Victorious return to the GT Open for Kessel Racing: Earle-Perel straight to the top of the “AM” podium in Barcellona.

The Barcellona track has always been good to Kessel Racing. In 2009, Montmelò saw the start of four winning seasons in the GT Open with the success of Broniszewski–Peter, followed, in 2010, by Marco Frezza, then in 2011 Bontempelli-Gattuso and in 2012 Zampieri-Dalle Stelle. Barcellona is also one of the most demanding tracks in the international motorsport panorama. Not surprisingly, it is the theatre of the F1 “pre-season” tests, but also the ideal stage of all 4 and 2-wheels races.

Return to the GT Open
The GT Open represents one of the most important championships for GT3 cars at an international level. Kessel Racing has won four consecutive editions, and in 2016 wanted to return to the series on the occasion of the last seasonal round with two cars entrusted to Cadei-De Bernardi in the “PRO-AM” class, and Earle-Perel in the “AM”. The first race, a 70 minute distance, took place on Saturday and was won by Attempto Racing with Estre/Terting in the Porsche 911 GT3R. At the top of the “AM” podium, we saw Earle/Perel in front of Mauro and Benjamin Ricci in the Mercedes AMG GT3 of Team AKKA and another Porsche 911 GT3 R of Attempto Racing with Haring/Aka. Di Bernardi and Cadei’s performance was not so lucky as they lost precious time during the driver swap for a technical issue.

Sunday’s race, the final act of the GT Open season, first saw the brilliant start of Cadei/De Bernardi who got to third position but then a off track excursion while trying to overtake an opponent, followed by rear-ending, put paid to hopes for a place on the podium for the team of the “PRO-AM” car. The Team Sports and You Mercedes and AKKA Mercedes deprived Earle/Perel of the podium. With an unexpected and unfair chicane manoeuvre in the final round, they put out the red 458 driven by Earle who, after the forced “spin”, finished in fifth place. After the race, the intervention of the supervisory officials penalized the Team Sports and You car, leading to the Ferrari’s fourth final position. However, the damage remains.

Now the Barcellona weekend is over, the season continues for Kessel Racing with another exciting chapter in Daytona, theatre of the Ferrari Challenge World Finals which will be held from 1st to 4th December.

RONNIE KESSEL (Team Principal): “It is always a pleasure to be back in Barcellona. It is a great track and the weather is perfect. The GT Open gave us some very important moments in the past, great thrills. We enjoyed being back for the Barcellona challenge. The team gave their best as always and the performances of the cars were there for all to see. Earle-Perel were fantastic with their victory on Saturday and only an unfair manoeuvre from the others could take away chances of a podium in the second race. De Bernardi and Cadei are fighters. It is such a pity that those episodes occurred, preventing them from getting one of the winning positions. Well done all the same!”