Incredible Drama In Final Minutes Of Michelin 12H MUGELLO Seals Victory For MANAMAURI ENERGY BY EBIMOTORS

Remarkable drama during the closing minutes of the Michelin 12H MUGELLO this afternoon delivered a first win for MANAMAURI ENERGY BY EBIMOTORS in the opening race of the Michelin 24H SERIES European Series, following a four lap penalty for the largely dominant CCC Kessel Racing.

David Fumanelli, who starred with a new lap record, looked set to take victory by a lap in the No.8 Ferrari 296 GT3. But when news of the penalty was delivered, resulting from the squad not fulfilling the minimum driving time by its AM/AM Spirit graded drivers, the overall and PRO-AM success on home ground was assured for MANAMAURI’s Sergiu Nicolae, Sabino de Castro and Fabrizio Broggi.

MANAMAURI led from Kessel at the end of part one of the race on Saturday, 22 March, in tricky wet conditions, and although the Ferrari looked to have overturned the Porsche it was the Italian team which emerged with a popular win – the fifth success for Porsche in the Michelin 12H MUGELLO.

“Yesterday was really difficult, but my two team-mates were fantastic driving in the wet and they left me on the dry today – they told me ‘keep it safe, go slow’ because we had a margin and we managed everything”, said an elated Fabrizio Broggi, “It’s unbelievable, it’s our first win and I’m speechless – I don’t know what to say!”

Second overall and winning the AM class after a hugely competitive drive across the rain-affected first seven hours on Saturday, 22 March, and today’s concluding wet-then-dry five hours, was the Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of Ian James, Gray Newell and Hannah Grisham.

The outright GT3 podium was completed by Era Motorsport’s PRO-AM entry of Ryan Dalziel, Jake Hill, Kyle Tilley and Dwight Merriman in the No.81 Ferrari 296 GT3, a fantastic result in the squad’s maiden race in Europe. CCC Kessel Racing ended fourth, third in PRO-AM, with Fumanelli, Marco Frezza and Alessandro Cutrera.

Red Camel-Jordans.nl took a dominant win in the 992 class, finishing eighth overall, with drivers Rik Breukers, Luc Breukers and Fabian Danz in the No.909 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992). The 992 AM class victory went the way of RPM Racing drivers Niclas Jonsson, Tracy Krohn and Philip Hamprecht.

In GT4, the Venture team of Matthew George, Matthew Higgins, Christopher Jones and Neville Jones earned the win after an excellent run during the concluding five hours. Leading by a lap on Saturday, the squad doubled its advantage on day two in the No.421 Mercedes-AMG GT4. The GTX class also had a very clear winner, the No.702 Vortex 2.0 of brothers Arnaud and Olivier Gomez.

Creventic presented the Spirit of Race Award this weekend to German racer Kenneth Heyer, who participated for fifth placed finishing Red Ant Racing in GT3, even after suffering immense personal tragedy – his sister tragically passing away after giving birth last week. Heartfelt thoughts from all at Creventic go out to Kenneth and his entire family.

GT3:
Fumanelli had aced qualifying in the CCC Kessel Racing Ferrari and stormed into an early lead in the wet at the start of Saturday’s seven hours. Prior to the first of a number of Code 60 periods, which peppered part one of the Michelin 12H MUGELLO, Fumanelli led by an impressive 20 seconds.

Josef Kral, piloting the Scuderia Praha Ferrari 296 GT3, had delivered an eye-catching start from 14th on the grid and he led early in hour two as heavier rain began to fall. Another of the Ferrari 296 GT3 entries, the Era Motorsport car with Hill at the wheel, also came into the picture in hour two.

Through the raft of Code 60s one third of the way through the race, Manuel Lauck led in the Proton Huber Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) and the continuing wet conditions and fluctuating rain seemed to be preferrable for the Porsches – MANAMAURI ENERGY BY EBIMOTORS also moving into the podium fight, first with Nicolae and then with team-mate de Castro leading.

Into the latter hours of Saturday’s action the weather continued to impact proceedings with rain arriving and then moving away again – around the same time a small number of teams chose to gamble on trying slick Michelin tyres. Hill in the No.81 Ferrari starred, able to switch the dry tyres on quickly and moving into the top five by the end of the seven hours.

Prezza for CCC Kessel Racing took slicks at the team’s last stop and set fastest lap on his way to second at the flag, behind de Castro in the wet tyre-shod MANAMAURI Porsche. Grisham was an impressive third for Heart of Racing by SPS, the top three all on the lead lap.

Overnight rain meant a wet track again for Sunday’s concluding five hours and Fumanelli, with a new set of wets, launched well at the rolling start to lead as the pole-starting MANAMAURI Porsche, in the hands of de Castro, dropped down the order on its old set of treaded Michelins.

Due to an early spinner a Code 60 was required, and James in the Heart of Racing by SPS car pitted for fuel. Fumanelli followed suit but a lap later when racing had resumed, so de Castro led again for MANAMAURI. When the CCC Kessel Racing Ferrari reappeared, Fumanelli was night and day faster than de Castro with his newer wets providing much more performance.

