The Swiss driver collects a win and a third place with the Mercedes in his first appearance at Sepang
Ready, Steady, Go! And Alex Fontana immediately presents his calling card on his debut in the China GT Championship, demonstrating great potential in the competitive GT4 class. In the first round of the season at Sepang in Malaysia, the Swiss driver recorded a superb win in Race 1 and a podium finish in Race 2, placing him among the front runners in the overall standings and staking an early claim to the title.
For Fontana, at the wheel of the Mercedes AMG GT4 entered by the emerging team Phantom PRO Racing, with support from the German manufacturer, the weekend got off to a very good start: in the first qualifying session reserved for Pro drivers, he set the second fastest time, around three and a half tenths off pole position. The Swiss talent soon got his revenge in Race 1, managing to snatch an immediate lead and setting the pace, frequently lapping faster than he had in the official practice sessions. His teammate Chris Chia completed the job after the obligatory pit stop, triumphantly taking the chequered flag on his return to racing after a decade away from the sport.
As per the regulations, the No. 5 Mercedes received 50 kg of ballast for the second heat on the Sunday. This put further demands on the Michelin tyres that were already having to cope with the torrid heat (with temperatures in the order of 35°). The 26-year-old Swiss brought all his experience to bear as he drove a fantastic second stint that took the car into third place. By the end he was even challenging for second, finishing just eight tenths behind at the chequered flag.
That fine start to his China GT Championship adventure having been completed, Alex is now heading back to Europe for his next challenge: Saturday 23 March will see him competing in the VLN, the German endurance series disputed on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife. In the “65. ADAC Westfalenfahrt" round, Fontana will be driving the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 entered by the KCMG team, ready to compete for another prestigious result.
Alex Fontana
"It was a great start to the season in the China GT Championship, a series I’ve found to have a interesting grid with a variety of GT4 cars and high level drivers, some of whom with international experience. The clear victory in Race 1 and the podium in Race 2, obtained despite the 50 kg ballast, confirmed our potential. The merit goes to the work conducted with Phantom Pro AMG Racing to exploit to best effect the Mercedes AMG GT4. I immediately formed a good partnership with my teammate Chris Chia: everything seems to be in place to challenge for the highest honours and we’re hoping to continue in the same vein in the next race at Ningbo in May. For the moment though, I’m focusing on the VLN and the legendary Nordschleife where I’ll be racing in a few days time.”