2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Zandvoort round

The 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Zandvoort round was the last of seven rounds of the 2015 Blancpain Sprint Series season. It took place at Circuit Park Zandvoort in The Netherlands between 9 October and 11 October 2015.

Race details
Date 11 October 2015
Location Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands
Course 4.307 km (2.676 mi)
Qualifying Race
Pole
Drivers Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP
Time 1:36.485[1]
Fastest Lap
Drivers Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP
Time 1:38.937[2]
Podium
First Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP
Second Nicki Thiim
Frédéric Vervisch		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
Third Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof
Markus Winkelhock		 Phoenix Racing
Main Race
Pole
Drivers Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP
Fastest Lap
Drivers Robin Frijns
Christopher Mies		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
Time 1:38.053[3]
Podium
First Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP
Second Robin Frijns
Christopher Mies		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT
Third Nicki Thiim
Frédéric Vervisch		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT

Report

Championship contender Laurens Vanthoor injured

Before the season finale, Robin Frijns and Laurens Vanthoor led the championship by eight points, but Vanthoor was not able to try and win the championship together with Frijns as he was injured in a heavy crash in the Qualifying Race at Misano the week before.[4] On the straight before Turn 8 (Quercia) he made contact with the HTP Bentley of Jules Szymkowiak sending the both into the barriers. Both drivers could get out of their cars, but Vanthoor had to be transported to the medical centre to get treatment for a sprained foot. In Zandvoort he was replaced by Christopher Mies.[5]

Jeroen Bleekemolen returns

Jeroen Bleekemolen returned to the series after an almost one-year absence.[6] He replaced Marco Seefried, because Seefried was not able to race in Zandvoort as he is also a driver for Dempsey Racing-Proton in the FIA WEC and the round at Zandvoort clashed with the 6 Hours of Fuji.

Free practice

Maximilian Buhk was the quickest driver in the first of two free practice sessions.[7] His fastest lap was a 1:38.084, which was eight tenths faster than championship rival Frijns.[8]

FP2 was dominated by Audi with six cars in the top seven. Debutant Nicki Thiim managed to get the fastest time with a 1:38.205. Frijns was again second, three tenths behind his Danish teammate.[9]

Qualifying

The No. 84 HTP Bentley of Abril and Buhk was back on top after qualifying and managed to get Pole position for the Qualifying Race. Their championships rivals Frijns, who qualified second, and Norbert Siedler, who qualified fourth, were close behind as the top four was covered by only three tenths of a second. In the second qualifying session Max van Splunteren went off track, which damaged their Bentley. Although he and teammate Szymkowiak were faster than some others, they were still put to the back of the grid, because they were penalized after the crash at Misano involving Szymkowiak and Vanthoor.[1][10]

Warm-Up

The championship contending No. 333 Rinaldi Ferrari of Siedler (and Bleekemolen) withdrew from the Main Race after they had suffered an engine failure in the warm-up session. The engine just suddenly lost power causing Siedler to give up his championship hopes.[11]

Classification

Qualifying
Pos. Class No. Drivers Team Manufacturer Q1 Q2 Q3
1 Pro 84 Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 1:37.707 1:37.216 1:36.485
2 Pro 1 Robin Frijns
Christopher Mies		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 1:37.669 1:36.922 1:36.601
3 Pro 2 Nicki Thiim
Frédéric Vervisch		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 1:39.448 1:37.411 1:36.630
4 Pro 333 Jeroen Bleekemolen
Norbert Siedler		 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 1:38.257 1:36.750 1:36.777
5 Pro 6 Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof
Markus Winkelhock		 Phoenix Racing Audi 1:45.690 1:37.364 1:36.821
6 Pro 88 Nick Catsburg
Albert von Thurn und Taxis		 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini 1:42.546 1:37.180 1:37.120
7 Pro 173 Craig Dolby
Sean Walkinshaw		 Always Evolving Motorsport Nissan 1:39.706 1:37.508 1:37.385
8 Pro 71 Marko Asmer
Roman Mavlanov		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 1:39.574 1:37.393 1:38.511
9 Pro 3 Stéphane Ortelli
Stéphane Richelmi		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 1:40.010 1:37.538
10 Pro-Am 70 Indy Dontje
Aleksey Karachev		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 1:39.975 1:37.643
11 Pro 4 James Nash
Frank Stippler		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 1:40.293 1:37.669
12[N 1] Silver Cup 83 Max van Splunteren
Jules Szymkowiak		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 1:37.689 no time
13 Pro 0 Cacá Bueno
Sérgio Jimenez		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 1:39.387 1:37.911
14 Pro 77 Átila Abreu
Valdeno Brito		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 1:39.870 1:38.231
15 Pro 75 Marco Bonanomi
Filip Salaquarda		 ISR Audi 1:39.459 1:38.273
16 Silver Cup 74 Anders Fjordbach
Michael Markussen		 ISR Audi 1:40.622 no time
Notes
  1. The No. 83 HTP Bentley was penalized after causing a crash in the Qualifying Race at Misano and was put to the back of the grid.

Qualifying Race

Class winners in bold.

