EU-GT4: Series Magny Cours summary

Meijer, Mallock and Giudici weekend winners!

The GT4 European Cup season has come to an end. Paul Meijer and Michael Mallock won the last races of the season in a cold Magny-Cours, and whilst Meijer had already taken the title in Portimao, RS Williams driver Michael Mallock is the 2010 runner-up in the standings, his best result after a 10th and a 4th in the previous editions of the GT4 European Cup. Matt Nicoll-Jones (Ginetta) is third in the standings, while RJN Nissan drivers Lucas Ordonez and Jordan Tresson share fourth in the final classification. Three makes in the top-4 reflects the open competition of the GT4 European Cup. In the team standings, Rhesus Racing takes the spoils, followed by RS Williams and IMS Motorsport. In Supersport Italian Lotus driver Gianni Giudici is the new champion, with Athanasios Ladas and Kevin Veltman next to him on the podium. See you all next year for more exiting GT4 racing!

Qualifying

Paul Meijer started from pole in both GT4 European Cup races in Magny- Cours. On the very wet French track, the Dutch 2010 GT4 European Cup Champion showed his rain capabilities and added two pole positions to his 2010 race CV. At the wheel of his Rhesus Racing Aston Martin he was quicker in both sessions than vice champion Michael Mallock in the RS Williams Aston Martin and the RJN Nissan of Alex Buncombe and Jordan Tresson. Athanasios Ladas and Kevin Veltman set best times in Supersport at the wheel of the very agile KTM.

Race 1

Paul Meijer, Michael Mallock, Raffaelle Sangiolo and Jordan Tresson gave us a fine show in the opening stages of the first race of the weekend, until the 2010 vice champion Michael Mallock spun off due to a suspension problem. The RS Williams driver finally recovered, climbing back into third spot. Meanwhile up front Raffaelle Sangiolo took over the lead from his team-mate Meijer after the Dutchman spun off also, with Jordan Tresson still strong in third spot.

Following the mandatory stop Guiseppe De Pasquale, replacing Raffaelle Sangiolo, did not keep up with the frontrunners, but still secured a fine fourth place, the best result of the year for the #8 Rhesus Aston Martin. With Alex Buncombe in second at less than 5 seconds down, victory for Meijer was far from certain. The British Nissan driver did a great job, closed in on Meijer lap by lap but finally lacked some meters to win the first race of the season for Nissan. Behind the top-4, the Star Cars Porsche Cayman, the Develop Real Team Ginetta and both AUH Aston Martin completed the top-8.

In Supersport Giudici won, Veltman-Ladas were second in the KTM, while Marco Fumagali was third in his Lotus 2-Eleven.

Paul Meijer: "I had to fight through until the very end and the Nissan was very strong here. I was struggling with my brakes and happy to see the chequered flag."

Jordan Tresson: "I'm very happy with my second podium of the year in front of the home crowd, but now we have to try to win tomorrow!"

Michael Mallock: "I would have liked to fight with Paul and Alex, but a technical issue did not allow me to. I'm happy for the team that we finished in second position in both the drivers' and team championship!"

Race 2

Vice champion Michael Mallock took a well-deserved win in Magny- Cours, his third of the season. Rhesus Racing completed the podium with a second spot for Paul Meijer, his 12th consecutive podium and a third, the first of the year, for Guiseppe De Pasquale and Raffaelle Sangiolo. Kevin Veltman and Athanasios Ladas took the spoils in Supersport in their KTM. Marco Fumagalli and Gianni Giudici finished in second and third for Lotus.

The last race of the year seemed to be promised to Nissan and their drivers Alex Buncombe and Jordan Tresson, but in the ultimate minutes of the season, Michael Mallock, a stop & go penalty and finally a technical problem stopped the run to victory for the RJN Nissan boys. Jordan Tresson and Alex Buncombe were finally classified in sixth position, putting him tied for fourth in the championship standings, together with his team-mate Lucas Ordonez. Ginetta driver Edouard Leganov finished fourth in the race, his best result of the year and Al Massoud and Ollie Hancock completed the top-5.

Michael Mallock: "It wasn't an easy win at all and maybe the Nissan boys deserved it, but I'm glad to be on the podium for the last race."

Paul Meijer: "12 podiums, 5 victories, the driver and team championship, what a year! I hope to be back with the team, but most likely in GT3."

-source: gt4cup