Following denied lap-times in quali, great comeback in 24-hours-raceRain chaos makes for excitement at the end of race
The three AMG-Team HTP Motorsport race cars finished in fifth, sixth and 21st in the Total 24 Hours of Spa. After the #86 Mercedes-AMG GT3 (Gary Paffett, Maximilian Götz, Thomas Jäger) had conquered Superpole, the car lost its lap-time afterwards. But the team based in Altendiez secured two Top-10 results after a great comeback in the race.
With the start to one of the most exciting motorsport weekends of the year, all three HTP Mercedes-AMG GT3 were running in competitive positions throughout the free practice sessions and underlined their strong performance with the qualification for the Superpole. Maximilian Götz placed the #86 on Pole Position, closely followed by the sister car #85 driven by Clemens Schmid into second place as well as Maximilian Buhk in fifth place in the #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3. However, all lap-times were denied and cancelled after the qualifying session, leaving the cars in P13 (#86, Thomas Jäger), P17 (#84, Dominik Baumann) and P18 (#85, Clemens Schmid).
Additionally to dropping down positions on the starting grid, the racing directors ordered a five minute Stop-and-Go Penalty, which both the #84 and #86 took on the first lap under yellow. The #85 suffered some more bad luck with a tyre puncture early on, putting the car further down the order of the race. From then on, the team was able to take to the race without any issues and started its charge through the field. With all drivers on all three Mercedes-AMG GT3 double-stinting, many places were won over night whilst the #86 was looking good for a podium finish.
A heavy rain shower with aquaplaning on track made for tricky conditions in the last 30 minutes of the race, shaking up the various positions. The best AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 was the number 86 with Maximilian Götz behind the wheel, who crossed the finishing line in P5. He was running for a podium result, but a late drive-through-penalty made the team lose second place. Jazeman Jaafar finished in P6 in the #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Luciano Bacheta in P21 in the #85 sister car.
Driver Quotes.
Dominik Baumann, #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3: "This really was a difficult start into the race with the long Safety Car period. It was not easy to keep the temperature in the tyres. But we had a good stint and with our good work at the pit stops we gained some positions. The car ran well.”
Maximilian Buhk, #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3:„We decided to stay on Slicks during the first rain phase, because the track was dry in some places. Once it started to rain heavily, it was not a good feeling to be on slicks. But the car ran really good on rain tyres, I was able to overtake many cars and make up positions. It was very important to collect some points.”
Jazeman Jaafar, #84 Mercedes-AMG GT3: "It is always a great challenge to drive in the dark, especially in Spa. Our pit stops were really good. I tried to take out the maximum of the tyres during my stint and I was also able to make-up some time. Unfortunately, we were a bit slower towards the end of the race. But all in all, I am pleased with our performance.”
Luciano Bacheta, #85 Mercedes-AMG GT3:"We finished the race and that was our main goal. It was great fun to drive here and I am ok with my own performance. It is always something really special to drive in Spa.”
Clemens Schmid, #85 Mercedes-AMG GT3:"We were running in the Top-10 in every session, therefore it was our goal to get a Top-10 result in Superpole. Of course, I was very frustrated to have lost our lap-time, but in the end I think we made the most of the situation. We are not overwhelmed with P21, but it is ok.”
Indy Dontje, #85 Mercedes-AMG GT3:"Taking into consideration, that we lost over six minutes due to the penalty (including pit-lane exit) and that we started from 18th on the grid, the end result is satisfying. We proofed, that we work reliably as a team and have a fast car, that is able to come back from the back of the field. I drove three double stints and I am pleased with my own performance in my second 24-hours-race in Spa.”
Maximilian Götz, #86 Mercedes-AMG GT3:"The decision by the sporting directors was sad, but rules are rules. Of course, I would have loved to start from Pole Position into this race. I am happy about the strong team result. I am disappointed, because we could have achieved much more. We fought very hard throughout the entire race and a podium finish was within race. The mistake in the last half an hour hindered us from the success. But that’s racing. We will come back next year and try again.”
Thomas Jäger, #86 Mercedes-AMG GT3: "We took our penalty during Full Course Yellow and did not lose too much time, our second pit stop also took place whilst the track was under Yellow. That was good for us, because we were able to minimise the gap. We had a good pace and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a reliable car.”
Gary Paffett, #86 Mercedes-AMG GT3:"We made a great jump forward during the night. I have been racing for some many years, this was in actual fact the first time I drove during the night. Last year was the first time I drove the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and it was dark every so often, then a couple of laps on Thursday. But during the race it is another level. But it went well, I had a few great Triple-Stints during the night and it was a lot of fun, but there were also a few scary moments.”
