Villorba Corse has started the season in perfect fashion, as thei new pair of the Italian team, Alessandro Balzan and Nicola Benucci, took a resounding win in today’s Race 1 at the Paul Ricard. The Ferrari F458 GT3 beat by 2 seconds only the Teo Martín Motorsport McLaren 650S of Miguel Ramos and Alvaro Parente. The success of Villorba was built during the first stint, when Balzan (who had conquered the pole in a wet qualifying) built a significant advantage and Ramos suffered a spin, with Benucci resisting a furious charge by Parente in the second part of the race. Pasin Lathouras and Michele Rugolo took a hardly-earned third position, after fighting throughout the entire race. AF Corse took more honours, as Claudio Sdanewitsch and Ilya Melnikov won the GT-Am category.
THE RACE – Perfect start for poleman Balzan, ahead of Ramos while McLeod, in row 2, spins at turn 1 with the Parker Audi. Aicart, who did a great start, passes Ramos for second, but he is in the pits at the end of lap 1 with the right front wheel broken after a disc failure. Behind Balzan and Ramos, Broniszewski is third in lap 2 after having passed passing Lathouras, while Giammaria is already fifth in lap 4 after starting last following his accident in the first lap of qualifying.
Balzan quickly builds a consistent gap on Ramos, while the main attraction of the race is the permanent and very clean fight for fourth between Broniszewski and Lathouras, with the Pole keeping the advantage and Giammaria catching up on the duo. Lap 8 sees the Italian passing Lathouras but also the lone spin of Ramos, maybe led to mistake by a dump kerb, dropping to 4th. Giammaria slightly touches the back of Broniszewski’s car, who spins. The incident will result in a drive- through for the Italian. Lathouras uses the opportunity to retake the advantage for what is now second position. Follow Giammaria, Ramos, Broniszewski, McLeod who has recovered well, and Sini.
In lap 13, Giammaria passes Lathouras but the Thai takes back his position one lap later, while Ramos is not far from the duo. The three pit in lap 14, while Balzan’s advantage in the lead has grown to 45 seconds!
After all stops, Benucci leads with 33 seconds over Rugolo, then Parente, Piccini, Loggie, Griffin, Companc, Costantini, Lechner and Barba, who has to stop for a puncture. There is big battle for second between Rugolo and Parente, who passes in lap 26 and starts charging towards the leader. The Portuguese’s show is impressive but he will remain 2 seconds short from catching Benucci. Rugolo is third, followed at a distance by Piccini, Griffin, Companc, Lechner and Melnikov who passes Costantini in the penultimate lap, when the Audi of Loggie breaks the gearbox. The AERT Lambo is 11th after Barba is forced to a second stop because of a puncture.