“We’re very pleasantly surprised by Ondra and Petr’s performance,” praised team owner Tomáš Miniberger. “They fully deserved their third place in the wet second race. Just like them, we’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” he said of the Mercedes-AMG crew.
The Czech duo were among the quickest in the AM class from the very start of the weekend. Ondřej Rokos qualified the car third for the first race, and Petr Lisa went one better in the second qualifying session by securing second. However, the first race was challenging from the outset. Technical issues struck Rokos while running behind the safety car, dropping him to the back of the field. His situation was further complicated by the driver directly in front of him at the restart.
“The driver ahead of Ondra clearly didn’t understand what a safety car situation meant. He let a gap form to the cars ahead, and once racing resumed, Ondra was already more than 20 seconds behind the leader. Race control made a serious error in allowing the race to restart like that,” explained Lisa, who was watching from the pit wall.
The effort to recover the lost ground came at a price. “I clipped a kerb and the right rear wheel started making loud noises,” Lisa recounted. “The car was vibrating a lot, I thought it might be a tyre failure. We were already too far behind, so I decided to pit and let the team check the car. It was safer that way. Then I continued,” added the Czech driver, who ultimately brought the Mercedes home in seventh place in the AM class.
The second race, held in wet conditions, unfolded much more positively for Lisa and Rokos. Lisa managed to take the lead, holding off the pursuing Philipp Prette in a Maserati – the defending AM champion.
“I knew he was faster in some sectors, so I tried to defend. I figured if I drove defensively, I could keep him behind,” said Lisa of the battle for the lead. Sadly, hopes of victory were dashed when Prette caused a collision. “I don’t know if he made a mistake or just lost his composure, but he braked too late and took me out,” Lisa said of the incident, for which Prette received a penalty.
Although the win was gone, Lisa and Rokos still had reason to celebrate – the latter crossed the finish line in third. He held onto second for much of the race until Christophe Bourret overtook him late on.
“Thankfully, the collision didn’t cause any serious damage. The car was still drivable. It was bouncing a bit, but we didn’t have a puncture – which was our biggest concern. So, in a way, it was just less weight,” Rokos joked at the finish. He left his first GT2 European Series weekend content. “We’ve gained more valuable experience. The weather wasn’t ideal, so I had my first proper race in the wet. The whole weekend was absolutely fantastic,” he added.
His teammate Lisa was full of praise. “Ondra was fantastic, full stop. From practice through to the races, he was putting in great lap times. He’s improved again as a driver. That second race was his first in conditions like that, and he handled it brilliantly,” said Lisa. The pair now sit fourth in the overall AM class standings.
KTM challenges the front-runners
Lisa and Rokos’ Mercedes wasn’t the only RTR Projects car making waves at Le Castellet. Maťo Homola and KTM factory driver Laura Kraihamer showed that their KTM X-Bow GT2 is right at the top of the elite PRO-AM class.
“We definitely showed our potential,” Homola said of the French weekend. “We’re competitive with all the other manufacturers, and even the other KTM from the Razoon team, which we use as a benchmark. We just need to learn from this weekend and move forward,” said the Slovakian driver.
His words were supported by the first Sunday race. Laura Kraihamer expertly worked her way through the field to take second place behind Bronislav Formánek. During the pit stop phase, RTR Projects’ mechanics delivered a stellar performance, allowing Homola to rejoin ahead of Formánek’s teammate, Štefan Rosina, and take the lead. However, the newly introduced tyre compound ultimately cost him a podium, and he had to settle for fourth.
“The tyres just gave out,” he explained. “It’s still early in the season, and we’re learning how to work with them. We didn’t have much testing time. On top of that, the conditions were quite specific, with parts of the track still damp. But we definitely have the pace,” he added.
The Slovak-Austrian duo were also in the hunt for a podium in the second race, but their efforts were cut short by technical issues midway through. “I’m really sorry about that,” said Kraihamer. Still, she was impressed with the team. “They did an excellent job all weekend and deserved two podium finishes. Maťo is a fantastic driver and RTR Projects is a top-tier team. I’m really grateful for the opportunity,” said the KTM works driver.
RTR Projects managed to score points with all their cars in France. Tomáš Miniberger and Viktor Mráz brought home the second KTM X-Bow in sixth place in the AM class in the first race.
The second round of the season takes place from 16th–18th May at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands.
Photo: SRO/JEP
