– Two-time champion extends his lead in the overall standings
– Keagan Masters becomes the first South African to achieve a podium result
– Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti and rookie Robert de Haan put on the big show of the race
Larry ten Voorde has also won the second race of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season for Team Schumacher CLRT. The Dutchman delivered a commanding performance on the Formula 1 circuit in the streets of Monte Carlo against BWT Lechner Racing’s Harry King from the UK. South African Keagan Masters took third place for Team Ombra. Victory in the Rookie classification went to Dutchman Kas Haverkort, who drives for Uniserver by Team GP Elite.
Larry ten Voorde (Schumacher CLRT) set another record with an outstanding lights-to-flag victory in Monaco: The 27-year-old Dutchman is the first driver in 32 years of Porsche Supercup racing to win three times in the Principality. Unlike last year, Ten Voorde did not let Harry King (BWT Lechner Racing), who started alongside him, outpace him at the race start. He reached the first corner at the spearhead of the 24-strong field of Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars and crossed the finish line after 17 laps with a lead of more than a second over King. Keagan Masters (Ombra) crossed the finish line in third place, becoming the first South African to step onto the Supercup podium.
« Unreal, my third Monaco win! It may have looked easy, but it most certainly wasn’t. I had to work really hard for that one, » explained Larry ten Voorde. The two-time Supercup champion had also won the season opener in Imola. At the top of the Drivers’ standings, he now holds a ten-point lead over rival Harry King.
The Brit was not entirely happy with second place. « My start was perfect, but Larry also got off the line without any problems this time. Overtaking is very difficult in Monaco. That’s why I concentrated on not making any mistakes for the rest of the race and at least staying within striking distance of Larry, » reported last year’s winner. « But on this unique race track, every podium result is a huge success. »
For Keagan Masters, the step onto Supercup winner’s podium was a new experience. The 24-year-old South African had secured the third position on the grid with a strong performance in qualifying. « After managing to maintain my position at the start, my race actually went very smoothly. I tried to set the fastest lap. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite do that and Larry managed to snatch it. Congratulations to him, he was simply unbeatable today. »
Kas Haverkort (Uniserver by Team GP Elite) crossed the finish line in fourth place. With that, the 20-year-old Dutchman secured victory in the Rookie classification of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup for the first time. « This is a great result for my first race in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Monaco. I think I could’ve finished up front, » analysed the former single-seater driver. « But I got caught up in a duel with Marvin Klein for 17 laps, which demanded my undivided attention. »
At the flag, Haverkort’s lead over Marvin Klein (Schumacher CLRT) was less than a second. With this result, the Frenchman defended third place in the overall standings. Sixth place went to Jaap van Lagen (Dinamic Motorsport), another seasoned specialist behind the wheel of the 375 kW (510 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
While the positions at the front were decided early on, two young drivers in the midfield fought a thrilling duel over the entire race distance. Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti (Schumacher CLRT) gave Robert de Haan (BWT Lechner Racing) no chance at the start. From then on, de Haan attempted to overtake in almost every corner. Once, the 17-year-old and youngest driver in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup actually got past the 22-year-old Porsche Junior. However, the race director perceived these manoeuvres to be somewhat too aggressive and he was required to concede the position to Ghiretti. « I just had to give it a go, I was faster than Alessandro. But the race director’s decision is absolutely understandable, » said de Haan. In the end, Ghiretti finished eighth and de Haan had to settle for ninth place.
« The fact that Larry ten Voorde once again showed such an unwavering hunger for victory in his 201st Supercup race commands my utmost respect. Congratulations to him on his record-breaking victory in Monaco. I’m also impressed by Kas Haverkort’s fourth-place finish, proving just how strong this year’s rookies are. I have to compliment the entire field: Our race ran from start to finish without even one safety car phase – not everyone shows that much discipline in Monaco, » praised Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
The next stop for the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup teams is Spielberg in Styria. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will line up for the third race of the season at the Red Bull Ring on 30 June 2024, directly before the Austrian Grand Prix.
Results Round 2 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monte Carlo (MC)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), 17 laps
2. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), +1.246 seconds
3. Keagan Masters (ZA/Ombra), +7.043 seconds
4. Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), +9.365 seconds
5. Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), +10.232 seconds
6. Jaap van Lagen (NL/Dinamic Motorsport), +15.709 seconds
Overall standings Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (after 2 of 8 races)
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Schumacher CLRT), 50 points
2. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 40 points
3. Marvin Klein (F/Schumacher CLRT), 29 points
4. Keagan Masters (ZA/Ombra), 25 points
5. Kas Haverkort (NL/Uniserver by Team GP Elite), 24 points
6. Robert de Haan (NL/BWT Lechner Racing), 21 points