In season 2024 the Flying Finn Konsta Lappalainen, age of 23, competes with Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO in GT World Challenge European Sprint Series. In first meeting, which was driven in traditional British circuit of Brands Hatch, Lappalainen and his British team mate Ben Green collect 3rd highest Championship points from the intense racing weekend.
In Sundays’ first one hour race Lappalainen and Green lost the overall victory just by 0,633 seconds and in second race they collect 5th highest Championship points. Therefore Emil Frey Racing drivers are in third position in overall classifications after two events.
– In qualifying Ben Green secured us Pole Position for the first race and he kept the position until pit stop. However we lost the position for making a second too slow drivers change. Then in my driving turn I really hard tried to reduce the gap but eventually lost the victory just by very small margin. Furthermore as in second race we rised from 7th position to 5th in overall standings, we really can be very satisfied for the start of the season, Lappalainen tells.
– Level of competition is very, very high. We have to be fast in the circuit as well as in pit stop as we saw in the first race. Also we had trouble to follow the car in front of us and therefore we had no chance to pass our fellow competitors in both races. These are the things we need to improve for the next racing weekend which is to be driven in next two weeks at traditional Italian circuit of Misano, Lappalainen continues.
Opening round of GT World Challenge European Sprint series was won by belgium BMW-drivers Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts. Even Konsta Lappalainen still hunts for his first-ever overall victory, Vanthoor has collect 17 and Weerts 14.
Final results GT World Challenge EU Sprint Brands Hatch, 1st race Sunday 5th May 2024: Overall top-5:
1. Dries Vanthoor (BEL) & Charles Weerts (BEL), BMW M4 GT3, 39 laps
2. Konsta Lappalainen (FIN) & Ben Green (GBR), Ferrari 296 GT3, +0,633s
3. Maro Engel (GER) & Lucas Auer (AUT), Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, +1,208s
4. Tom Gamble (GBR) & Benjamin Goethe (GER), McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, +2,703s
5. Aurelien Panis (FRA) & Cesar Gazeau (FRA), Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, +4,620s
Final results GT World Challenge EU Sprint Brands Hatch, 2nd race Sunday 5th May 2024: Overall top-5:
1. Maro Engel (GER) & Lucas Auer (AUT), Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, +43 laps
2. Giacomo Altoe (ITA) & Thierry Vermeulen (NLD), Ferrari 296 GT3, +2,563s
3. Maximilian Götz (DEU) & Jules Gounon (AND), Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, +11,946s
4. Alex Aka (DEU) & Ricardo Feller (CHE), Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II, 12,784s
5. Konsta Lappalainen (FIN) & Ben Green (GBR), Ferrari 296 GT3, +13,133s
6. Tom Gamble (GBR) & Benjamin Goethe (GER), McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, +13,369s
GT World Challenge EU Sprint UNOFFICIAL standings 2024: 2/10 events: top-4:
1. Maro Engel (GER) & Lucas Auer (AUT), Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, 27p
2. Dries Vanthoor (BEL) & Charles Weerts (BEL), BMW M4 GT3, 19,5p
3. Konsta Lappalainen (FIN) & Ben Green (GBR), Ferrari 296 GT3, 19p
4. Giacomo Altoe (ITA) & Thierry Vermeulen (NLD), Ferrari 296 GT3, 12p
