Magic Serra gets Mugello win for Kessel Racing

ELMS

Oct 1

#57 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 LMGT3 did spend most of the race in the back of the pack until Daniel Serra took the wheel stepping progressively from 6th to win the LMGT3 class.

Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson and Daniel Serra with #57 Kessel Racing. — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. Takeshi Kimura, Esteban Masson and **Daniel Serra** with #57 Kessel Racing.

Bovy takes the lead

It took Sarah Bovy 6 laps to take the lead from pole sitter Deboer driving #59 Racing Spirit of Le Mans Aston Martin Vantage.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. Already in turn 1 of the starting lap, Sarah Bovy was side by side of Deboer entering turn 2 as one may see on right pic.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. At the exit of turn 1, in their sixth lap, Bovy attack Deboer again and this time overtakes him in turn 2. One lap later Martin Berry with #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston Martin was also taking over Deboer and started chasing Bovy in #85 Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R LMGT3.

Safety car jeopardises Bovy’s race

After 90 minutes, Sarah Bovy was leading the LMGT3 category with #85 Iron Dames Porsche, 11 second ahead Martin Berry in the #97 Aston Martin but a second Safety Car was deployed ruining Bovy’s race as she had to do an emergency stop for a small amount of fuel. After rejoining the pack behind the Safety Car, she had to pit again once the Safety Car period was over to do the pitstop that she was supposed to have done on that lap.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. Rahel Frey takes over the wheel of the #85 Porsche from Sarah Bovy.

To crown the height of bad luck, when the Iron Dames team was ready to launch Rahel Frey, they had to push the car backwards as she was blocked by team neighbor also pitting. Rahel Frey was then back in P3.

After the green light following the red flag, Frey was taken over by #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari of Jason Hart and Casper Stevenson in the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin.

#97 Grid Motorsport by TF takes the lead

Lorcan Hanafin, Martin Berry and Jonny Adam driving #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo — 📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. Lorcan Hanafin, Martin Berry and Jonny Adam with #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo

As the Iron Dames were dropping down the ranking, Johnny Adam with #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston martin Vantage took the lead for 15 laps. The it was for Ferraris #51, #50 and #57 to take the lead during 11, 7 and 2 laps respectively.

Daniel Serra dethrones #97 Aston Martin

Lorcan Hanafin in the #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston took the lead back with 22 laps remaining. Daniel Serra in the #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari literally « melted » on Hanafin for the lead. With just seven minutes left on the clock Serra took Hanafin over in Turn 1 to clinch victory for #57 Kessel Racing Ferrari 296 LMGT3.

Takeshi Kimura and Esteban Masson were never able to reach the top 5 during their respective stint until Ferrari factory driver Daniel Serra took the wheel to take victory and bring #57 Kessel Racing in the lead of the championship thanks to two victories in the last two rounds. #59 Racing Spirit of Le Mans Aston Martin Vantage is second with the same number of points.

Grid Motorsport by TF second

Lorcan Hanafin, Martin Berry and Jonny Adam driving #97 Grid Motorsport by TF Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo ended second, 3.170 seconds behind the winning Ferrari.

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. Formula Racing’s #50 Ferrari finished third, in front of the #51 AF Corse Ferrari, the #59 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin and the #66 JMW Motorsport Ferrari.

Penalty for Iron Dames

📷 © Luc Warnotte at Mugello. #85 Iron Dames Porsche Classified seventh.

Michele Gatting crossed the line in fifth with the #85 Iron Dames Porsche but a 30-second post-race penalty for the incident with the #60 Proton Competition Porsche dropped the ladies to seventh in class.