Pos. Class No. Drivers Team Manufacturer Laps Time/Retired Pts.
1 Pro 84 Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 35 9[N 1]
2 Pro 2 Nicki Thiim
Frédéric Vervisch		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 35 +5.764 6
3 Pro 6 Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof
Markus Winkelhock		 Phoenix Racing Audi 35 +16.144 4
4 Pro 333 Jeroen Bleekemolen
Norbert Siedler		 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari 35 +30.919 3
5 Pro 3 Stéphane Ortelli
Stéphane Richelmi		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 35 +31.741 2
6 Pro 173 Craig Dolby
Sean Walkinshaw		 Always Evolving Motorsport Nissan 35 +34.768 1
7 Silver Cup 83 Max van Splunteren
Jules Szymkowiak		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 35 +34.768
8 Pro 0 Cacá Bueno
Sérgio Jimenez		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 35 +35.030
9 Pro 77 Átila Abreu
Valdeno Brito		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 35 +44.836
10 Pro 71 Marko Asmer
Roman Mavlanov		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 35 +45.144
11 Pro 75 Marco Bonanomi
Filip Salaquarda		 ISR Audi 35 +46.566
12 Pro 88 Nick Catsburg
Albert von Thurn und Taxis		 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini 35 +52.612
13 Pro-Am 70 Indy Dontje
Aleksey Karachev		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 35 +1:13.998
14 Silver Cup 74 Anders Fjordbach
Michael Markussen		 ISR Audi 35 +1:22.070
15 Pro 1 Robin Frijns
Christopher Mies		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 34 +1 Lap
Ret Pro 4 James Nash
Frank Stippler		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 6 Electrical
Notes
  1. 8 points for winning QR plus 1 point for Pole (8 + 1 = 9).

Main Race

Class winners in bold.

Pos. Class No. Drivers Team Manufacturer Laps Time/Retired Pts.
1 Pro 84 Vincent Abril
Maximilian Buhk		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 36 25
2 Pro 1 Robin Frijns
Christopher Mies		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 36 +0.375 18
3 Pro 2 Nicki Thiim
Frédéric Vervisch		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 36 +0.886 15
4 Pro 75 Marco Bonanomi
Filip Salaquarda		 ISR Audi 36 +41.794 12
5 Pro 3 Stéphane Ortelli
Stéphane Richelmi		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 36 +42.457 10
6 Silver Cup 83 Max van Splunteren
Jules Szymkowiak		 Bentley Team HTP Bentley 36 +42.760 8
7 Pro 71 Marko Asmer
Roman Mavlanov		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 36 +55.903 6
8 Pro 88 Nick Catsburg
Albert von Thurn und Taxis		 Reiter Engineering Lamborghini 36 +56.501 4
9 Pro-Am 70 Indy Dontje
Aleksey Karachev		 GT Russian Team Mercedes-Benz 36 +1:02.661 2
10 Pro 0 Cacá Bueno
Sérgio Jimenez		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 36 +1:34.675 1
11 Silver Cup 74 Anders Fjordbach
Michael Markussen		 ISR Audi 36 +1:36.052
Ret Pro 4 James Nash
Frank Stippler		 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi 19 Retired
Ret Pro 173 Craig Dolby
Sean Walkinshaw		 Always Evolving Motorsport Nissan 11 Collision Damage
Ret Pro 6 Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof
Markus Winkelhock		 Phoenix Racing Audi 0 Accident
Ret Pro 77 Átila Abreu
Valdeno Brito		 BMW Sports Trophy Team Brasil BMW 0 Accident
DNS[N 1] Pro 333 Jeroen Bleekemolen
Norbert Siedler		 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari — Engine
Notes
  1. The No. 333 Rinaldi Ferrari did not start the race due to an engine failure in the Warm-Up session a couple of hours before the start of the Main Race.

Standings after the race
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included.

References
  1. "Zandvoort/Netherlands Qualifying 3 Results". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  2. "Zandvoort/Netherlands Qualifying Race Results". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  3. "Zandvoort/Netherlands Main Race Results". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  4. "Rinaldi Ferrari takes win in eventful Qualifying Race". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 3, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  5. Wouters, Vincent (8 October 2015). "Mies Replaces Vanthoor in Zandvoort BSS Finale". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media, LLC. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  6. Watkins, Gary (6 October 2015). "Bleekemolen drafted for Zandvoort BSS by Rinaldi Ferrari GT team". Autosport. Haymarket. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. "Maxi Buhk quickest in first free practice". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  8. "Zandvoort/Netherlands Free Practice 1 Results". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  9. "Zandvoort/Netherlands Free Practice 2 Results". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  10. "Maxi Buhk sets the tone for the rest of the weekend". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 10, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  11. "Cruel luck for Norbert Siedler, Rinaldi Ferrari retires". Stéphane Ratel Organisation. October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
Previous round:
2015 Blancpain Sprint Series Misano round		 Blancpain Sprint Series
2015 season		 Next round:
TBA
Previous round:
2014 Blancpain Sprint Series Zandvoort round		 Blancpain Sprint Series
Zandvoort Round		 Next round:
None
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