Blancpain Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S No.24FIA GT1: Mixed emotions for Reiter Engineering at Nurburgring
There were mixed emotions for the Reiter Engineering Lamborghini team in the sixth round of the FIA GT1 World Championship and races 11 and 12 of the ADAC GT Masters at the Nurburgring circuit. In the GT1 category Peter Kox and Christopher Haase had a successful weekend finishing second in the Championship Race on Sunday in the Blancpain Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-S No.24 after a brilliant display of teamwork at the pit stop. That result followed a third place finish for the pair in the Qualifying Race the previous day. Both Kox and Haase paid tribute to the excellent work of the team at the driver-change pit stop for their ultimate success in the race.
Kox said: "We had a fantastic pit stop so we owe it all to the team. The car is not quite there yet but we are working on it and improving it and at least we can now compete at the front. Christopher did a fantastic stint under a lot of pressure from four cars." Haase added: "Our team did a great job at the pit stop. This was the key to taking the second place. I am really delighted to be on the podium at my home race." The results move the Reiter team to second in the teams’ standings. The next round of the GT1 championship takes place at Algarve, Portugal from 17-19 September.
In the ADAC GT Masters, Dutchman Kox, partnered by Albert von Thurn and Taxis in the Lamborghini Gallardo LP56 No.24, it was a bitter-sweet experience. In Race 1, Kox was involved in a collision and taken out of the action. He was subsequently penalised five grid places for the second race. In Race 2, he and von Thurn and Taxis fought hard at the front of the field to secure fifth place. Kox said: “As for the championship itself I’m looking forward to the next race and try to forget about this race.”
The results mean that the Reiter Engineering pair retain their lead at the head of the drivers’ standings and lie second overall in the teams’ classification. There are two races remaining at the final round of the series at Oschersleben on 3rd October.