Maximilian Buhk and Alon Day claimed their maiden FIA GT Series victory in round three in the Netherlands.
They secured Mercedes‘ first win of the season and the first win ever by an Israeli driver.
Zandvoort in the Netherlands hosted an action-packed round three of the FIA GT Series, with HTP Gravity Charouz Mercedes drivers Alon Day and Maximilian Buhk pairing up to claim their maiden victory.
This marked an important day for Israeli motorsport, as Day’s win is the first for an Israeli driver on the international racing scene.
Buhk led from pole and quickly built up a two-second lead on Championship leaders Stephane Ortelli and Laurens Vanthoor.
But a spectacular crash by Portuguese racer Cesar Campanico brought out a red flag and a temporary suspension of the race for repairs to the safety barriers.
Luckily he seemed to emerge relatively unscathed. Not such great news for his car though.
Buhk then grabbed his opportunity to dominate the field at the restart, creating a gap that Ortelli was unable to bridge.
As the mandatory driver changes were completed, Day exited the pits just ahead of the number 11 Audi, now with Vanthoor at the helm.
Day held on for an impressive victory, six seconds clear of Vanthoor, with Frank Stippler bringing home his Audi for third spot.
Round four of the 2013 FIA GT Series will take place in Slovakia on the weekend of the 17th and 18th August.
