The SRO GT World Challenge Europe series opened its 2021 season with a three-hour race on April 18 at Monza. Both Walkenhorst M6 GT3s, running in the Pro Cup class, were set back by punctures and finished off the lead lap. The #34 Walkenhorst car, driven by Sheldon van der Linde, Marco Wittmann, and David Pittard was classified 26th overall, and the team’s #35 M6 GT3, driven by Timo Glock, Martin Tomczyk, and Thomas Neubauer was classified 32nd overall.
The Boutsen-Ginion M6 GT3 driven by Karim Ojjeh, Jens Liebhauser, and Jens Klingmann, running in the Pro-Am Cup class, exited the race after it was stranded on course by a puncture.
The overall race win went to the Pro Cup class #54 Dinamic Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R driven by Matteo Cairoli, Klaus Bachler, and Christian Engelhart.
The punctures that affected many cars were experienced on wet weather tires. The race started in the dry, but rain soon brought cars in for tire changes. As the track began to dry, a number of teams were set back by punctures in the wet weather tires.
On the day before the main race, each team designated a racer to compete in a one-hour sim race on the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform. David Pittard participated for Walkenhorst, finishing tenth. For perhaps the first time in a pro racing series, points scored in the sim race count competition along with points scored in the actual races. Three points are awarded to sim race winners; two points to second place finishers, and one point to third place finishers.
As noted here earlier, Walkenhorst is contesting the series’ five-race Endurance Cup.
The next Endurance Cup race is scheduled for runs again at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on May 28–30.—Brian Morgan
[Photo courtesy BMW Motorsport.]
