Federico Al Rifai and Matteo Luvisi of GDL Racing Porsche triumphed in a fiercely contested Race 1 of the GT Cup at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, marking their third victory of the season. The win significantly narrows the gap in the championship standings, with the duo now trailing leaders Iván Velasco and Klaus Ludwig (Mertel Ferrari) by just 10 points.
The race was an intense battle from start to finish. Starting from pole position, Al Rifai held off early challenges from Ludwig and Dieter Svepes (RACAR Porsche). However, a spin by Ivan Jacoma on lap 5 brought out the safety car, tightening the field and setting up a dramatic restart.
Upon resumption in lap 8, Al Rifai momentarily lost the lead to Ludwig and Svepes but regained composure as the pit stop window opened on lap 12. Matteo Luvisi, who took over for Al Rifai, regained control of the race after emerging from the pits, overtaking Leandro Martins (RACAR Porsche) and holding on to the lead.
The final laps were characterized by fierce competition, particularly for the remaining podium spots. Davide Scannicchio and Fabio Babini, driving for Tsunami Porsche, secured their best result of the season with a second-place finish, while Alex Reimann (EST 1 Racing) clinched third after Velasco received a time penalty for cutting the chicanes.
In the Am class, championship leaders Leandro Martins and Dieter Svepes earned their fifth victory of the season, further extending their lead. They were followed by the Q1 Trackracing Porsche duo of Bogdan Duma and Nicolas Vandierendonck in second, and Johannes Zelger (Tsunami RT Porsche) in third.
The race saw multiple dramatic moments, including a chaotic pit stop phase and a second safety car deployment, but Luvisi and Al Rifai managed to stay ahead, setting up an exciting showdown for the championship in the races to come.
Please consider making a donation so we can keep bringing you our best content from the racetrack.
