The start of the International GT Open season presented JP Motorsport with a challenge. After a strong performance in qualifying, the McLaren 720s with Christian Klien on board had to finish the race on the first lap through no fault of his own. A successful comeback followed on Sunday with the fourth overall place in the second race, resulting in the Pro-Am victory at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Paul Ricard. The premiere of the McLaren 720s began with strong qualifying for Christian Klien in fourth position for the first round of the International GT Open in Paul Ricard. However, contact with an opponent in the third corner already led to the end for the team from Erkelenz in the opening lap of the one-hour race.
Fortunately, thanks to the tireless commitment of the team, the vehicle was able to be repaired overnight, so that the #88 was ready to race again in time for qualifying on Sunday. Patryk Krupinski started the session from eighth position on the grid.
After a good start phase, he handed the car over to Christian Klien in eighth place, who finally finished fourth and secured important points for the championship. This result also ensured the Pro-Am victory for the duo.
From May 28th to 30th, JP Motorsport will be at Circuit Paul Ricard again to contest the 1,000 km race of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
Patryk Krupinski, JP Motorsport Driver
“To be shot down by an overstrained amateur driver on the first lap of the first race, of course, we did not introduce ourselves for the start of the new season. The speed of the car was excellent in all training sessions. Accordingly, we had expected a good result, which was ruined by that. Anyone who has seen the pictures can imagine how hard we worked to take part in the second race and how we had to tremble for participation. But the work of the mechanics paid off with the PROAM victory. Here you can see again the difference a good team makes. “
Christian Klien, JP Motorsport Driver
“After the disappointing race on Saturday, we were able to find a conciliatory end to the weekend on Sunday. The whole team, especially the mechanics, who repaired the car all night and put a strong vehicle back on its feet, fully deserved the class win. Patryk did a great job with his stint and handed the car over to P1 with only about 10 seconds behind and thus laid the basis for our top result. The bottom line is that the end of the weekend is a great relief for the team after the hard work of the past weeks. “
About JP Motorsport
JP Motorsport was founded in 2020 and caused a sensation in its first season. Nine podium finishes in 14 races in the GT Open PROAM class led to a second overall place in the championship. In 2021, the young team will rely on their new McLaren 720S GT3, which shines in the well-known, black and gold design. In addition to its involvement in the International GT Open, JP Motorsport will take part in an event of the GT World Challenge Europe as well as in three DTM events with Christian Klien behind the wheel.
