GT Cup debut with top spot in the Winter Test for the Ferrari 488 Challenge, thanks to Kessel Racing

16.03.2023  GTCup

The Winter Test of the 2023 took place over two days, in perfect weather and track conditions, at the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya, ith contenders having ten 55-minute sessions to test and prepare. They could also discover the new layout of the track, without the chicane (4.657), which was unanimously appreciated and proved over 4 seconds faster than the previous layout.

Main point if interest were the following:

GDL Racing was present with four cars and four of its confirmed drivers: Roberto Fecchio, Mario Cordoni, Roberto Bosio and Samuele Bosio.

The other Porsche (a 992) present was the one of EST1 Racing, in the hands of Jori Ala-Jyra and Indrek Jaaska. The Estonian squad enjoyed the experience and may join the series as from this year.

It was a ‘première’ in the series also for the Ferrari 488 Challenge, with Kessel Racing bringing two cars for Stephen Earle-David Perel and the brothers Alexandre and Mikael Bochez. More Prancing Horses are expected in the series.

Belgium’s Street-Art Racing, one of the teams present in both the GT Cup and the GT Open, took part with its Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in its new art livery, entrusted to Jayal Fazal-Karim and Julien Darras.

With regard to results, the best lap time of the combined two days was put together by the Bochez brothers in the Kessel Racing Ferrari #69 in 1.45.951, a result posted in Day 1. Samuele Bosio (GDL Porsche) marked the same time (1.46.423) in both Day 1 (when he was fastest) and Day 2, finishing second-fastest overall, preceding the other Kessel Ferrari (Perel-Earle) and his GDL team mate Mario Cordoni.

The period of private tests and ... announcements will now continue until the season-opener at Potimão on 28-30 April.