which were in the lead, Paul Evrard #88 devant Enzo Joulié #87.
The crew of the #88 will not benefit from its first passage under the checkered flag. The stewards'college will disqualify it shortly after the finish (non-compliant body height), leaving the victory to the #87.
R1 : Final Classification
1 : Overall and Silver Hugo Chevalier / Enzo Joulié Mercedes-AMG GT4 #87 - AKKODIS ASP Team
2 : Overall and Silver Ricardo van der Ende / Benjamin Lessennes BMW M4 GT4 #17 - L'Espace Bienvenue
3 : Overall and 1st Pro-Am Nicolas Prost / Rudy Servol Alpine A110 GT4 #36 - CMR
12 : Overall and 1st Am Michael Blanchemain / Christophe Hamon Audi R8 LMS GT4 #69 - Full Motorsport
Race 2
Ricardo van der Ende and Benjamin Lessennes (BMW M4 GT4 #17 - L'Espace Bienvenue), who started from pole position, never let the suspense hang over the Sunday race.
The duo indeed led from start to finish, crossing the finish line with a lead of 13 seconds over their closest pursuer.
Winners on Saturday, Rudy Servol and Nicolas Prost (Alpine A110 GT4 #36 - CMR) seemed set to sign a relentless double and a fourth victory in six races in the Pro-Am category. A slow puncture decided otherwise...
Olivier Jouffret and Éric Trémoulet (Mercedes-AMG GT4 #64 - Team JOUFFRUIT by Vic'Team) took advantage of this boost of fate, the duo scored their second success of the year.
While fighting for victory in the Am category, Pierre-Arnaud Navarro (Alpine A110 GT4 #138 – JSB Compétition) and Kevin Jimenez (Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 #72 – GPA Racing) clung to the double right of the aerodrome, the two protagonists being forced to retire.
Jean-Charles Rédélé and Laurent Coubard (Alpine A110 GT4 #76 - BODEMER AUTO) took the opportunity to claim their second victory of the year in the category
R2 : Final Classification
1 : Overall and Silver Ricardo van der Ende / Benjamin Lessennes BMW M4 GT4 #17 - L'Espace Bienvenue
2 : Overall and Silver Thomas Drouet / Paul Evrard Mercedes-AMG GT4 #88 - AKKODIS ASP Team
3 : Overall and 1st Pro-Am Eric Trémoulet / Olivier Jouffret Mercedes-AMG GT4 #64 - Team JOUFFRUIT by Vic'Team
19 : Overall and 1st Am Laurent Coubard / Jean Charles Rédélé Alpine A110 GT4 #76 - BODEMER AUTO
French FFSA Tourism Championship
And one and two and three zero sang the French Foot team in 1998, Teddy Clairet (Peugeot 308 RC #20 – Team Clairet Sport) can sing a nine zero.
Nine races since the opening of the championship in Nogaro and as many victories.
Mitjet International
While on Saturday the first two confrontations saw Romain Favre (#79 - VPS Racing), the championship leader, pass under the chequered flag in front of the whole peleton, the Sunday races were dominated by K-WORX.
A triplet in Race 3, respectively Younes Karbib (#27), Florian Rousseau-Ricci (#783), Benoit Castagné (#84) and a doublet Benoit Castagné (#84) ahead Florian Rousseau-Ricci (#783) in the final confrontation of the weekend.
FF
Caterham 420R Cup
The Albi circuit hosted the third round of the Caterham 420 R Cup 2022.
The first race of the weekend, held late Saturday morning, was won by the young (17 years old) and talented Mathys Jaubert (#1 - Palmyr).
On Sunday, Mathys Jaubert narrowly won the second race of the weekend ahead of Bastien Gassin (#35 - St Eloi).
Based on FFSA GT French Championship press report