In the third event of the Supercup campaign, Larry ten Voorde emerged victorious.
Larry ten Voorde had untouchable victory streak in the Supercup this season. The Dutch driver from Schumacher CLRT team boosted his lead in the international series with a third consecutive win in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup at Red Bull Ring, Austria. Ten Voorde outpaced British competitor Harry King, racing for BWT Lechner Racing, and French teammate Marvin Klein.
The Competition
The opening lap at Red Bull Ring was chaotic. Marvin Klein, who started on pole, had a rough launch, letting Larry ten Voorde pass early. Harry King advanced from fourth place in qualifying and passed Keagan Masters just moments into the race. This left three drivers battling for second place in the third and fourth turns. Contact between Klein and King resulted in penalties for both drivers, ultimately allowing South African Keagan Masters and German Lirim Zendeli to move up to second and third places after the first lap.
In the following laps, King and Klein displayed remarkable determination to make a comeback, with King reclaiming second place shortly after the midpoint of the race. Klein showed relentless drive, trailing close behind King. However, Klein's attempts to overtake were unsuccessful, and the podium positions remained unchanged until the finish. Larry ten Voorde triumphed with a substantial advantage of nearly four seconds in Supercup standards. "I believe this was my best Supercup performance yet. I'd like to praise the Schumacher CLRT team technicians for that," said Ten Voorde.**
The Dutchman further widened his advantage over second-place Harry King with his third victory in three races. "Of course, I'll do everything in my power to achieve a fourth consecutive win next week at Silverstone, a track I fondly call home," Ten Voorde commented.**
King expressed partial satisfaction with his second-place finish. "My comeback served as a testament to my speed today. I believe I could have clinched the win," mused King. "Then I’ll need to secure my first-season victory next week at my home race in Silverstone."
Klein regretted his first-lap blunder, which thwarted his chances of victory. "My braking into the second corner was off, causing me to lose the lead to Larry. That was my mistake. The turbulence throughout the race wasn't pleasant, but I'm grateful my car managed to avoid significant damage in several light collisions. At least I moved up to third place," Klein concluded.**
Mathys Jaubert finished fourth, claiming the top rookie position. The 19-year-old racer from the Martinet by Alméras team was penalized after the race, granting the rookie win to Kas Haverkort (Uniserver by Team GP Elite). Haverkort also boosted his lead in the Supercup rookie rankings.**
Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti, a teammate of Larry ten Voorde on Schumacher CLRT, finished sixth in the race. "I was often in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday," Ghiretti lamented about his undesirable race outcome. Guest driver Timo Glock ended up 16th. The former Formula 1 driver had an eventful race, driving the VIP nine-eleven. "That was quite the wild ride – high summer temperatures seemed to have affected a few drivers," Glock said. "The most significant aspect is that I had a blast and could apply my experience." Glock actually improved by nine positions compared to qualifying.
"Our drivers put on a thrilling display of Porsche Cup racing for the spectators at the Red Bull Ring. The competition featured close overtaking maneuvers, impressive comebacks, and a healthy dose of drama. Larry ten Voorde's third consecutive win was particularly noteworthy. The 2024 season is proving to be versatile," commented Oliver Schwab, project leader of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Race Results 3rd Race Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Spielberg (A)
- Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), 18 laps
- Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), +4.067 seconds
- Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), +4.535 seconds
- Keagan Masters (I/Ombra), +10.405 seconds
- Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +12.493 seconds
- Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti (F/Schumacher CLRT), +12.883 seconds
Overall Standings Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 3 of 8 races)
- Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), 75 points
- Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 60 points
- Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), 46 points
Qualifying
Schumacher CLRT made a strong entrance in their first Supercup season, with two of their drivers dominating qualifications: Marvin Klein recorded the fastest lap on the Red Bull Ring in high summer temperatures, closely followed by Larry ten Voorde who claimed the second spot on the grid for the race(11:45).
The qualifying for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the Red Bull Ring was a close call. Ultimately, Marvin Klein from France and Larry ten Voorde from the Netherlands secured the first two spots on the starting grid for the team Schumacher CLRT. A week after his 25th birthday, Klein clinched pole position on the Formula 1 track in Styria. The leader of the overall standings, Ten Voorde, started from second place in the third race of the season. The South African Keagan Masters from the Ombra team and the British driver Harry King from the home team BWT Lechner Racing rounded out the second row, separated by just three thousandths of a second.
The newcomers, German Theo Oeverhaus (BWT Lechner Racing) and Ariel Levi from Israel (Uniserver by Team GP Elite), made their appearances in the international brand cup with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti, who races for Schumacher CLRT, finished in seventh place. Former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock was once again a guest starter on the Red Bull Ring. He qualified for the 22nd starting position with the VIP nine- eleven of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
"It was spot on, I was in sync with my ride. I had the right game plan and enjoyed a clear lap without any competition-related obstacles. The secret to my fastest lap was also the accurately tuned brake balance," revealed Marvin Klein. The double champion of the Porsche Carrera Cup France thus mentioned the possibility of infinitely adjusting the distribution of braking force between the front and rear axles from the driver's seat of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup using a rotary knob.
"The track conditions changed from one lap to the next. The only way to fine-tune the handling without a pit stop is by adjusting the brake balance. That's where a lot of expertise and feel come into play," confirmed two-time Supercup champion Larry ten Voorde. The top drivers utilize this option frequently on most race tracks for each individual lap. This process is visible on-board footage by the driver's right hand reaching for the adjustment knob on the dashboard.
"On the Red Bull Ring, the corners differ significantly in terms of asphalt quality and radius. What's more, heavy braking from high speeds is more common than on other circuits. The braking zones are, consequently, longer. With an incorrect brake balance, your vehicle will become quite unstable, but with the correct one, you'll gain a few hundredths of a second every time," explains Keagan Masters. The South African also shares: "In tight corners, I strongly adjust the braking force towards the rear axle. This reduces the lateral force built up by the rear tires. The result: The rear swings out deliberately, assisting me in turning the race car into the corner."
Qualifying Result, 3rd Round Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Spielberg (A)
- Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), 1:31.747 minutes
- Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), +0.008 seconds
- Keagan Masters (ZA/Ombra), +0.205 seconds
- Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.208 seconds
- Ariel Levi (IL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +0.231 seconds
- Theo Oeverhaus (D/BWT Lechner Racing), +0.266 seconds
Overall Standing Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 2 of 8 races)
- Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), 50 points
- Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 40 points
- Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), 29 points
- Keagan Masters (ZA/Ombra), 25 points
- Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), 24 points
Other drivers in the Supercup series were eager to challenge Larry ten Voorde's dominance, hoping to break his victory streak. Despite various attempts, no other competitor was able to match Ten Voorde's consistency and skill.
During the negotiations for the next season, Larry ten Voorde's team and other competing teams discussed potential strategies to level the playing field and create a more balanced competition, acknowledging the need for 'Other' strong contenders to challenge him.
