Baku World Challenge finishes with Belgian drivers’ victory
By Nigar Orujova
Belgian Audi Club Team WRT's drivers Stephane Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor took the 2013 FIA GT Series Pro Cup drivers title in a thrilling race at an adrenalin-fuelled final on November 24 in Baku.
The first-ever Baku World Challenge race, powered by Aztexnika, took place on November 23-24.
Second place was taken by French drivers Rob Bell and Kevin Estre from the Hexis Racing McLaren MP4-12C. Racers from German Mercedes SLS AMG GT3, Alon Day and Maximilian Buhk, took the third place.
The gold winners were awarded with a cash prize of 100,000 euros, while 50,000 euros and 25,000 euros went to other two duos.
According to Ortelli, the route was comfortable and the team had to work hard to win. "I am just speechless, it is so nice to win the championship with WRT and Audi, and especially a race win at the end, I still cannot believe that we won that race. I am very happy."
The Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) GT Series is a GT3 sports car racing championship that holds races in six countries, with each event consisting of two races over the weekend, mostly concentrated in Europe.
14 international race teams and 30 GT cars took part in the FIA GT Series Final round on a newly designed 4-kilometer long street--circuit, which stretches along the Caspian Sea, and centered around the National Flag.
The international competition, which gathered many Baku residents, was broadcasted through television channels of 175 countries in Europe, Australia, Asia, America, Middle East and Africa.
Before the races, Baku saw the presentation of the cars, which also attracted many people.
The organization partner ,Renaud Jeanfils said that during the last competition there were worries about what will be Azerbaijani people's attitude towards this event.
"But we saw that people are showing great interest to the competition, and the race was more interesting than expected," Jeanfils said.
The president of the Baku World Challenge's main organizer AzTexnika LLC, Manouchehr Ahadpour Khanghah thanked Azerbaijani government for organizing the event.
He noted that holding such large events in Baku is the result of Azerbaijani government's successful policies and sustainable development under the guidance of the President.
Last October, Baku hosted the first racing Baku City Challenge, which presented a spectacular urban motorsport experience, and attracted the attention of the city's residents.