GT-Tour 2015 - Seventh and last round - Circuit Paul Ricard - France
For this final round of the 2016 French GT championship, the competitors have crossed the 3.8 km circuit and its 13 turns.
Four crews vying for the national title
The French championship FFSA GT 2015 delivered its verdict. On Circuit Paul Ricard, trophies "Teams", "Junior", "Gentleman" and especially "Drivers" were awarded.
At the moment to approach this decisive meeting, the Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 (IMSA Performance Matmut) was in a strong position for the "Drivers" title.
With 25 points ahead, the value of a win, Olivier Pernaut / Sébastien Dumez / Raymond Narac possessed an enviable margin on the trio of the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #6 (Sport Garage) Stéphane Lémeret, Eric Cayrolle and Arno Santamato.
Respectively 31 and 40 points behind the leader, Jean-Luc Beaubelique / Morgan Moullin-Traffort (Philippe Giauque injured was replaced by Rino Mastronardi) crew of the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #20 (AKKA ASP) and David Hallyday / Philippe Gaillard / Mike Parisy the one of the Audi R8 LMS ultra #3 (Sébastien Loeb Racing) had to realize an exploit - or rather two, in both races - to capture the title.
Simultaneously to the drivers' title, teams AKKA ASP leader (185 points), IMSA performance Matmut and Sport Garage second ex-eaquo (163 points) and Sébastien Loeb Racing fourth (149 points), battled for the trophy "Teams".
The suspense also prevailed in the "Junior Challenge". Between the duo Valentin Simonet / Romain Monti on the Audi R8 LMS ultra #24 (Saintéloc Racing) leader before the final, Maxime Pialat on the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #9 (Sport Garage) and Remy Deguffroy an an other Audi R8 LMS ultra #7 (Team Speedcar), everything remained open for the first trophy dedicated to U25.
The pair David Loger / Eric Mouez on the Porsche 911 GT3 R #14 (Porsche Lorient) were very close to the title with 32 points ahead of Florent Petit / Julien Goujat on the Audi R8 LMS #30 (Team Speedcar) in the "Gentleman Challenge".
Like every year for the finals of GT tour we had some guests.So Rinaldi Racing was present with its Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #27 for Vadim Kogay, Rinat Salikhov and Marco Seefreid. Two Renault RS01 were also the party this Weekend, #41 of Boutsen Ginion for Olivier GROTZ and Eric Vaissiere, the other one #88 of Duqueine Engineering for Eric Clement, Ange Barde and Bruce Lorgere-Roux.
The meeting
Q1 : Qualifying for Saturday’s race
With an average of 1:27:013 the Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 IMSA Performance-Matmut of Olivier Pernaut (4th time of the Q1a in 1:27:154) and Raymond Narac (2nd time the Q1b 1:26:873) was took pole ahead of the Porsche 911 GT3 R #17 of Strategic of Nicolas Misslin / Sacha Bottemanne (1:27:056), followed the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #20 (AKKA-ASP) of Rino Mastronardi (best time in 1:26:622) and Jean-Luc Beaubelique and the Audi R8 LMS Ultra #5 (Sébastien Loeb Racing) of Christophe Hamon / Christian Bottemanne.
Q2 : Qualifying for Sunday's race
Five in the continuation for Mike Parisy (Audi R8 LMS Ultra #3 - Sébastien Loeb Racing) who realized a fifth consecutive pole this season. He outstripped the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #12 (Sport Garage) of Enzo Guibbert, the Audi R8 LMS Ultra #24 of Grégory Guilvert's (Saintéloc Racing) and the Audi R8 LMS Ultra #5 (Sébastien Loeb Racing) of Lonni Martens. Marco Seefreid (Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #27 - Rinaldi Racing) completed the top five.
Race 1
Already victorious of the last race in Navarra, the team AKKA-ASP did it again with the Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #20 of the trio Jean-Luc Beaubelique / Morgan Moulin-Traffort / Rino Mastronardi during the first round of the finale of the French Championship despite the 20 seconds penalty after the Spanish success. The deployment of the safety car 40 minutes from the checkered flag has helped the team AKKA-ASP to catch up on the head of the race. He preceded the Audi R8 LMS Ultra #5 of 1.658 seconds, the only non-Ferrari in the top eight. Further to leave the track in Q2, the IMSA Performance Matmut team has worked hard to repair the 911 GT3-R which ranked at the doors of the top 10 after his departure from the pitlaine.
This victory allowed the Jérôme Policand’s team to be sacred in the Teams' Trophy.
Victorious in Gentlemen Challenge with Gilles Blasco and Porsche Lorient Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 R #14), Eric Mouez and David Loger are titled in this category.
The beginnings of the Renault Sport RS 01 have resulted in a 10th place with the # 88 of Eric Clement/Ange Barde/Bruce Lorgere-Roux (Duqueine Engineering).
Race 2
The Sébastien Loeb Racing ended the season with one doubled: started of the pole, the Audi R8 LMS Ultra #3 was imposed before the #5 (Lonni Martins / Christophe Hamon / Christian Bottemanne).The Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 #12 (Sport Garage Gilles Vannelet / Paul Lamic / Enzo Guibbert) ending on the third step of the podium.
Involved in a collision on the first lap, the crew of the Ferrari 458 Italia #20 lost any chance to be titled. It turned the race into a two-way battle between the Ferrari #6 (Sports Garage) of Stephane Lémeret / Arno Santamato / Eric Cayrolle and the Porsche 911 GT3-R #1.
After intense 90 minutes, the checkered flag fell on the season 2015 which saw the crew of Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 taking the French championship GT honors with a eighth place overall finish.
Raymond Narac, meanwhile, collected his third title. Morgan Moullin-Traffort and Jean-Luc Beaubelique finishing runners-up.Valentin Simonet gained the Junior Challenge.
This week end we saw eventful races, suspense and the coronation of the most consistent team through the whole season. IMSA Performance-Matmut and the Porsche 911 GT3 R #1 (Chassis WP0ZZZ99ZBS799517) winner for the second consecutive year.
other races and atmosphere
Coupe de France Renault Clio Cup
Final ranking/ 1. Marc GUILLOT 435 points - 2. Xavier FOUINEAU 431 points - 3. Nicolas MILAN 418 points
Peugeot RCZ Racing Cup
Final ranking/ 1. Aurélien Comte 190 points – 2. Nicolas Milan 175 points – 3. David Pouget 163 points
Porsche Carrera Cup France
Final ranking (Subject to the current appeal)/ 1. Maxime Jousse 176 points – 2. Mathieu Jaminet 174 points – 3. Steven Palette 170 points
Championnat de France Supertourisme
Final ranking/ 1. Yann Ehrlacher 1228 points - 2. Antoine Jung 1112 points - 3. Antonin Borga 1102 points
MitJet 2 l
Final ranking/ 1. Nicolas Gomar 1063 points - 2. Romano Ricci 1047 points - 3. Evan Maillard 1038 points
French F4 Championship
Final ranking/ 1. Valentin MOINEAULT 329 points - 2. Sacha FENESTRA 253 points - 3. Gabriel AUBRY 227 points
Atmosphere
See you again in 2016 on the French GT Championship, which will see the arrival of LMP3.
The temporary schedule of the 2016 championship :
26, 27, 28 March Nogaro (Coupes de Pâques)
6, 7, 8 May Marrakech (Maroco) / GT and Protos only
3, 4, 5 June Lédenon
8, 9, 10 July Magny-Cours
9, 10, 11 September Le Mans-Bugatti
30 September, 1, 2 October Imola (Italie)
28, 29, 30 October Circuit Paul Ricard