Misano, Italy – Bullitt Racing scored a sensational overall victory in this weekend’s GT4 European Series event at Misano as the new pairing of Romain Monti and Alex Lambertz delivered a faultless performance aboard the #66 Mercedes-AMG.
The result was made more impressive by the fact that neither had driven the car before arriving at Misano, while 21-year-old Lambertz had not experienced the Italian track until Thursday. But thanks to a superb team effort by the entire Bullitt Racing squad, they were able to charge from fourth on the grid to secure top spot overall and in the Silver Cup during Saturday’s opening race.
Scorching temperatures at the Italian circuit placed considerable strain on both the team and its two-car line-up, which saw the established #33 crew of Stephen Pattrick and Andy Meyrick competing alongside the new #66 pairing. Ultimately the team conquered the heat on-track, while also securing the Pitstop Challenge award for the event’s fastest stop.
The opening contest saw Monti progress to the front during the first stint, taking the lead shortly before the half-way mark. He handed over to Lambertz with a healthy advantage at the head of the field and the German driver was able to control the gap to secure a commanding win. They backed this up with another impressive drive in Sunday morning’s contest, with the duo climbing from 11th on the grid to secure third-place and another podium.
Meanwhile the #33 machine of Pattrick and Meyrick took home points in the hugely competitive Pro-Am class, despite two challenging contests. Pattrick was forced to make an early stop in the opening race, which ultimately left the car two laps behind the field. Meyrick was able to recover ground during his stint and made up positions during the second half of the race to eventually secure important championship points with an eighth-place finish in Pro-Am.
Sunday’s second race began well for the #33 crew, with pro driver Meyrick taking the start and quickly becoming involved in a close on-track battle in which his position fluctuated between fifth and seventh. Stephen made further progress and looked set for a strong result, but was unfortunately forced to retire the car before the chequered flag. Nevertheless, the team was able to celebrate an excellent weekend that included three trips to the podium – two for the #66 crew and one for the Pitstop Challenge win.
Stephen Pattrick: “Saturday was a fantastic result for the #66 car. The Bullitt Racing team have worked so hard to create the winning conditions and the drivers, Alex and Romain, exploited this and drove superbly. I would also like to thank Mercedes-AMG for their support this weekend and throughout the season.”
Romain Monti: “I honestly don’t have the words for this. This was my first time with the car, with the team and with Alex – and it finished with a win! We couldn’t have dreamt of more. A big shout-out to the Bullitt Racing team for their hard work and dedication in the heat, and also huge congrats to Alex. He did an excellent job keeping his cool and managing the gap until the end. This wasn’t an easy race and I had to fight really hard during my stint, but it is a fantastic reward for the whole team.”
Alex Lambertz: “It was an incredible race. The final 25 minutes were the longest I have ever experienced on the track, but in the end everything was good. The car was fantastic and Romain drove an excellent stint. The team did a superb job too and we had a perfect pit stop. All in all, things turned out more than perfect. Thank you to Bullitt Racing for this opportunity and to Mercedes-AMG for producing a great car.”
The Bullitt Racing squad will be back in GT4 European Series action at Zandvoort as the Dutch venue stages the fifth round of the season on 13/14 July. With the same driver pairings set to contest the event, the team will look to build on a very strong weekend in Italy.
