Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase (Eastalent Racing Audi) were crowned the 2024 International GT Open Champions after securing a second-place finish in the season’s final endurance race, the GT Open 500, held at Monza. The Austrian-German duo’s performance was enough to clinch the title, bringing an end to a thrilling season.
The race itself was won by James Kell and Dean MacDonald, driving for Greystone GT in a McLaren, marking their first-ever victory in the series. A bold strategy to start on wet tires, despite a drying track, paid off as they managed a flawless race to take the top step of the podium in just their third appearance in the championship.
The podium was rounded out by Lukas Dunner and Kuba Giermaziak in the Motopark Mercedes. Meanwhile, title contender Alessio Deledda, paired with Jordan Pepper in the Oregon Team Lamborghini, saw his hopes fade after a late puncture dashed his chances, leaving him to finish the season as the overall runner-up.
In the Pro-Am class, Marcelo Hahn and Allam Khodair (AF Corse Ferrari) took their second win of the season, while Marcin Jedlinski and Karol Basz (Optimum Racing Audi) secured the vice-championship in the category. Saintéloc Racing’s debut race saw Mikaël Blanchemain and Jim Pla finish third in their Audi.
Heiko Neumann and Timo Rumpfkeil (Motopark Mercedes) claimed their fourth win of the season in the Am category, finishing the year as runner-ups, while Stanislaw Jedlinski and Krystian Korzeniowski (Olimp Racing Ferrari) followed closely behind.
Reicher and Haase celebrated their hard-fought championship, with Reicher reflecting on the team’s persistence after narrowly missing out last year. “It’s hard to believe we finally made it after coming so close before,” he said. Haase added, “It was a tough race, but we stayed focused and capitalized when it mattered. This victory is a testament to the team’s hard work and our strong team spirit.”
The race began tactically, with a damp track and a slight drizzle creating tricky conditions. Pole-sitter Kuba Giermaziak led the field into the first lap, followed by Reicher and a relatively calm pack of contenders. However, the decision by some teams, including Kell and MacDonald, to start on wet tires proved decisive as the track began to dry.
As things progressed, a safety car was deployed twice due to separate incidents, keeping the race leaders closely packed. After a series of pit stops and tire changes, the leading McLaren of Kell managed to build a 10-second gap. Behind them, Reicher and Haase battled with Deledda for the championship, the two separated by mere seconds. Ultimately, Haase passed the Oregon Lamborghini after a fierce fight, securing second place in the race and the championship for his team.
In the final laps, the Oregon cars suffered a string of issues, including punctures, which allowed Haase to maintain his position and deny Deledda the chance to challenge for the title.
Final Standings After Race 14 of 14:
- Overall: 1. Reicher-Haase (124 points), 2. Deledda (108 points), 3. Marinangeli-Abril (104 points)
- Pro-Am: 1. M. Pulcini (95 points), 2. Jedlinski-Basz (87 points)
- Am: 1. Cipriani (114 points), 2. Neumann-Rumpfkeil (90 points)
- Teams: 1. Oregon Team (88 points), 2. Motopark (78 points)
The 2024 season ends with Oregon Team claiming the Teams’ title, capping off an intense and closely fought championship.
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