#98 Rowe Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo – overall winner
Raffaele Marciello: “I’ve always wanted to win this race and I’m very happy that I’ve now done it. It’s an incredible feeling to stand at the top of the podium. Our car was great and my three team-mates Jesse, Augusto and Kevin were also great.”
Jesse Krohn: “I only realised very late in the race that we could win, later than I would have liked. But you can only be sure at the finish line, because a lot can still happen in the final laps. So we all hoped that it would be enough. Thanks to BMW Motorsport, Rowe and my team-mates Kelvin, Augusto and Raffaele for this performance.”
Kelvin van der Linde: “I had a lot of emotions throughout the race – especially on the last lap. I thought that we would be able to drive to the end without interruption this year and didn’t expect the red flag. Then the red flag came after all because of the power failure in the pits. Nobody had expected that at all. Thanks to my team-mates and the team, who did a great job. It was a great honour for me to start this race for BMW and for Rowe, because this race is something very special.
Augusto Farfus: “The trust placed in me to drive the start was absolutely overwhelming. It was a great start for me. Positioning yourself at the front of the field is very important for the rest of the race. It’s just as important to know where you stand in the field and what strategy you want to use in the race – especially after the red flagg. For us, it was a clean race without any major mistakes or other problems. I felt privileged to drive the formation lap and see all the waving fans and marshals – it was absolutely magical and a great honour. A very special thank you to the many marshals who ensure our safety around the clock.”
#911 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R – Second place
Kevin Estre: “There was traffic and the GT4 in front of me pulled to the inside in a triple right-hander. I was on the inside, had my space and he pulled in. There was no more room on the left. I braked, went over the kerb and touched the GT4 with my left front wheel. The driver probably thought I was further back or didn’t see me at all. I’m very glad that he’s okay. We saw this situation a lot during the 24 hours and I would do the same again if I got into a similar situation. There was room for me and if I’m on the inside, the other car has to make room on the outside. That’s a racing accident. I explained myself to the race director afterwards and explained my protest, but it was rejected. The rest is now history. Although we crossed the finish line first, we still lost because of the time penalty. That’s a very sad moment for this great race. But that’s how it can go, one contact and that ended our race. It was a great weekend for Porsche and for Manthey, but it wasn’t enough in the end. I’m just sad and disappointed right now.”
Ayhancan Güven: “That was a great race, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Thanks to my fellow drivers and thanks to Manthey. It was different this year.”
Thomas Preining: “In the end, I don’t have much to say. The picture is clear for us, we prepared well, showed what we can do and on the big day we lost. That’s a real shame, but that’s GT racing.”
#54 Dinamic GT SRL Porsche 911 GT3 R – Third place
Bastian Buus: “For us, third place almost feels like a victory. The competition was in a league of its own. But we fought hard and endeavoured as a team to get to a point where we could be competitive. The fact that we are now on the podium in a race like this was a very good achievement.”
Matteo Cairoli: “To be honest, I didn’t expect to be on the podium at the end of the race. We lacked a bit of pace. But we got through without making any mistakes and stayed out of trouble. When everything comes together, unexpected results are also possible – and that was the case today.”
Joel Sturm: “Until the last pit stop, it wasn’t clear that the podium was possible. When we came back out onto the track, we realised that we could actually fight for third place. The stress was intense, but in the end we were able to bring the result home.”
Loek Hartog: “It’s not over until it’s over – that was shown today. Early in the morning, we could hardly believe that we were getting further and further ahead, partly because other teams were making mistakes. It was only in the last three or four laps that we realised that the podium was within our grasp. The reliability of our Porsche was a decisive factor.”