AKKA ASP Team has revealed ambitious plans to defend the titles it earned in 2018 by assembling an all-star driver line-up to pilot its #88 Mercedes-AMG GT3 this season. 

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Belgian Audi Club Team WRT proved too hot to handle at Brands Hatch, securing both race victories at the second Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup round of the season.  

On a weekend of glorious sunshine at the Kent venue, the Baudour-based squad completed a clean sweep that began with two pole positions on Saturday and ended with a brace of wins on Sunday afternoon.

The victories were shared between the #2 Audi R8 LMS and the #17 machine, with the #1 car taking runner-up in both outings. There was close racing to be enjoyed throughout Sunday’s proceedings, but one thing remained constant: the WRT squad were in control at the front.

RACE 1: Vanthoor and Stevens combine to put WRT on top

The opening contest saw the #2 WRT-Audi emerge victorious, despite coming under intense pressure from the sister #1 machine throughout the second half of the race. 

Dries Vanthoor was comfortable at the head of the field during the first stint, leading from pole and gradually edging away from the #66 Attempto Racing Audi of Steijn Schothorst.

But, after Vanthoor had handed over to Will Stevens, the #2 Audi experienced a prolonged attack from behind. Kelvin van der Linde had assumed the controls of the #66 machine and put up a spirited battle for top spot, only to find Stevens impossible to pass.

It was an impressive display of defensive driving from the British ace, who resisted for half an hour of fierce racing to seal victory on home turf.

The lead battle eventually grew to include Christopher Mies, who had taken over the #1 WRT-Audi from Alex Riberas, and the #88 AKKA ASP Team Mercedes-AMG of Raffaele Marciello and Michael Meadows.

There was late drama, with Van der Linde picking up a puncture and beginning to struggle during the closing minutes. Sensing an opportunity, Mies soon spotted a gap and went past the South African driver into turn 1, with Marciello also muscling his way through.

Mies therefore followed Stevens home for a WRT one-two, with Marciello preventing an Audi sweep in third. Van der Linde tumbled down the order to P8 on the closing lap, with the puncture leaving the Attempto racer struggling to even make the chequered flag.

Fourth went to the #17 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT machine of Stuart Leonard and Frederic Vervisch, with the #87 AKKA-Mercedes of Nico Jamin and Felix Serralles completing the top-five

Silver Cup honours looked destined to go to the #90 AKKA-Mercedes following a sterling opening stint from Nico Bastian. He handed over to Jack Manchester, who continued the good work by running competitively.

But an error from the local driver ended with the Mercedes-AMG machine in the gravel, allowing the #37 3Y Technology BMW M6 GT3 to grab victory on the road. However the car was later disqualified for ignoring a black and orange flag, handing Team Parker Racing a class win on home turf with their Bentley Continental GT3.

In Pro-Am, the #39 TP 12-Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 GT3 took its third win in as many Sprint Cup races thanks to Piti Bhirombhakdi and Carlo van Dam. The Ferrari was comfortable in the hands of both drivers, with Bhirombhakdi taking the start before handing over to his Dutch teammate in the lead.

RACE 2: Leonard and Vervisch complete WRT sweep

The second race followed a similar pattern to the first, with Belgian Audi Club Team WRT once again securing a one-two finish.

This time it was the #17 machine that stole the show, with Frederic Vervisch leading away from pole and maintaining a small lead over the #2 car, which was driven by Mies during the first stint. 

Behind them the #66 Attempto entry produced a great start to leap from fifth to third, with Van der Linde eager to make up for the earlier lost podium.

It remained that way throughout the first stint, with Van der Linde dropping back from the leading duo but not coming under major pressure from the pursuing AKKA-Mercedes of Marciello.

Mies was the first of the leaders to stop, handing over to Riberas, and Vervisch was soon replaced in the #17 by Leonard.

The #17 emerged with a very narrow advantage over the sister Audi R8 LMS and Leonard needed his wits about him to retain top spot. Once again the two leaders were nose-to-tail, with the #66 Attempto-Audi of Schothorst closing up to make it a three-way fight.

But, like his fellow countryman Stevens, Leonard was cool under pressure in the Brands Hatch heat and kept Riberas at bay. The British ace even managed to eke out a narrow advantage by the closing stages to secure a first Blancpain GT Series win of the season for both of the #17 Audi drivers.  

Schothorst was untroubled on his way to P3, securing a second podium of the season for the impressive Attempto-Audi squad. Behind him Meadows kept the #88 Mercedes-AMG in P4 until the chequered flag, fending off a determined attack by the #63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini Huracan of Christian Engelhart. The German driver and teammate Mirko Bortolotti swept the Brands Hatch weekend last year, but had to be content with P5 in today’s second race.

Following their race 1 win, the #2 Audi endured a nightmare second outing as Stevens suffered damage and dropped to the back of the field, with Vanthoor eventually forced to retire the car early. 

The Silver Cup category was won on the road by the #90 Mercedes, but the AKKA crew were later penalised for Manchester’s involvement in a first-lap crash that claimed both Team Parker Bentley machines and the #35 SMP Racing Mercedes. This handed the #37 3Y Technology BMW a class victory after all following their earlier disqualification.  

In Pro-Am, Markus Winkelhock drove a superb first stint to run in P6, harrying Bortolotti’s Lamborghini before handing his #26 Sainteloc-Audi over to young teammate Nyls Stievenart. The French teenager held firm to secure his first class triumph in the Blancpain GT Series, despite late pressure from race 1 winner Bhirombhakdi.

