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Photography

International GT Open - Le Castellet 2019

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ello,

this year, the International GT Open is empowering, with 25 registered teams, most of which being key players on the GT planet (the Blancpain’s defector Emil Frey, TeoMartin, HTP, SPS, AF Corse, ...). The drivers are in unison, in each 'PRO' or 'PRO AM' lineups. These include Daniel Zampieri, Jules Gounon, Miguel Ramos, Tom Onslow-Cole, Albert Costa, Thomas Jäger... GT experts.

In addition, 18 entries are present in the new 'GT Open Cup' class, which mixes GT4, Lamborghini Trofeo and 911 Cup, equalized by a balance of performances (BOP). On the single-seater side, there is still the F3 Euroformula championship, and this year the Spanish F4 in support.

Here is a photographic overview of the battles that took place at Le Castellet on April, the 27-28th...

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onor to whom honor is due : the MA-GNI-FI-CENT Teo Martín Motorsport McLaren 720S... Even better, Teo Martin enteres 3 of them !
I could not have taken this photo on Sunday: 2 of the 3 Mclaren gave up due to a crash at the very first corner (the 3rd Mclaren managing to restart at the end of the pack). A true disaster !!! This #16 will be heavilly damaged at the front right.
I saw the Mclaren tech inspecting the car, and listing the parts to renew... All this is gonna cost 'one crazy dollar', as the current French President would say .

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he Brazilian Allam Khodair is getting in, and is gonna set the pole position.

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ccording to me, the rear part is the masterpiece of this car. The impressive extractor, the complex rear wings, out of which the air goes through small splitters, to increase the downforce... What a stylish look !

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ere is the other Mclaren, second victim of the crash :

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hese scissor doors... They always impress...

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his is time for Henrique Chaves to jump into the 3rd Teo Martin Mclaren (#59), before the first qualifying session (3rd chrono) :

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e are on the starting grid of the race 1, just before the green lights. The Guatemalan Andrés Saravia is behind the wheel of the #17.

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ou may have noticed that, beyond the novelty attractiveness, I admire every single detail of this prototype-shaped Mclaren !

Apart from the Mclaren, there were some top players among the GT3 crowd, with not less than 23 units (the 2 Olimp Racing Audi being no-runners). At first, the always homogeneous Mercedes, like one below, entered by the Rowe Racing. With a 'chrome' livery that does not go unnoticed (well known in the US, in IMSA), Thomas Jäger stands as its top driver.

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his is the helmet of Jäger's teammate, The australian Kenny Habul.
He already raced in V8 Supercars, IMSA et NASCAR Xfinity (among other series);
He is also CEO of the SunEnergy1 company, which explains the car sponsorship. Strangely, this Mercedes has still a fossil energy engine !

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et me present to you the marketing department of SunEnergy1 :

 

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he HTP Motorsport Mercedes is entered in AM category; it hired a (very) experienced consultant : Bernd Schneider, present in the HTP pit box.

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ntonelli MotorSport was a former Lamborghini customer; it has switched to Mercedes this season.

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amborghini, indeed : the Emil Frey Racing drivers have shown all their speed skills, and, on Sunday, have avoided all the bad hazards on the track. We must not minimize also the professionnalism of this team, already demonstrated in Blancpain GT Series (defending winner of the Paul Ricard 1000km)...

The stars of this weekend are also these 3 little clouds, greeting the race 2 winner car .

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he day before, the Emil Frey sister car had also won the race : it is a clean sweep for the Emil Frey Racing !!!

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he sky is getting more and more cloudy, but this does not prevent to shoot the other Lamborghini of the meeting, far from it.

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ne battledressed Sospiri Racing mechanics is having a rest.

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icola De Marco concentrates, just before the Saturday qualifying session.

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ptimum Motorsport, and its 'black stormtroopers' , came with a new Aston Martin.

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hey have dared to paint the Union Jack in Italian colors ! The factory Bentley driver Jules Gounon was doing a 'one shot' for the first race of Petri Corse with the honorable british brand.
An old version was entered, waiting for the 2018 version, forecasted for next round. The result is not glorious : not classified in race 1 after a friction with a Emil Frey Lamborghini, it will not take part in race 2... To be seen again in a better context.

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wo Ferrari competed, but none fighted for the victory in the PRO AM category.

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till these 3 (and a few) little clouds that are roaming free in the Provençal sky...

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he new GT Open Cup series took off this weekend at Le Castellet. The race 1 was dominated by the 2 Sospiri Racing Lamborghini (the below one finishing at the second place of the 2 races).
In race 2, another Lamborghini won, the one of the Antonelli Motorsport.

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iki Leutwiler (911 Cup) took the third step of the podium in race 2.

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eo Martin Motorsport also manages 2 Mclaren GT4 !

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will conclude this report with a few single seaters pics. I don't miss the infamous 'Halo'; in its absence it is still possible to shoot nice helmets, but I am afraid that it's dead for next year.

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h, a 'son of', in this case of a five-time MotoGP champion. Jack Doohan, seen here while waiting for green, on his first Euroformula F3 starting grid !

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ood bye, and see you soon for a next event !