Last year’s ESET Cup champion Libor Milota from Mirage Motorsport had a promising start in the International GT Open, fighting for podium in the AM category at the Hungaroring.
During Saturday’s race, Milota with Mercedes AMG GT3 was closing in on his opponents in fourth and fifth place. However, with 18 minutes left in the race, the lower wheel arm broke, similar to what happened during the endurance race at ESET Cup at Red Bull Ring.
On Sunday, with the wheel arm replaced, Milota and his team were once again in contention for a podium position. “Towards the end of the race, I was fourth and chasing down the AF Corse Ferrari. However, Philipp Baron was also pushing me from behind. The car in front of me was slower, and I knew I had to pass it. With three turns left, I had no choice but to attack. Unfortunately, we made slight contact, and Baron overtook both of us,” Milota explained about his eventful last lap. “In the final turn, I tried to overtake the AF Corse again, but we made contact once more,” he added.
Although Milota crossed the finish line in fourth place, the stewards penalized him with two five-second penalties for both mentioned contacts.
“Although it wasn’t ideal, I’m still very satisfied with how we performed. It was a great experience and motivation for us. I feel that we have improved, and we are capable of fighting for good results. I would like to thank the organizers of the International GT Open and also the Mercedes racing team engineers for their support. The level of competition was very high, and the risks associated with such races are significant, but it’s all worth it,” Milota concluded with optimism.