Raffaele Marciello pulled off a brilliant last-gasp lap in qualifying on Friday to take pole position for the SJM Macau GT Cup – FIA GT World Cup Qualification Race.

The Italian had endured a frustrating time in practice with limited running, but managed to pull off a near-perfect final lap in qualifying to deny BMW rival Augusto Farfus Jr. the top spot in the final seconds of the session.

“It has been a difficult weekend for us until now,” said Mercedes driver Marciello. “I did only three laps in FP2 so qualifying was more or less my first time out on track. But I felt immediately the car was really good.”

Farfus had been locked in an incredibly close fight for the top spot throughout the 30-minute qualifying session. His best lap, delivered with less than three minutes remaining, had put him briefly at the top of the standings – just 0.065 seconds clear of Mercedes rival Maro Engel.

The Brazilian admitted that it had been disappointing to then find out that Marciello had bettered him right at the end.

“We managed to improve the car and I did the best I could: there was nothing left,” he said. “The lap was an extremely clean one and an extremely fast one, but P2 is still good. I am excited for the race tomorrow.”

Engel ended up third after an ultra-close battle with Mercedes teammate Edoardo Mortara. Although Mortara completed a run of several quick laps at the end of the session, he found himself still 0.009 seconds adrift of Engel. Behind the Swiss driver were Porsche duo Earl Bamber and Laurens Vanthoor.

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT dominated today’s Blancpain GT Series qualifying sessions at Brands Hatch, securing pole position for both of Sunday’s Sprint Cup races.   

Fresh from victory at Monza, where their #1 Audi R8 LMS triumphed in the opening Endurance Cup event of the season, the Belgian squad carried their impressive form over to the British circuit. 

Blancpain GT Series points leader Dries Vanthoor bagged pole position for the opening race aboard his #2 machine, while Frederic Vervisch marked his first appearance of the season in the #17 car by taking top spot for race 2.

But neither WRT nor Audi will not have it all their own way on Sunday, with rival teams and manufacturers providing close competition in qualifying. They will be plotting a course to victory overnight, setting up a pair of highly entertaining contests.

Vanthoor looked to be in control throughout the first segment of qualifying. The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT driver spent almost the entirety of the 20-minute session on top of the times, eventually lapping in 1m23.931s to seal pole position. 

His closest challenge came from another Audi R8 LMS, with Attempto Racing’s Steijn Schothorst continuing the impressive form that carried him to victory in the Sprint Cup opener at Zolder by taking second on the grid for tomorrow’s first race.

The young Dutchman was just 0.139s shy of Vanthoor, edging out a number of established stars to seal his spot on the front row. He was followed by the #88 AKKA ASP Team Mercedes-AMG of Michael Meadows, who showed well in front of his home fans to secure P3.  

The top five starters for tomorrow’s race will be rounded out by the #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT machine of Alex Riberas and the #63 Grasser Racing Lamborghini of Christian Engelhart, both of whom were competitive but ultimately unable to challenge for the front row. 

While the first segment of qualifying always seemed to be under Vanthoor’s control, the second session was a highly competitive affair that kept everyone guessing until the chequered flag. 

The battle for pole eventually came down to a two-car tussle between the #17 Belgian Audi Club Team machine of Frederic Vervisch and Raffaele Maricello’s #88 AKKA ASP Team Mercedes-AMG. The latter ran his laps early, then parked the Mercedes and looked set to hang on and defeat Team WRT.

But Vervisch was determined to shine in his first Blancpain GT Series outing of the season and delivered a stellar lap to pip the Italian by just 0.109s. The #1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT of Christopher Mies also looked to be in the battle for pole, eventually settling for P3 with a time just 0.178s off the quickest effort.

Indeed, there was little to choose between the front-runners. Mirko Bortolotti (#63 Grasser-Lamborghini) and Kelvin van der Linde (#66 Attempto-Audi) completed the top-five, with both lapping within a quarter of a second of pole. 

With several competitive cars vying for supremacy, Sunday promises to deliver two highly entertaining races.

Competitive qualifying contest in Pro-Am, AKKA ASP Team dominate Silver Cup

Pro-Am class pole for the opening race was captured by the #39 TP 12-Kessel Racing Ferrari 488 of Piti Bhirombhakdi, who was a comfortable 0.596s clear of the #32 Team Parker Racing Bentley driven by Ian Loggie. 

Having secured a clean sweep of poles and race victories at the previous Sprint Cup event, the Thai driver looked assured once more at Brands Hatch and will be targeting another triumph tomorrow. 

Pole for race 2 went to Markus Winkelhock of Sainteloc Racing, who ended the highly-competitive second session in P7 overall, less than half a second shy of Vervisch’s best time. 

It was a commanding showing from the experienced German ace, who will have seven Pro class cars between his #26 Audi R8 LMS and the nearest Pro-Am challenger at the start of tomorrow’s second race.

The Silver Cup category saw a clean sweep for the AKKA ASP squad, with Nico Bastian and Jack Manchester both securing class pole for tomorrow. 

Bastian was particularly impressive in the first session, taking seventh overall aboard his #90 Mercedes-AMG and a comfortable Silver Cup pole. The German driver felt more was possible, but encountered traffic on his quick lap.

Manchester meanwhile bagged his maiden Blancpain GT Series pole on home turf, edging out the #31 Team Parker Bentley of Aron Taylor Smith. It was an impressive showing from the young Brit in only his third weekend competing in the series.