MRS GT-Racing finished a hard-fought 5th in 992-AM at this past weekend’s Hankook 24H BARCELONA, an event at which the German team had hoped to take a category podium. 

Impressively, the #988 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup led the 992 class overall in the early going thanks to a strong double stint by Jukka Honkavuori, and was still running in the top three in-class when significant delays during the pits stops dropped MRS GT-Racing six laps adrift of the leaders during the fifth hour. A gap that had regrettably opened up further to 12 laps after eight hours, effectively knocking the German team out of contention. 

“Another tough 24 hours,” MRS GT-Racing staple Johan Koning posted. “Amazing thanks to my drivers, the great crew and engineering, but luck and other little things were not with us this weekend: technical issues, little crashes etc. But better times are coming. More important is loyalty combined with honesty, professionalism and respect. If all these ingredients are inside, you will be successful.”

Having qualified a solid 6th overall in 992 and 4th in 992-AM, MRS GT-Racing had worked its way up into the lead of 992 after 50 minutes thanks to blistering pace from Porsche Experience head coach Jukka Honkavuori. By the end of his double stint two hours later, Jukka brought the #988 Porsche onto pitroad still in the lead and one lap clear of nearest 992-AM rival QMMF by HRT. 

Incredibly, Honkavuori’s fastest lap – a 1m 46.196s – remained unbeaten by any other 992 entrant for the remainder of the race, although QMMF SEMI-PRO driver Julian Hanses did manage to match the time exactly early on Sunday morning!

Amadeo Quiros, who, like teammate and Costa Rican compatriot Charlie Fonseca, was visiting the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the first time, was next up. Though, understandably, unable to keep pace with SEMI-PRO Honkavuori, Quiros nevertheless completed a clean stint 35s off the now leading QMMF by HRT Porsche. 

“The race started with some difficulties,” Quiros explains in his own post-race report. “With only two 1.5-hour practices and five drivers in the team, I barely managed to do about 12 laps (of which only 5 were during the day). At night, I had a particularly bad time: I was totally lost, I saw lights everywhere, I couldn't control the car and I didn't have clear references. The GT3s passed me as if I were standing still, and I got really nervous for the race.

“But I went in mentally prepared, and on my first lap I did my best time of the weekend, a 1m 50.0s (up to that point, the best I had done was 1m 54s). I started to feel more and more confident. 

“The track was already warm and everyone’s times went up, but luckily, I was one of the fastest on the track. I handed the car over in P2, but that’s when our problems with the brakes began.”

Fonseca’s first stint was cut short after 23 laps when the Team Africa Le Mans Ginetta beached itself in the turn 14 gravel trap. More than 10 minutes were lost as MRS’ mechanics struggled to remove a fused wheel nut, dropping the #988 Porsche back to 5th in-class. The German team was caught out again just over three hours later: as the mechanics attempted to complete a brake change under Code 60 (CWS Engineering had ground to a halt at pit exit), the track went green quicker than expected, costing the Porsche another six laps to the 992 leader.

Already demoted to 6th in 992-AM, five laps behind nearest category rival Orchid Racing Team, MRS GT-Racing lost further time on-track during the night. A 25-minute pit stop to allay recurrent brake issues effectively ended all hope of a podium comeback. 

“Compared to the PROs, nothing could be done; they were about two seconds ahead of us per lap. The teams can only have one PRO, so against the ‘mortals,’ we could be faster on some occasions, but the difference with these drivers is incredible! Although with more practice we could get closer, being less than one second behind them is almost impossible for me.”

Despite the frustrations, and even though he collected the chequered flag on incredibly worn rubber, Quiros was still quick to praise “the experience.”

“The race continued and I had to finish it. We didn't have new tyres anymore and it wasn't worth buying more because 4th place was more than eight laps [ahead of] us. 

“I went out with used tyres, and honestly I didn't have a great time. With the track hot and the tyres with more than 50 laps, the car was going all over the place. The good thing is that I had no pressure, so I just picked up the pace and finished. 

“What a race and what an experience, I'd never raced anything like that!”

MRS GT-Racing has already registered entries for the Michelin 24H DUBAI on 10-11-12 January and the Michelin 6H ABU DHABI on 17-18-19 January. The German is set to make its 15th start in Dubai, having debuted at the event in 2011.

*Our thanks to Amadeo Quiros for his race report, which you can read in full HERE