The 2020 International GT Open kicked-off with a huge surprise: in a very hot Saturday at the Hungaroring, Polish outfit JP Motorsport, at his debut in the series and at this level of competition, won Race 1 with former F.1 and LMP1 star Christian Klien and Polish rookie Patryk Krupinski, who is only at his second season of racing and was debuting today in GT3. The Mercedes AMG of the team managed by Günter Aberer certainly benefitted from a bit of luck but the achievement remains stunning, even if the team prepared and tested extensively during the long break.

Stunning maiden win for JP Motorsport and Krupinski-Klien Debuting Polish squad and pair impose their Mercedes AMG in warm conditions at the Hungaroring in Race 1 full of surprises The Teo Martín Motorsport McLarens complete the podium with Ramos-Chaves and Hahn-Khodair Pro-Am class see the Optimum Motorsport of Iribe-Millroy third behind KrupinskiKlien and Hahn-Khodair Florian Scholze-Jens Liebhauser give the GetSpeed Mercedes their first success of the year, ahead of Leutwiler (PZ Ob.Zürichsee TFT Porsche) and Moiseev-Nesov (AKM Mercedes) Mogyorod,

The 2020 International GT Open kicked-off with a huge surprise: in a very hot Saturday at the Hungaroring, Polish outfit JP Motorsport, at his debut in the series and at this level of competition, won Race 1 with former F.1 and LMP1 star Christian Klien and Polish rookie Patryk Krupinski, who is only at his second season of racing and was debuting today in GT3. The Mercedes AMG of the team managed by Günter Aberer certainly benefitted from a bit of luck but the achievement remains stunning, even if the team prepared and tested extensively during the long break. Klien ha taken pole position and led throughout the first stint, before a safety-car period annihilated the advantage with which Krupinski started the final phase. The events, though, would yield a second providential neutralization in the closing lap, with the race ending behind safety-car, and JP Motorsport hardly believing what happened: “It’s incredible!” , was the only thing the team members could say. The Teo Martín McLaren 720S of Miguel Ramos-Henrique Chaves and Marcelo HahnAllam Khodair completed the overall podium, with the Optimum Motorsport McLaren of Brendan Iribe-Ollie Millroy taking third in Pro-Am, behind Krupinski-Klien and HahnKhodair. In Am, the GetSpeed Mercedes of Florian Scholze and Jens Liebhauser took a clear victory, ahead of Niki Leutwiler (PZ Ob. Zürichsee TFT Porsche) and the AKM Mercedes of Alex Moiseev-Alexey Nesov. THE RACE – At the start, Christian Klien keeps the advantage of the pole narrowly, but it is Stefano Coletti making the biggest jump ahead, as it gets second from 7th after 2 corners ahead of team mate Mettler. Follow Ramos, Hahn, Millroy and Schiller, who is charging as mad and is third by lap 6, attacking Coletti for second. In the meantime, the AF Corse APM Ferrari of Louis Prette has fallen victim of first corners action together with the Optimum McLaren of Pickford, and Scholze and Lisowiski (who has moved to the Olimp Racing Mercedes #5 after Marcin Jedlinski big shunt in qualifying in the the #77) get in contact and spin. In lap 9, Schiller attacks Coletti on the inside but touches the Bentley, sending it into a spin. In the meantime, Klien has brought his advantage up to 8 seconds ahead of Schiller, with Mettler in third, then Ramos and Millroy, who has passed Hahn, Yoluc, Lisowski and Leutwiler, who leads in Am. After all stops, in lap 24, Krupinski leads by 15 seconds on Chaves, then Crestani, Khodair, Iribe, Eastwood, and ‘Max’, although shortly after, everything is reshuffled, as in lap 29, Umbrarescu ends up in the gravel after losing the car on a kerb, prompting the safety-car out, which wipes out the gaps. It is not the last thrill, as shortly after restart (lap 29), with the cars running in a compact group, the Olimp Racing Mercedes of Stanislaw Jedlinski, probably after a contact, hits the barriers with violence at turn 4, getting airborne, but fortunately landing on its wheels and with no damage for the driver. The safety-car is out again and the chequered flag is dropped in such conditions. STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 1 OF 14 Overall: 1. Krupinski-Klien, 15 p.; 2. Ramos-Chaves, 12; 3. Hahn-Khodair, 10; 4. Crestani-Mettler, 8; 5. Iribe-Millroy, 6; etc Pro-Am: 1. Krupinski-Klien, 10 p.; 2. Hahn-Khodair, 8; 3. Iribe-Millroy, 6; 4. Sattler-Bastian, 4; 5. Schiller-Max, 3; 6. S.Jedlinski-Lisowski, 2. Am: 1. Scholze-Liebhauser, 10 p.; 2. Leutwiler, 8; 3. Moiseev-Nesov, 6; 4. Konopka-Mikulasko, 4; 5. PH.Prette-Negro, 3. Teams: 1. Teo Martín Motorsport, 14 p.; 2. JP Motorsport, 10; 3. Lazarus Racing, 4; 4. Optimum Motorsport, 3; 4. TF Sport, 2.