24H Portimão: Re-start to the racing season 🎥
MINIFIELD IN PORTUGAL The 24 Hours of Portimão is the first major car race in Europe. Although only 15 teams, including Autorama Motorsport, have found their way to Portugal. But everyone is happy that it's finally getting underway. The 24H Portimão opens the European season. The teaser shows highlights of 2019. The currently difficult times leave their mark. [...]
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The 24H Portimão opens the European season. The teaser shows highlights from 2019.
The current difficult times are leaving their mark. Whereas 35 teams turned up for the 24 Hours of Portimão two years ago and 28 last year, this weekend only 15 vehicles in six classes will start the first European round of the 2020 24H Series.
Neither last year's winning team from the Czech Republic nor a team from Italy found their way to Portugal. But the main thing is that it's back to real racing instead of virtual racing, no matter how.
Two Swiss in GT3 teams
Two drivers from Switzerland have a chance of winning the overall title. Daniel Allemann from Solothurn, multiple winner of such endurance races, will start with his proven German partners Alfred and Robert Renauer as well as Ralf Bohn on one of the two Porsche 911 GT3 R from Herberth Motorsport.
On the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of HTP Winward Motorsport from Germany, Philip Ellis is listed as British on the start list. However, the son of a German and a Welshman has lived and worked in the canton of Zug since his early youth. On paper, only the three GT3 cars are in contention for overall victory. In addition, there are several teams from the 991 (Porsche Cup), Cayman and GT4 classes.
Six Swiss in the team of the defending champions
The TCR class is the most heavily populated with six touring cars. As already reported, Autorama Motorsport by Wolf-Power Racing will be out with its two VW Golf GTI TCRs.
TOPCAR sport, with Karen Gaillard among others, will not start the season until the 12H Monza in a month's time. Hofor Racing by Bonk will also be back in the mix there with two BMW M4 GT4s and a BMW M240i Racing.
With the current European and Intercontinental champions Yannick Mettler and Jérôme Ogay, who were already in the class-winning car a year ago, as well as this year's newcomers Miklas Born, Christoph Lenz and Jasmin Preisig, no fewer than five Swiss drivers will be taking part in Autorama. All except Born will take turns at the wheel of the number 1 VW Golf GTI TCR. Team boss Stefan Tanner will also get in during the race.
The second car with start number 112 is shared by the two fast Finns Antti Buri and Kari-Pekka Laaksonen with the Italian Roberto Ferri, the young Basel driver Miklas Born and the double starter Yannick Mettler.
Everything live on the Internet
Qualifying will take place on Friday, June 12, from 5:15 to 6 p.m. for the touring cars and from 6:15 to 7 p.m. for the GT cars. Under this Link it can be followed live on the Internet.
The race will start at 12 noon (1 p.m. CET) on Saturday, June 13. It can be entered around the clock at this Link can be viewed. Also there is as always a Livetiming with comprehensive race statistics.
Regardless of the outcome of the race, everyone who sees the checkered flag after this long break from racing can and will feel like a winner.
