Bird Victorious At Brands Hatch
The fourth round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup powered by AWS proved to be amemorable one as Cumbrian racing driver Frank Bird swept to victory at Brands Hatch.
At the Kent track where his father Paul’s British Superbike Championship team has had so much success over the years, 22-year-old Frank and Japanese teammate Ryuichiro Tomita took a magnificent third place overall in the opening race which they backed up with an impressive fifth overall in race two in the Team WRT Audi R8 LMS.
But as well as lifting the trophy for third overall in race one, Penrith-born Frank and Tomita-San won the Silver Cup class followed by a second place in class in the second outing to round off a fantastic weekend for the #31 car.
They added to the WRT team’s success as courtesy of a win in race one and second place in race two, Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts secured the Sprint Cup Drivers’ title, their second in a row, and so did Team WRT in the Teams’ standings, as, mathematically, they cannot be overtaken in the last round scheduled at Valencia.
Also, Team WRT crews netted the 2021 Pirelli Pit Stop Challenge.
Frank Bird: “What a fantastic weekend for my home race, I’m really very happy. I was a little bit nervous coming hereas I didn’t know what expect, but the car was very good and a real pleasure to drive. P1 and P2 in the Silver Cup and an overall podium has meant a really a great weekend for us at a track where PBM has had so much success in the past. Thanks to my dad, my team and our sponsors for making it a memorable weekend.”
GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup – Round 4
Brands Hatch, United Kingdom, 28-29 August 2021
Race 1 Result
1. Vanthoor-Weerts (Audi R8 LMS)
2. Stolz-Engel (Mercedes AMG)
3. Bird-Tomita (Audi R8 LMS) (1st Silver)
4. Pérez Companc-Breukers (Lamborghini Huracan)
5. Panis-Vervisch (Audi R8 LMS)
18. Goethe-van der Linde (Audi R8 LMS)
Race 2 Result
1. Stolz-Engel (Mercedes AMG)
2. Vanthoor-Weerts (Audi R8 LMS)
3. Umbrarescu-Gounon (Mercedes AMG)
4. Puhakka-Tunjo (Mercedes AMG)
5. Bird-Tomita (Audi R8 LMS) (2nd Silver)
9. Goethe-Mies (Audi R8 LMS)
For further info, please contact Vincent Vosse vincent.vosse@w-racingteam.com or
Daria Marina (Media) daria.marina@w-racingteam.com. Mob: +41 76 405 90 52
