The first race weekend in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup could not have turned out better for Julien Andlauer (F/BWT Lechner Racing): fastest in free practice, pole position and victory at round one of the season on the Spanish Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. “That was a perfect weekend for me. I managed to assert myself in the critical phases of the race – which were in the first laps and at the restart after the safety car phase,” said the Porsche Junior. At Sunday’s race, Ayhancan Güven (TR/martinet by ALMÉRAS) and Michael Ammermüller (D/BWT Lechner Racing) scored the other podium steps with their 485 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers.
The 28-strong field from 17 nations treated spectators to an action-packed race on the circuit north of Barcelona. In sunny weather and a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius, Andlauer immediately took the inside line after the start in order to defend himself against Güven. The racing driver from Turkey made repeated attempts to overtake the Frenchman, but was thwarted in lap five when the safety car was deployed to enable a vehicle to be salvaged from the track. Andlauer made the most of the restart and used the remaining distance to pull clear of Güven. After 14 laps, the French racing driver swept over the finish line 3.2 seconds ahead of his pursuer from Istanbul. “I had a great duel with Julien Andlauer over the first laps. Unfortunately, I was no longer able to match his pace. Still, it felt terrific to climb the podium in front of so many people,” said Güven. The Alméras driver concluded his race as the best rookie.
Andlauer’s teammate Ammermüller held on to his third place over the entire distance. On the 4.655-kilometre racetrack, the reigning Supercup champion defended his position against Mikkel Pedersen (DK/Dinamic Motorsport) over the first laps. In the final phase, Ammermüller even challenged Güven for second place. However, in the duel with the 21-year-old, he never succeeded in making the decisive move. “In the last laps I was sitting on Ayhancan Güven’s bumper. This racetrack has very few passages that are suitable for overtaking, and he was slightly faster than me in those places,” explained Ammermüller. Fourth position went to Tio Ellinas (CY/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing), who was rewarded for his patience after he passed Pedersen two laps before the chequered flag. Jaap van Lagen (NL/martinet by ALMÉRAS) also overtook the Dane to secure position five ahead of Pedersen.
On the storied circuit in Montmeló, Al Faisal Al Zubair (OM/Lechner Racing Middle East) crossed the finish line in seventh place. Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (NZ/Fach Auto Tech) took up his first Supercup race from the tenth grid spot and gained two positions over the course of the race. “Eighth place at my debut is a decent result. But I know that more would have been possible. For this reason, my team and I will work hard. Racing in front of the Formula 1 grandstands was great fun,” said the 22-year-old.
In the ProAm class, Roar Lindland (pierre martinet by ALMÉRAS) celebrated a lights-to-flag victory. The Norwegian relegated Nicolas Misslin (F/MRS GT-Racing) and Philipp Sager (A/Dinamic Motorsport) to positions two and three.
Round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season will be held in Monaco from 23 to 26 May. With its tight corners, the city circuit in Monte Carlo demands total concentration from drivers. At the event in the Principality, the international one-make cup uses the big-top circus tent in Chapiteau de Fontvieille as the paddock.
Result
Barcelona, Race 1 of 10
1. Julien Andlauer (F/BWT Lechner Racing)
2. Ayhancan Güven (TR/martinet by ALMÉRAS)
3. Michael Ammermüller (D/BWT Lechner Racing)
4. Tio Ellinas (CY/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing)
5. Jaap van Lagen (NL/martinet by ALMÉRAS)
6. Mikkel O. Pedersen (DK/Dinamic Motorsport)
7. Al Faisal Al Zubair (OM/Lechner Racing Middle East)
8. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Fach Auto Tech)
9. Gianmarco Quaresmini (I/Dinamic Motorsport)
10. Max van Splunteren (NL/Team GP Elite)
