The Bohemia Energy racing with Scuderia Praha Ferrari 488 GT3 (#11, Jiří Písařík / Josef Kral / Matteo Malucelli) currently leads the 24H PORTIMAO after four hours of running at the 4.652km Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
The Czech team, which came into this race with the 24H SERIES Europe standings lead after three consecutive race wins, has so far completed 125 laps and now holds just a 42s lead over the pursuing Herberth Motorsport Porsche 991 GT3 R (#91, Daniel Allemann / Ralf Bohn / Robert Renauer / Alfred Renauer), despite the latter starting towards the back of the GT grid.
Behind the leading duo lies the second of three Herberth Motorsport entries at Portimão this weekend (#93, Edward Lewis Brauner / Stefan Aust / Klaus Rader / Klaus Bachler / Hans Wehrmann), which started the race from pole position and led the opening 38 laps comfortably. Despite slipping back, the #93 Porsche still holds the A6-Am lead ahead of the Car Collection Motorsport Audi R8 LMS (#34, Johannes Dr. Kirchhoff / Max Edelhoff / Gustav Edelhoff / Elmar Grimm / Ingo Vogler).
A former A6-Am podium finisher at the 24H PORTIMAO, the GPX Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (#24, Nicky Pastorelli / Jordan Grogor / Alexandre Cougnaud / Jean-Pierre Valentini) currently lies 5th overall after the opening four hours, and rounds out the A6-Pro top three.
Further back, the Toksport WRT Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#15, Hendrik Still / Joachim Bölting / Wolfgang Triller / Peter Terting / Nikolaj Rogivue) is currently 8th overall and completes the A6-Am podium for now.
After four hours, and despite receiving a penalty for jumping the start, the brand new 2020 Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#500, Hubert Haupt / Maximilian Buhk / Kenneth Heyer / Charles Putman / Rik Breukers) is the highest placed non-A6 runner in the GT field in 10th. Mercedes-AMG Team Driving Academy is taking part in the car’s first development 24-hour race this weekend.
The MRS GT-Racing Porsche 991-II Cup (#980, Alex Autumn / Nicola Michelon / Dorian Mansilla / Hendrik Von Dannwitz) leads the way in the 991 class ahead of the Porsche Lorient Racing Porsche 991-II Cup (#911, Jean-François Demorge / Gilles Blasco / Lionel Amrouche / Gavin Pickering / Frédéric Ancel), which had set the category pole position on Friday. Behind the pair, the DUWO Racing Porsche 991-II Cup (#909, Andrey Mukovoz / Sergey Peregudov / Stanislav Sidoruk) rounds out the 991 podium thus far.
The Leipert Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 (#710, Harald Schlotter / Marcus Påverud / Ilmari Korpivaara / Yury Wagner / Dominik Baumann) holds a comfortable lead in the SPX class after its two nearest rivals hit problems during the opening stages. The QSR Racingschool Mercedes-AMG GT4 (#454, Jimmy de Breucker / Johnny de Breucker/ Lance Bergstein / Dominique Bastien / Thomas Jäger) immediately lost nine laps when a problem emerged with the on-board fire extinguisher during the formation laps. The Cor Euser Racing MARC II V8 meanwhile (#717, Cor Euser / Jim Briody / Einar Thorsen / Ricky Coomber) lost close to 40 minutes in the garage when its right rear wheel sealed itself to the hub.
Reigning 24H TCE SERIES champion Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport (#50, Martin Kroll / Thomas Jäger / Michael Fischer / Michael Schrey / Alexander Prinz) holds a slim advantage over reigning 24H GT SERIES champion PROsport Performance (#1, Rodrigue Gillion / Nico Verdonck / Akhil Rabindra / Mike-David Ortmann) with just over a minute splitting the BMW M4 GT4 and the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4. The Parkalgar Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT4 (#412, Paulo Pinheiro / Jose Monroy / Malcolm Sandford / Joaquim Penteado) currently lies 3rd at its home race.
This weekend’s 24H PORTIMAO is the first time this season that points earned will be eligible for both the 24H SERIES Europe and 24H SERIES Continents standings.
Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing on top after four hours
The Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR (#112, Stefan Tanner / Ralf Henggeler / Marlon Menden / Yannick Mettler / Jérôme Ogay) leads the TCE division of this year’s 24H PORTIMAO after four hours of running.
The Swiss team, which leads the overall 24H TCE SERIES standings after winning three of the last four races, has so far completed 114 laps of the 4.652km Autódromo Internacional do Algarve so far, and runs ahead of the TOPCAR sport by Bas Koeten Racing CUPRA TCR DSG (#131, Ronny Jost / Julien Apotheloz / Kari-Pekka Laaksonen / Antti Buri) in a tight battle for victory.
Further back, the Nordschleife Racing Peugeot 308 Racing Cup TCR (#172, Guillaume Roman / Michel Derue / Michel Sallenbach / Thierry Boyer) holds 3rd, despite starting at the very back of the TCE grid. The French team, a previous TCR-class champion under the ‘Team Altran Peugeot’ banner, heads the AC Motorsport Audi RS3 LMS (#188, Stephane Perrin / Mathieu Detry / James Kaye / Sam Dejonghe), which had taken its first outright TCE pole position of the year on Friday but fell back when dislodged bodywork had to be repaired.
Problems have similarly affected the Red Camel-Jordans.nl CUPRA TCR (#101, Luc Breukers / Klaus Kresnik / Nuno Corvo / Henry Littig). The TCE winners of this year’s 12H SPA had been running in the top three comfortably only to lose almost 20 minutes repairing the CUPRA’s collapsed left rear suspension.
Impressively, this means the Synchro Motorsport Honda FK8-Civic Type-R (#676, Alyn James / Daniel Wheeler / Martin Byford) not only leads the A3-class but also rounds out the overall TCE top five after a run hampered only by loose rear bodywork. Despite losing almost two hours in the pits hunting for a suspected turbo issue, the Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport BMW M240i Racing Cup (#869, Martin Kroll / Nicole Holzer / Axel Burghardt / Michael Bonk / Markus Fischer) still holds 2nd in the A3 category.