The ADAC GT Masters with almost 40 cars competing in the series is making its debut at the Circuit Zandvoort in the Netherlands. The 4.307 km (2.676 miles) long and technically demanding track is surrounded by the North Seas dunes.
The InterNetX-Reiter Engineering team competes with two Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ in the ADAC GT Masters. Competing in the amateur class, Swiss driver Marc A. Hayek (CHE) intends to defend his 2011 championship title. His partner, Peter Kox from the Netherlands, supports him in his efforts. Albert von Thurn und Taxis (DEU) and Stefan Rosina (SLK) share the second Gallardo.
The InterNetX-Reiter drivers were not the only ones who felt the effects of the harsh coastal weather during the free practice sessions. Obtaining reliable reference data for an ideal set-up for the qualifying sessions was difficult due to the constant change between drizzle and a fast drying track. The drivers were not pleased with the results of the qualifying sessions.
Marc A. Hayek started from P36 on Saturday and lost a few places because of heavy traffic. Information via the team radio did not work either. He managed to gain a few places before the driver change. Peter Kox took over in P32. Pushing as much as possible, Kox secured P4 in the amateur class.
After the start Albert von Thurn und Taxis gained a few places in the first lap and defended P22 behind Toni Seiler’s Corvette up until lap 6. However, he was hit from behind and spun. The engine stopped and it took some time until the driver was able to start it again. The field had caught up with him by then. After an hour-long race Stefan Rosina drove the Lambo across the finish line in P25.
Starting from P12 on Sunday Kox was stuck in a slow group due to heavy traffic. He did not want to take any risks and remained in that position before handing the car over to Marc A. Hayek. During a yellow phase a few laps later, Hayek’s Gallardo was hit in the right rear side and spun. Since his tyre was damaged he went to the pit for a tyre change und then re-joined the race. As a result, the duo Kox/Hayek lost valuable places.
Stefan Rosina gained a few places during the start phase and finished the first lap in P22. He defended this place up until the mandatory pit stop when Albert von Thurn und Taxis took over. Unfortunately, the team undercut the mandatory duration in the pit lane by a hundredth of a second and was given a stop and go penalty. Thurn und Taxis finished the race in a rather unsatisfactory 17th place.
Albert von Thurn und Taxis #3:
“Given the weather conditions I hardly had any opportunity to drive on slick tyres during the free practice session. Only during the second practice session I completed a few laps on used slick tyres. Consequently I started the qualifying session having no real feeling for the peak of the tyre. I could not do much in the qualifying sessions because of red flags and traffic. The races on Saturday and Sunday did not go well either. The stop and go penalty for our marginally undercutting the mandatory pit stop duration was an additional set-back. It was a weekend I would just like to forget”.
Stefan Rosina #3:
“The car is great and the team does an excellent job. Unfortunately the driving conditions are not satisfactory yet. Well, that is how it is and we have to do our best given these conditions. However, I will not hang my head because of this. I am looking ahead to the next race at the Sachsenring”.
Marc A. Hayek #24:
“The car worked great at the weekend I am sure that we could have done better but we are still lacking power. We could have scored more points on Sunday if the Corvette had not hit me. As a consequence I spun and was forced to go to the pit for a tyre change”.
Peter Kox #24:
“We are doing the best we can. We cannot do more at the moment. During the second free practice session I flew off the track in the fastest turn. I was pushing hard and things like that just happen. The team did a great job and managed to repair the car in time for the qualifying session. The car is great but it is hard to fight for places. At least we managed to score a few points in the amateur class for Marc (A. Hayek)”.
Hans Reiter, team principal:
“The weekend did not work out so well for us. We were quite good with car #24 in the second race and its qualifying. Peter (Kox) started in P12 and was stuck in the group which was slowed down by Frankenhout in the SLS. Mark (A. Hayek) performed great on the weekend. He even surprised me on Sunday but then he was hit by Toni Sailer and spun in a yellow phase. As a result the right rear tyre of Mark‘s car was damaged and had to be changed. Toni apologised later and I am sure that he did not do it on purpose. Otherwise we could have reached a top placement. Gradually we are achieving a power level which enables us to compete properly again. At least they scored 18 championship points for Mark. The same applies to the car driven by Stefan Rosina and Albert von Thurn und Taxis. We have not worked out the optimum either there. On Sunday we were given a stop and go penalty for leaving the pit lane one hundredth of a second early”.
The InterNetX-Reiter Engineering team will compete at the Sachsenring (DEU) from 8 – 10 June 2012.
Source : Reiter Engineering