GTWCE: Emil Frey Racing take lights-to-flag victory in Race One at Zandvoort

The #14 Emil Frey Racing Silver Cup Lamborghini Huracan GT3 piloted by Ricardo Feller and, taking the chequered flag, Alex Fontana won Race One of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup double-header at Zandvoort, Fontana finishing 9.6 seconds ahead of the #88 Pro class AKKA ASP Mercedes-AMG GT3 piloted by Raffaele Marciello and Timur Boguslavskiy.

Completing the overall podium positions, and second in the Silver Cup category, was the #107 CMR Bentley Continental GT3 with Ulysse de Pauw and Pierre–Alexandre Jean sharing the driving duties.

Taking the honours in the Pro-Am category was the #77 Barwell Motorsport Lamborghini driven by Miguel Ramos and Henrique Chaves with the #52 AF Corse Ferrari F488 GT3 of Louis Machiels and Andrea Bertolini finishing second in class.

Ricardo Feller, at the wheel of the #14 Lamborghini, led the grid away from pole position as the 60-minute sprint contest got underway with Ulysse De Pauw in the #107 Bentley in second.

After ten minutes, Feller was over 3.5 seconds ahead of De Pauw in the #107 Bentley.  

There was drama for the #33 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari which was served with a penalty for a jump-start whilst it was in the pits for with a mechanical issue.

As the pit window opened, the leading trio stayed out. Feller pitted with 29 minutes remaining, handing the #14 Lamborghini over to Alex Fontana. The #88 AKKA ASP Mercedes had enjoyed a rapid pit stop and after Timur Boguslavskiy handed over to Raffaele Marciello, the Italian pilot, sporting green hair for the weekend, set about chasing down Ryuichiro Tomita in the #31 Team WRT Audi and then Pier-Alexandre Jean in the #107 Bentley.

Marciello caught and passed Jean’s Bentley with seven minutes remaining but the laps were running out to allow him to catch the leading Lamborghini.

Race two gets underway at Zandvoort at 14:30 local time on Sunday June 20.