First podium for Kessel Racing!

As usual, the grid of the third  round of the Blancpain Endurance Series, at the Le Castellet circuit on 1 July, was full with 54 contenders ready to fight it out. Motul supported three teams: Kessel Racing, Team SMG and ART Grand Prix. At the first team, Daniel Zampelli clinched straightaway a superb pole position — the second of the season, after that at  Monza — and the team confirmed this potential by finishing on the third step of the podium at the end of the race. A first for the Ferrari 458 of Kessel Racing which got side by side with the German brands.

Luck was less kind to the Porsche 997 of Philippe Gache's Team SMG which, hindered by the traffic, didn't manage to get better than 35th time in the trials. Olivier Pla however secured a fantastic forward thrust at the beginning of the race, even finding himself in 3rd place due to his different refuelling strategy!  Mechanical trouble however plagued the team, pulling it back to 25th rank and it was finally in 18th position that the Porsche crossed the arrival line.

For ART Grand Prix, which was racing in Pro Am, mention is to be made of a 13th position which corresponds to the best weekend result for the McLaren MP4-12Cs, and an 8th place in Pro Am.

The next Blancpain Endurance Series event is scheduled from 26 to 29 July at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Belgium.

Results
01// Christopher Haase / Christopher Mies / Stéphane Ortelli, Audi R8
03// Stefano Gattuso / Davide Rigon / Daniel Zampieri, Ferrari 458 Italia - Motul
13// Grégoire Demoustier / Duncan Tappy, McLaren MP4-12C - Motul
18// Philippe Gache / Eric Clément / Olivier Pla, Porsche 997 GT3 R - Motul

Photo credit: Kessel Racing