Alex Fontana put in a great performance in the 7th round of the International GT Open 2024,
staged at the Montmelò circuit. The Swiss driver, paired with Hash, in fact conquered his first
victory of the year in the Pro-Am class, on a track that over the years had already brought
great satisfaction to Fontana, from the first title in his career in the Formula 3 Open series in
2011, through to the double crown in the Silver Cup once he had moved into the world of GT
racing.
The Catalan GT Open weekend was a real rollercoaster in terms of results, starting with a
retirement in Saturday’s race but ending with a splendid class victory on the Sunday. Alex
Fontana was back at the wheel of the #12 Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 entered by the Car
Collection team, together with his partner and AF Academy driver, “Hash”, competing in the
PRO-AM category less than a week after the Monza round of the GT World Challange.
The weekend followed the rules of the sprint championship, consisting of two qualifying
sessions and two races. On the Saturday morning, it was Hash who took to the track,
qualifying 16 th fastest in his class. Unfortunately, his race was then compromised by an
unfortunate collision with another car that caused extensive damage to the front of the
Porsche. The team therefore decided to withdraw to try and repair the car for Sunday even
before Alex even had a chance to take over from the American driver.
Fontana took part in qualifying on the Sunday, recording a time of 1:39.782, which was good
enough to take pole position in the PRO-AM category and an impressive 6th fastest overall,
especially despite the extensive damage to the car. Fontana then took the first stint in the race
displaying excellent pace and some splendid overtaking moves against PRO-class cars,
climbing to 5 th overall and retaining the lead in the PRO-AM class. After the driver change,
Hash returned to the track and had to defend the advantage gained by his partner. The AF
Academy driver performed brilliantly and also benefitted from the safety car that was sent out
in the final laps, freezing the race positions and ensuring that the Car Collection team earned
its first class win and finished 7 th overall.
The next race in the International GT Open series will be the final round of the
championship, due to be held at Monza on 20 October, with the endurance format featuring a
single race lasting 160 minutes.
Alex Fontana
“I am extremely satisfied with the weekend we’ve had here in Barcelona. We were unlucky on
Saturday, but the win on Sunday is proof that Hash is developing quickly as a driver and I
can only congratulate him. My thanks also go to the Car Collection team who provided us
with a car that is simply splendid to drive and very competitive. Montmeló has always proved
to be a special circuit for me, but now we have to stay focused because in less than seven
days we will be competing at Indy in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the biggest race of
our season.
staged at the Montmelò circuit. The Swiss driver, paired with Hash, in fact conquered his first
victory of the year in the Pro-Am class, on a track that over the years had already brought
great satisfaction to Fontana, from the first title in his career in the Formula 3 Open series in
2011, through to the double crown in the Silver Cup once he had moved into the world of GT
racing.
The Catalan GT Open weekend was a real rollercoaster in terms of results, starting with a
retirement in Saturday’s race but ending with a splendid class victory on the Sunday. Alex
Fontana was back at the wheel of the #12 Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 entered by the Car
Collection team, together with his partner and AF Academy driver, “Hash”, competing in the
PRO-AM category less than a week after the Monza round of the GT World Challange.
The weekend followed the rules of the sprint championship, consisting of two qualifying
sessions and two races. On the Saturday morning, it was Hash who took to the track,
qualifying 16 th fastest in his class. Unfortunately, his race was then compromised by an
unfortunate collision with another car that caused extensive damage to the front of the
Porsche. The team therefore decided to withdraw to try and repair the car for Sunday even
before Alex even had a chance to take over from the American driver.
Fontana took part in qualifying on the Sunday, recording a time of 1:39.782, which was good
enough to take pole position in the PRO-AM category and an impressive 6th fastest overall,
especially despite the extensive damage to the car. Fontana then took the first stint in the race
displaying excellent pace and some splendid overtaking moves against PRO-class cars,
climbing to 5 th overall and retaining the lead in the PRO-AM class. After the driver change,
Hash returned to the track and had to defend the advantage gained by his partner. The AF
Academy driver performed brilliantly and also benefitted from the safety car that was sent out
in the final laps, freezing the race positions and ensuring that the Car Collection team earned
its first class win and finished 7 th overall.
The next race in the International GT Open series will be the final round of the
championship, due to be held at Monza on 20 October, with the endurance format featuring a
single race lasting 160 minutes.
Alex Fontana
“I am extremely satisfied with the weekend we’ve had here in Barcelona. We were unlucky on
Saturday, but the win on Sunday is proof that Hash is developing quickly as a driver and I
can only congratulate him. My thanks also go to the Car Collection team who provided us
with a car that is simply splendid to drive and very competitive. Montmeló has always proved
to be a special circuit for me, but now we have to stay focused because in less than seven
days we will be competing at Indy in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the biggest race of
our season.