- Runners-up honours for Customer Racing teams in Europe and US
- McLaren 570S GT4 and 720S GT3 secure podium finishes in every championship contested last weekend
On a weekend of season finales that saw GT3 and GT4 championships conclude in Europe, China and North America, McLaren Customer Racing teams ended each series on a high note with podiums for the 570S GT4 and 720S GT3 at every event.
In Europe, Customer Racing team Teo Martin Motorsport contested the International GT Open championship season-closer at Italy’s Monza circuit. A difficult first race saw early contact for the team’s title contenders, dropping the driver pairing of Martin Kodric and Henrique Chaves out of the running. Despite this setback, the team bounced back for a nail-biting season finale as Kodric and fellow McLaren Young Professional driver Fran Rueda took a 1-2 finish with the 720S GT3 alongside their respective teammates Chaves and Andres Saravia. The result saw Kodric and Chaves end the season joint second on points, while Rueda and Saravia finished in fourth place. The third 720S GT3 also finished in the top-six, achieving a second consecutive class win in the highly competitive Pro Am category.
Teo Martin Motorsport also raced with a brace of 570S GT4s in Monza for the final rounds of the GT Open Cup, with the team taking further silverware. A class 1-2 result in the weekend’s opening race set the tone for the remainder of the weekend, and the season finale saw the team on the podium once again as they secured second and fourth places overall.
In North America, the Michelin PILOT Challenge visited Road Atlanta for the 10th and final round of the season, with Customer Racing team Motorsports In Action looking to take second place in both the drivers’ and teams’ championships. A busy race for all three Customer Racing teams running with the 570S GT4 saw a close battle at the front and as the chequered flag fell for the final time, Motorsports In Action took second place on track to secure vice champion status in the teams standings, while the team’s drivers Jesse Lazare and Corey Fergus also clinched second in the driver championship. AWA Racing and Compass Racing also both finished within the top-six to round off the season on a high.
Finally, the China GT championships for the GT3 and GT4 categories came to a conclusion at the Shanghai International Circuit. In the GT3 races, McLaren Factory Driver Joe Osborne and teammate Han Han took second and third places in the weekend’s two races with the 720S GT3 of The Winning Team to finish fourth in the championship. The results continued an impressive string of results for the season, maintaining the pair’s 100 per cent record of podium finishes.
The Winning Team also contested two GT4 races over the weekend with a trio of 570S GT4s. The highlight of the weekend’s results came in race one with an Am class victory, while a solid performance for the team throughout the weekend saw all cars finish in the top 10.
