Fassler, Vanthoor Claim First Blancpain GT Win

Photo: Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

Marcel Fassler and Dries Vanthoor have claimed their first win in the Blancpain GT Series, leading from lights-to-flag in the Qualifying Race at Hungaroring on Saturday afternoon.

The Belgian Audi Club Team WRT drivers started from pole position after 19-year-old Vanthoor had set the session-topping times in his No. 5 Audi R8 LMS in both Free Practice sessions earlier in the weekend.

Fassler took over the car at the halfway point, coming out of the pits in the lead and ahead of the chasing No. 63 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3. 

He brought the car home and kept his lead, despite Grasser driver Christian Engelhart closing the gap, to take the first series victory for the three-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner.

“The car was great and every lap a pleasure to drive,” commented Vanthoor.

“I hope we can keep the momentum going for Sunday. That said, every start is different and anything can happen.

“We are not fighting for the championship so we won’t ruin anybody’s race.”

Engelhart finished second in his Lamborghini he shares with Mirko Bortolotti after spending most of the race in the runner-up position from second on the grid. The Grasser car finished 2.7 seconds behind the leader at the line.

Pieter Schothorst made it two WRT Audis on the podium, holding off a late-race charge from Franck Perera after the latter’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 had lost position earlier in the race.

Maxi Buhk started the No. 84 HTP Motorsport-run car from third but dropped down to fifth in the opening stages of the race, passed by Schothorst’s co-driver Jake Dennis and later Robin Frijns in the No. 17 WRT Audi. 

The Mercedes team made up one position in the pit lane with Frijns’ car, driven by Stuart Leonard, coming out in fifth position. 

The positions remained unchanged until the checkered flag, while Maxime Soulet finished sixth in his Bentley Team M-Sport entry.

HTP’s Jules Szymkowiak and Fabian Schiller took the Silver Cup honors from 14th overall while Rinaldi Racing’s Alexander Matschull and Daniel Keilwitz won in Pro-Am. 

Fassler will start tomorrow’s Main Race from pole position, starting at 2:20 p.m. local time. 

RESULTS: Qualifying Race

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.