Int’l GTC: Kyalmai 9 hours Race

SRO

Feb 25

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group. Both Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 took the lead from lap 9.

The BMW M Team WRT ‘s BMW M4 GT3s signed an authoritative and resounding one-two victory in the Kyalami 9 Hour, the second round of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli.

The BoP adjustments ahead of the race.

Remember the first round of the 2023 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli at Bathurst where the BMW M4 GT3 were reduced to observing the fight between the Mercedes which dominated the 12h race. The Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 didn’t have the pace compared to their rivals.

SRO Motorsports Group released Balance of Performance adjustment on Thursday afternoon of the Kyalami 9 Hours weekend with a 5 kg increase in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo’s minimum weight, a 5 kg weight breaks for both the BMW M4 GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R, along with an increase in turbo boost pressures for the BMW.

As one could see through qualifying time per driver, the margin between the Mercedes and the BMW was nicely reduced still leaving the #999 Gruppe M Mercedes-AMG with pole for the race.

BoP was again adjusted on Friday evening with a 10 kg addition to the Mercedes-AMG GT3.

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group. After 2 BoP adjustments, Mercedes had a 20 kg gap (+15 for Mercedes, -5 for BMW) with BMW and BMW M4 got an increase in turbo boost pressures.

That was obviously to much as the BMW and Audi drove ahead of the Mercedes during the 9 hours race today.

Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 dominates

📷 © Courtesy of Mercedes-AMG Communications. Pole-sitting #999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo taking the lead at the start of the **Kyalami 9 Hours**.

Sheldon van der Linde lost P2 to teammate Augusto Farfus but was able to retrieve the position in lap six, and three laps later, Maro Engel with the pole-sitting #999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo couldn’t resist to the pressure of Sheldon Van de Linde with #32 BMW taking P1 and Farfus in the #33 BMW taking P2 a few laps later. The three top cars pulled away, remaining very close to one another.

While the Team WRT BMW MR GT3 were controlling the race, #999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Raffaele Marciello and co-driver Mikael Grenier held off both hard-charging Tressor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo IIs during the second hour.

Roughly halfway, the #999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 suffered gearbox issue and started lapping 4 to 5” slower than the leading BMWs. The two Audis took P3 and P4.

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group. Eng driving Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 #33 resist to Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3s assault by Drudi.

The gap between the two leading BMW remained rather narrow until the 5th hour when Weerts (#32 BMW) increased the gap with Farfus (#33 BMW) to 7”. Feller (3rd with Audi #66) managed then to reduce the gap with Farfus to less than 2”.

Vanthoor took over from Weerts with 3 hour 30’ to go and increased the gap with Eng (taking over from Farfus) to 10”.

Feller with Audi #66 was still third with 2 hours to go, 34” behind the lead. Sister car #99 driven by Winkelhok was fourth, one lap behind after serving a drive-through penalty for a pit stop infringement.

#999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 dropped in the overall ranking behind the 3 leading Pro-Am cars as the drivers could only use 3rd and 4th gears until it went in the garage to fix the problem with 135’ to go.

With 1 hour 25’ to go both Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 pitted. Van der Linde took over from Vanthoor in #32 and Martin from Eng in #33 with a 13” gap.

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group. Sheldon van der Linde, Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor win the Kyalami 9 Hours.

A Full Course Yellow and safety car period came out with 30 minutes to go which reduced the gaps between the top 3 to less than 3”, the second Audi being fourth but 1 lap down. When the cars were released with 18’ to go, both BMW took distance from the Audi and Sheldon Van der Linde was not challenged by Maxime Martin so that
Sheldon van der Linde, Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor driving the #32 BMW M4 GT3 took a 1.778-second win over the sister #33 entry of Maxime Martin, Philipp Eng and Augusto Farfus.

📷 © Courtesy of BMW Group. Podium of the Kyalami 9 Hours.

Feller, Mattia Drudi and Patric Niederhauser completed the podium in their #66 Audi, ahead of the sister #99 car driven by Markus Winkelhock, Dennis Marschall and Alex Aka.

Maro Engel, Raffaele Marciello and Mikael Grenier retired in the final 20 minutes but the #999 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 completed more than 70 percent of the race distance, which was needed to score points.

The Pro-Am race

Brenton Grove with #4 Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R led Pro-Am after taking over Kenny Habul in the class pole-sitting #75 SunEnergy1 by SPS Mercedes who even dropped into 4th of class.

Yannick Mettler with #75 SunEnergy1 by SPS retook the Pro-Am class lead after a puncture for the #4 Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Stephen Grove.

📷 © Courtesy of Mercedes-AMG Communications. The #75 SunEnergy1 by SPS Mercedes of Jules Gounon, Yannick Mettler and Kenny Habul won Pro-Am class.

When Jules Gounon climbed aboard the #75 Mercedes, he held one-lap lead over the sister #20 SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes of Luca Stolz; Earl Bamber (#4 Porsche) dropped to third in class after suffering a puncture.

The order remained the same with #4 Porsche suffering two drive-through.

With 2 hours to go, Mettler (#75 Mercedes-AMG GT3) was two laps ahead of Barr with #20 Mercedes-AMG BT3 chased by B. Grove in the #4 Porsche 911 who reduced progressively the gap of more than 10” to overtake Barr during the penultimate hour.

With 1 hour 12’ to go, Bamber (#4 Porsche) was taking over from Grove and Stolz (Mercedes #20) from Barr 7” behind Bamber.

The #75 SunEnergy1 by SPS Mercedes of Jules Gounon, Yannick Mettler and Kenny Habul, are victorious of Pro-Am class, end fifth place overall and clinch a third-place points in the overall IGTC drivers’ championship.

Grove Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Earl Bamber, Stephen and Brenton Grove finished second in Pro-Am, ahead of the #20 SPS Automotive Performance Mercedes.

In the Intercontinental GT Challenge drivers’ standings, AMG Driver Jules Gounon remains in the lead together with Kenny Habul. Moreover, Habul takes the tied points’ lead in the IGTC Independent Cup (bronze drivers). In the manufacturers’ standings, Mercedes-AMG is in the lead, tied on points with BMW after two of five rounds.