Mercedes-AMG pairing Targett/Smollen finally broke through. In the opening round of GT World Challenge Australia at Sydney, the duo dominated from start to finish to claim their maiden victory in the series.
For Tigani Motorsport, this result was a silver lining on a rough night. Their #56 car lost a key rival due to an incident that befell Sergio Pires. Pires initially jumped Smollen at the start, but then lost control and his race deteriorated drastically.
Pires, sharing with Brendon Leitch, was forced to pit with engine failure. Smoke billowed from underneath the car, and he had to relinquish second place in the championship standings. Meanwhile, points leader Brad Schumacher also suffered misfortune. The reigning champion ran wide at Turn 3 and nearly hit the wall, dropping from fifth to seventh.
Incidents and Strategy Shake Up the Race
The tension didn't stop there. Lucchitti and Rosser made contact at Turn 2 while battling for second, forcing Rosser wide and down to fifth. On the other hand, debutant Georgiadis impressed by holding a top-five position in the opening stint. Earl Bamber Motorsport even kept Georgiadis out an extra lap to utilise an empty pit lane, before Tom McLennan took over and emerged fifth.
The #56 car's pit stop was hampered by an air jack issue, but Smollen still managed to hand over to Targett in the lead. Targett then had to fend off a charging Ojeda. However, fortune smiled on Targett when Ojeda/Lucchitti received a drive-through penalty for a pit stop procedure breach. Ojeda dropped to seventh, giving Targett a 15-second cushion over Peroni.
Behind, Broc Feeney charged in the closing minutes. He passed McLennan for fifth, then hunted down Evans for fourth. But time ran out for him to reach the podium.
This victory for Targett/Smollen was the climax of a drama-filled race. With this result, the GT World Challenge Australia championship battle heats up, especially after Pires/Leitch were eliminated and Schumacher lost valuable points.
Baca Juga
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