Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti was in a class of his own in the fifth round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at Spa-Francorchamps: On a rain-soaked track that gradually dried over the course of the race, the 23-year-old Frenchman clinched victory ahead of his Schumacher CLRT teammate, Flynt Schuring. Robert de Haan (NLD/BWT Lechner Racing) secured another podium finish in third place but surrendered the championship lead to Ghiretti. Porsche Junior Theo Oeverhaus, meanwhile, lost some ground in the standings after a challenging weekend.
It was a masterpiece for the two Schumacher CLRT cars who dominated the race on the 7.004-kilometre rollercoaster circuit near the German-Belgian border almost effortlessly. Only in the opening moments after the start did Schuring have to fend off attacks from overall leader Robert de Haan (BWT Lechner Racing), but afterwards, a one-two finish was never in doubt all the way to the chequered flag. Due to the wet conditions and some remains of oil after the F2 race, the safety car lead the Porsche field through the first two laps.
Ghiretti was in a class of his own on the “Ardennes rollercoaster.” By the finish, his lead over teammate Schuring had grown to 8.6 seconds. With his second win of the season, the 23-year-old Frenchman also moved to the top of the Supercup standings. His teammate Flynt Schuring Schuring was the fastest rookie again and delighted with his podium finish.
From wet to dry – tension rising
As the track dried, Robert de Haan came under increasing pressure from Ariel Levi. The GP Elite from Israel repeatedly challenged the Dutchman and even pulled alongside the No. 1 Porsche in the penultimate lap. But in the process, Levi slightly cut the Les Combes chicane and was forced to relinquish the position to de Haan. “I was faster, but I couldn’t find a way past Robert. It was a tough race but incredible fun,” Levi said afterwards.
De Haan had mixed feelings as he reflected on his race: “At the start, I could match the pace of the two front guys, but from about mid-race I lost contact and had to focus more on the cars behind me. We need to analyse exactly why I lacked pace as the track dried. It was hard work defending my position from Ariel’s attacks. But P3 is good, and I’ve scored valuable points. The championship is still wide open. I don’t look too closely at the standings; my goal is simply to win the next race in Budapest.”
The second Porsche Junior, Theo Oeverhaus, endured a difficult weekend. The 20-year-old from Germany charged from 19th to 13th throughout the race but slipped from third to sixth in the standings. He definitely expected more, because he is usually very quick in the rain. But in Spa he just couldn’t find the right balance.
The heat is on in Budapest
Before the short summer break, it’s time to answer the call of the Hungaroring. In the Hungarian flatlands, it’s the heat — not the rain — that puts teams and drivers to the test. Add a tight and twisty layout that demands constant work at the wheel, and you’ve got one of the season’s toughest challenges.
