GT World Challenge Europe – Grand final for Bertolini-Machiels in Barcelona
The 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Andrea Bertolini and Louis Machiels won the third and final race of the Sprint Cup held at the Barcelona circuit. The champions of the GT World Challenge won the victory at the end of a difficult but well-run race, also taking advantage of a twist in the final that made it even easier to cross the finish line in first position.
Wall. With the titles in the Pro-Am class already awarded, the third and final race of the weekend in Barcelona lost some of its interest even as the two Ferraris kept their ambitions high for another success in a season to be framed. Instead, the first few meters already removed from the contest the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Sky Tempesta Racing, involved without fault in an accident at the start when the car of the new champions was hit and violently sent to the wall on the starting straight. The entry of the Safety Car was inevitable and the cars were forced to pass through the pit lane. At the restart, Bertolini moved into third position behind the two Mercedes, even occupying seventh absolute position once the mandatory stops for the driver change had begun.
Final surprise. Thirty-three minutes from the start, the Italian champion handed over the wheel to his teammate in second place in the class. For Machiels, the eight-second gap to be bridged with respect to Pierburg seemed to be too wide, but the Belgian, turning at a significantly faster pace than his rival, managed to take the lead a few minutes from the end, also taking advantage of the Mercedes pit stop. due to a puncture.
The checkered flag waved on AF Corse’s victorious Ferrari number 52 brought the curtain down on the 2020 Sprint Cup season, where the cars from Maranello achieved success in every race held in the Pro-Am class.
At the end of the resounding comeback victory in Race 2, Eddie Cheever and Chris Froggatt mathematically conquered the Sprint Cup drivers title, handing Sky Tempesta Racing the laurel wreath among the teams. The two pilots commented on their feat.
