Last weekend, Rinaldi Racing traveled to the fourth run of the Blancpain Sprint Series to the Hungaroring, Hungary. On board the green yellow Ferrari 488 GT3 with the starting number 333. Alexander Mattschull and Daniel Keilwitz competed in the ProAm class. Also, the team participated in the Blancpain GT Sports Club with Christian Hook and the Ferrari 458 GT3.
Rinaldi Racing arrived in Budapest with some points in advance in the ProAm class. The goal was clear: to catch as many points as possible for the championship. Already on Friday, at the free practices, the Ferrari showed his capability on track. The results were a fifth and a third position overall with not even nine hundredth seconds gap to the leader.
In the third qualifying, it became clearly tighter – the gap between the first and the car on the 15th position was not even one second. Alexander Mattschull and Daniel Keilwitz reached the second position in ProAm class and the 13th position overall.
On Saturday afternoon, Daniel Keilwitz started the qualifying race at sunny 35 degrees. A big effort for driver and racing car. Keilwitz could keep his position in class. The team waited until the end of the pit stop window to bring the Ferrari into the pits. During the change to Alexander Mattschull, everything went perfect, so that he got back on track just behind the leader in the ProAm class. With a great overtaking maneuver, Mattschull claimed the lead in class. Until the end of the race, he kept this position and secured the supreme position on the podium.
On Sunday, the event continued with the main race. Also here, the heat was dominant. Mattschull took over the start in the Ferrari. Just next to him in the starting grid his direct contender in the ProAm class. Already in the first turn, both were side by side, but Mattschull could not keep the lead. However, just a few turns later, Mattschull took back the first position in class. Also after the Safety Car, he was able to maintain his position. At the pit stop, it became tight again: Mattschull and his pursuer came into the pits nearly at the same time. Due to a fast pit stop, Keilwitz could get back on track just before the runner-up in the ProAm class. From that point, a nerve-racking race began. Both drivers had almost identical lap times and did not leave space for any mistakes. Keilwitz passed the finish line as the leader in the class. The racing weekend for Rinaldi Racing was perfect.
Michele Rinaldi: „That was a really important weekend for us. Both wins were a necessity to extend the lead in the ProAm class. The drivers showed a great performance. Again, the mechanics were very fast at the pit stop, not always easy, when so much is at stake. Now, we prepare for the Sprint finale at the Nürburgring. There, we hope to wrap things up.“
In the Blancpain GT Sports Club, Christian Hook showed very good lap times during both races. Already on Saturday evening at the qualifying race, Hook had a good start. Especially at the middle of the race, he became faster and faster and reached a good eighth position. Also, on Sunday at the main race, he showed good fights in the green black Ferrari 458 GT3. At the end, he kept his eighth position and can be happy with a solid performance.
