Race 1
The track was completely wet in the first 30-minute race on Saturday, but at least the teams knew what they were in for before starting. The starting grid, which formed in front of a crowded main grandstand with around 2000 spectators, all fitted with rain tyres.
Louis Stern started from pole position in his BMW M4, but the FK Performance driver was unable to resist Andrzej Lewandowski's powerful Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo II for long. In fact, in one lap, the Polish driver overtook him while the group went down to the pits for the second time. Shortly afterwards, Stern also succumbed to Krystian Korzeniowski's Ferrari 488 GT3.
Despite the intervention of the safety car halfway through the race and the atmospheric conditions that acted as a divide between the GT3 cars and the various examples of “Cup” cars, the group ended up breaking up. Especially after Stern ran into the tricky braking zone of Turn 1, crashing into Korzeniowski at the entrance to the right-hander.
Lewandowski took victory by almost 10 seconds, while Leandro Martins (Racar Motorsport Cup Porsche) and Jay Mo Härtling completed the overall podium. The latter won the GT3 class with his Mercedes SR Motorsport.
It was a race in which reaching the finish line was already an achievement in itself. Among those who are more than satisfied in having succeeded in these conditions is Przemyslaw Bienkowski. After all, the PTT Racing Team driver was competing in his first car race and wet Estoril is the kind of challenge that makes heroes. Just ask anyone old enough to remember Ayrton Senna's 1985 Portuguese GP…
Photo by: Gedlich Racing
Andrzej Lewandowski, GT3 Poland, Lamborghini Huracan ST EVO2
Race 2
The action intensified for Sunday's second sprint, a race that started wet, ended wetter and had just about everything in between.
The Lamborghini, now in the hands of Andrzej's son Adrian, certainly had the power and pace to achieve another victory. Lewandowski Junior at the start, while trying to find a way between the two front row drivers in front of him, hit Leandro Martins' Porsche, sending it into the barriers at considerable speed.
Although Martins managed to avoid running over others as he bounced onto the track in what was ruled a racing incident, a lengthy red flag was required to clear the track.
Lewandowski couldn't stay out of trouble even in his second start. This time, the problem was moving up the field with a little too much heat, as he took the lead just moments after the safety car intervened.
For this reason he received a 15″ penalty with stop&go and slipped to the back of the group.
A second safety car gave him the chance for an extraordinary comeback, but after the restart he collided with Thor Haugen (Pellin Racing, GT3 Ferrari 488), ending his hopes.
Christian Hook (Rinaldi Racing) was another who showed exceptional pace in the conditions, getting the best of the group's only Ferrari 296. He managed to move up impressively from the back of the grid and crossed the finish line first. Unfortunately, on the second restart from the safety car he too exaggerated by accelerating before he should have while fighting with Uwe Lauer for third place, taking a penalty. But the punishment was announced late, after Hook had pulled away and crossed the finish line first, for which saw itself relegated to seventh place.
In all of this, Uwe Lauer driving a Ferrari 488 GT3 of Die Biermacher Racing triumphed, preceding Hubert Darmetko (PTT Racing), driving the Porsche Cup, by just over a second.
Photo by: Gedlich Racing
Christian Hook, Rinaldi Racing, Ferrari 296 GT3
Race 3
Endurance was the driest of the three GT Winter Series races, but that doesn't mean the track was ready for slick tires. Almost all of the top finishers were fitted with wet tyres, with the AF Corse Ferrari representing a notable exception.
Matt Griffin started at the back of the field and made steady progress in the race as the rain continued to stop coming. John Dillon took over in third position after the pit stops, but despite his best defensive efforts, he was unable to prevent Joachim Bölting from passing him in the fight for the final podium place.
Up front, the Mercedes of the SR Motorsport team finished half a minute ahead of Härtling.
The young German's teammate, Kenneth Heyer, took the lead from Mateusz Lisowski (PTT Racing, Porsche) and never looked back, although the slowly drying circuit made it more difficult for the latter to compete with a GT3.
Lisowski placed alone in second place for class honors, ahead of Bölting and Dhillon.
Lewandowski's Lamborghini started the race from the pit lane and never ran well after the accident at the start of Race 2, also taking another couple of penalties, this time for infringements committed in the pit lane.
There is no doubt about the speed of the car, which races in a 'Cup' class all its own, but the team and drivers could be much more successful at the next round in Portimao if they can reduce errors.
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