HUNGARORING, HUNGARY – Oman’s Al-Faisal Al-Zubair and German team-mate Fabian Schiller combined controlled and attacking driving to win the opening International GT Open race at the Hungaroring on Saturday.
The Al-Manar Racing by Getspeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 started third in Pro, and Schiller stormed through the field late in the second stint to finish 5.810 seconds ahead of Eastalent Racing’s Simon Reicher and Christopher Haase (Audi R8), with the Oregon Team Lamborghini Huracán third.
It was a very good race today in the GT Open. Honestly, the car was amazing. The team did a great job and Fabi was the driver to give credit to this time. I pitted from P4 and Fabi did all the hard work. But it’s another win and we are excited for the second race but the 20-second handicap will not be easy.
Al-Faisal Al-Zubair
Practice and qualifying
The car was second in Friday’s first practice with 1min 45.078sec over 28 laps, behind the Liqui Moly Team Engstler Audi of Kwanda Motswasele Mokoena and Luca Engstler, and fourth in Pro in second practice, topped by SPS Automotive Performance’s Reece Barr and Mikaeel Pitamber. Al-Zubair qualified third in Pro with 1min 43.709sec, behind Oregon Team’s Maximilian Paul.
The race
Al-Zubair climbed to second in Pro and fifth overall after five laps, with Paul leading the class and Martin Kodrić leading overall in the ProAm Bonaldi Motorsport Lamborghini. After the stops Schiller was fifth overall and third in Pro with 28 minutes left.
He passed Andrzej Lewandowski’s Bonaldi Lamborghini and Marco Pulcini’s AF Corse Ferrari, then closed on Diego Menchaca and Pierre-Louis Chovet. With eight minutes left he overtook the Team Motopark Mercedes for second, then passed the Oregon Team car for the lead in sensational style and pulled away to win.