The crossover point for changing to slicks came at the start of hour two, MANAMAURI’s Porsche jumping first as Nicolae got back behind the wheel. Fumanelli went into the lead again and James was second in the No.27 Mercedes before the Kessel Ferrari pitted for slicks, Frezza taking over.

With half of part two to go Broggi led by a lap in the No.95 Porsche 911 from Cutrera in the No.8 Ferrari – the latter lapping significantly faster – and as the temperature continued to rise, and the track improve, with 90 minutes to run Cutrera had taken over in the lead.

Fumanelli got back in the Kessel car for the final stint, rejoining behind Broggi in the Porsche, and he pumped in a series of incredible laps on his fresh slicks – including a new lap record of 1m46.060 seconds. Decimating the half minute gap to AM graded Broggi, Fumanelli passed with an hour to go.

Kessel needed a late splash of fuel but all still looked in order. Within moments, though, the devastating news of the four lap penalty was delivered. Italy’s MANAMAURI ENERGY BY EBIMOTORS were immediately aware, sparking delirious scenes in the pit garage as victory was theirs.

992:
From the outset on Saturday, the battle for victory in the 992 class was very much a straight fight between Red Camel-Jordans.nl and Muhlner Motorsport. Rik Breukers was in a league of his own in the opening stint of part one in the No.909 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992), storming through the overall order from the 992 pole position and passing several outright GT3 class cars.

Surviving a scare in hour one, when the spinning Porsche Baltic entry of Robertas Kupcikas almost collected Breukers’ car, the Dutchman continued apace. Through early stops, Muhlner’s Martin Rump took the lead and the MDM Motorsport car with Tom Coronel also spent some time out front.

Midway through Saturday’s action there wasn’t much to choose between Luc Breukers and Muhlner’s Julian Hanses, and the lead was traded several times. In the final hour, Danz climbed into the No.909 and the team fitted slick tyres for the first time but it was Rump in the No.921 Porsche who ended part one sixth overall and leading the class.

Rik Breukers started Sunday’s action for Red Camel and he again starred on treaded Michelins, quickly pulling out a 10 second advantage over Valters Zviedris in the Muhlner car. Absolutely flying, passing a series of GT3 class cars once again, Breukers moved up into the outright top four.

It was very much a two-way scrap between Red Camel and Muhlner, albeit with the former putting more and more distance between them, and with two hours to run Danz was two laps clear of Julian Hanses. Then, with only 35 minutes to go, Muhlner’s near-certain second place disappeared when Rump slowed on track as a result of heartbreaking driveshaft failure; ultimately retiring in the pits.

The No.907 RPM Racing car came through to take second in 992 and the AM class win, Hamprecht at the wheel for the final stint, after a late pit-stop for SebLajoux Racing’s No.888 Porsche of Sebastien Lajoux, Stephane Perrin and Paul Meijer.

GTX and GT4:
Venture’s Mercedes-AMG GT4 made the early running in the hands of George in the wet conditions on Saturday, the Briton putting together an excellent first lap to not only move from third in GT4 into the class lead, but also gaining seven outright positions as well.

The Lotus Emira GT4 of Lotus PB Racing and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of CCS Racing each took turns in the lead as part one of the race evolved, and halfway through only 30 seconds covered all three entries. Higgins handed the Venture car back to George and started to put more distance to the Porsche, the Mercedes-AMG ending the first seven hours a lap to the good.

For Sunday’s concluding five hours, Venture were able to continue stretching out their advantage which stood at a couple of laps midway though. Nikolas Gebhardt was lapping quicker in the CCS Racing Porsche than Christopher and Neville Jones in the Mercedes-AMG during the latter half, but the Venture car was well clear with an excellent winning margin of more than two laps.

Arnaud Gomez began the race from pole in GTX, a lofty 12th position overall, and he dominated straight away in the No.702 Vortex 2.0. Although an unfortunate spin on lap two tempered things, dropping back to 20th, Gomez recovered well and he and brother Olivier were the class of the field.

That said, Olivier also experienced a loss of time following a trip off the circuit in hour three. Such was the difference in performance, though, the No.702 ultimately concluded Saturday’s seven hours some 11 laps clear of the sister No.701 Vortex of Lionel Amrouche, Philippe Bonnel and Cyril Calmon.

IRC GT drivers Darren Currie and Grant Donaldson had a frustrating time of things in part one, a couple of excursions for the latter midway through Saturday’s action leading to contact with the barriers. Requiring a significant amount of attention in the pits from the hard-working 111 Racing squad, the car returned to the race to finish third in GTX and only a lap shy of the No.701 Vortex.

There is only one month to wait until the second round of the 2025 Michelin 24H SERIES European Series, the annual visit to Belgium for the Michelin 12H SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS over the weekend 19/20 April.