‘Perfect' weekend for Ferrari in Sydney
The Prancing Horse bolted out of the gates at Sydney Motorsport Park last weekend and couldn't be caught.
Arise Racing GT dominated the second round of the GT World Challenge Australia, with Jaxon Evans and Elliott Schutte combining to claim both pole positions and both race wins in their CarExpert-backed Ferrari 296 GT3.
With the team now entering its second season in GT racing, it has begun strongly, as the Evans/Schutte combination look to claim back-to-back titles for the team, following Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot's successful 2024 season.
Team Principal Jordan Oon was understandably ecstatic with the performance of his drivers and team.
'It was a perfect weekend – a clean sweep with double pole and double wins – and I couldn't be prouder of the team,' he said. 'The amount of preparation and attention to detail that goes into everything they do is huge, and they earned every bit of this result. It was calm, methodical, and totally faultless from start to finish.
'Elliott and Jaxon are really hitting their stride. They looked confident from the first session, nailed qualifying, and controlled both races with maturity and precision. It's the kind of performance we've come to expect from them – and it's great to be giving them a package that allows them to deliver at that level.'
The first win came under lights on Saturday night, when the Ferrari pair greeted the chequered flag 15 seconds clear of the rest of the field.
The podium was completed by the Tigani Motorsport pair of Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVOs, with Supercars ace Tom Randle and his co-driver Marcel Zalloua claiming second, with Jayden Ojeda and Paul Lucchitti right behind in third place.
In Sunday's race things were slightly closer, with the Evans/Schutte Ferrari only 10 seconds ahead at the finish. This time, instead of a pair of Mercedes-AMGs, it was an Audi duo that completed the podium.
The Melbourne Performance Centre R8 LMS EVO II of Ryan Wood and Steve Brooks claimed second ahead of their teammates Brad Schumacher and Broc Feeney.
The second Arise Racing GT 296 GT3 shared by Jordan Love and Steven Wyatt didn't enjoy the same success as their teammates, but Oon was still very happy with the progress the pair made in only their second event with the team.
'Steven and Jordan had a strong weekend,' Oon said. 'They adapted quickly to tricky conditions on Friday and built a solid foundation early on. By Sunday, they found their rhythm, delivering consistent pace and growing confidence in the car. Car 77's progress is great, and it's exciting to see the development.'
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