NEWS
GT WORLD CHALLENGE ASIA - SHANGHAI RACE REPORT:
PODIUM IN FINAL ROUND SEALS 3RD IN PRO-AM FOR BIAN AND LIBERATI
Sep 15, 2024
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Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia by AWS, Round 6 – Shanghai, China
Podium finish in final round secures 3rd in Pro-Am for Bian and Liberati
The final round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia Championship was held in China at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend. Bian and Liberati, one of seven crews with a mathematical chance of taking the overall title, continued in the number 6 Pro-Am Lamborghini. Driving the Silver-Am 63 car were Daniel Bilski from Hong Kong and Ethan Brown from Singapore. Mizutani and Nemoto were once more at the wheel of the ANR with VSR entered number 563 Silver-Am Lamborghini.
A farcical first qualifying saw the fifteen minute session red-flagged three times. Bian set the fifth fastest time in Pro-Am with Bilski and Mizutani seventh and ninth quickest in Silver-Am. After an immediate Safety Car for a start-line crash Bian rocketed up to eighth overall. He gained a further two places when Canard and Lu clashed and ran second in class. The pit window opened on lap ten and Bian dived straight in. The number 6 car had a heavy, fifteen second handicap after winning last time out at Okayama and consequently Liberati rejoined in the middle of the pack. A lap later Bilski pitted for Brown and Mizutani for Nemoto. By the time the pit window closed Liberati was back to third in class, eighth overall, just five seconds behind the second placed Pro-Am car driven by Morad. A penalty for Nemoto dropped the 563 car down the order and on lap eighteen Brown’s race ended with a small off at the last corner which caused a Full Course Yellow. The track went green again with ten minutes left on the clock. Liberati closed to within three seconds of Morad and, one of the fastest on track in the final laps, took a hard fought third in Pro-Am.
The second qualifying session saw only one red flag, but as it occurred with three minutes left on the clock the session was not resumed. Liberati ended up on row six for the final race of the year with Nemoto and Brown sixth and tenth in Silver-Am. Incoming Typhoon Bebinca caused the final race of the season to be bought forward and the field made a trouble-free start. Liberati ran eighth in Pro-Am and spent most of his stint battling with Kanamaru and Oosten. Nemoto was seventh in Silver-Am and Brown tenth. The pit window opened on lap twelve and Brown was the first to stop, allowing Bilski to take over for the rest of the race. On lap sixteen Liberati and Nemoto pitted and Bian and Mizutaki headed out on track for the final stint. By lap twenty Bian was up to sixth in class, three seconds ahead of Ibrahim, the only driver who could take third in the Pro-Am standings from Bian and Liberati. Bian kept the Mercedes driver behind him to take the flag ninth overall, third in class. Mizutani and Bilski took eighth and ninth in the Silver-Am class.
Thanks to three wins and yesterday’s podium finish Bian and Liberati ended the season third in Pro-Am and sixth in the Overall Driver Championship.
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