ESET Sprint’s first race at the Red Bull Ring was accompanied by sunny weather and a beautiful duel at the front and the result of the race was decided at the very end of the race.
The start of the race and the first turn, despite the large field, went without collisions and incidents. Antonín Herbeck in Pagani Zonda moved up from third place into the lead ahead of Leo Pichler with KTM. The first two places were held by GTX cars.
At the end of the second lap, a safety car appeared on the track and slowed the pace of the race for the next few minutes. As soon as green flags flew over the circuit again, Herbeck held the lead ahead of Pichler and Ernst Kirchmayr with a Ferrari 488 GT3, who also dominated the GT3 category.
It was those three drivers who fought between each other throughout the race. Herbeck had a huge advantage on the straights, while Pichler excelled in the corners, and only at the very end of the race did Pichler manage to pass Herbeck and take the lead.
Pichler with the KTM GTX won first sprint of ESET GT at Red Bull Ring in the GTX category ahead of Herbeck. Behind them came Kirchmayr, who became the winner of the GT3 category with a safe lead over Gregor Zsigo with his new BMW M4 GT3. Libor Milota finished with an older Mercedes AMG GT3 third, because he did not find a recipe for overtaking a fast BMW.
Dennis Waszek squeezed between the faster GTX and GT3 cars with his Lamborghini Super Tropheo. He finished fourth overall and won the GTC category ahead of Marcin Kaczmarski with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Denis Watt, also with Porsche.
In the GT4 category, Samuel Vetrák won with BMW M4 GT4 of Šenkýř Motorsport team. The second Sandi Jeram with Porsche Cayman GT4 was second.
Race results