Jimmy Eriksson back to Blancpain GT Series action in Budapest
Following a four-week break, the Blancpain GT Series returns to the limelight this weekend as Jimmy Eriksson and his rivals enter the decisive stages of the season at Budapest’s Hungaroring. They do so in festive mood, too, with the Hungarian capital embracing the GT fraternity on Thursday in a well-attended event at the heart of the city.
The build-up to round eight of the Blancpain GT Series campaign saw a parade being staged from the Hungaroring – the venue for this weekend’s races – to 56 Square in downtown Budapest for a big-scale meet and greet with the devoted Hungarian fans, with Eriksson joining his fellow drivers in posing for selfies and signing autographs for several hours.
“It was great to see so many fans turning up at the square this evening” says Jimmy Eriksson. “I’ve been racing in Budapest for many years in single-seaters, so I know how passionate the Hungarian fans are. It’s my first visit here in GT racing, and it’s a great atmosphere. Hopefully we will see a big turnout at the track this weekend.”
This weekend’s races mark the fourth and penultimate round of the Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup, with Eriksson teaming up with Dominik Baumann (AUT) in the #86 HTP Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3. The duo scored a podium at the opening round at Misano earlier in the year, and are in pursuit of another rostrum this time out in Hungary.
“Hopefully we can have a competitive weekend,” Eriksson concludes. “I like the Hungaroring and normally go well there, and the Mercedes was quick around here last year. It’s a little bit different this year with the Balance of Performance, but I think we have every reason to aim for the podium. It will be a lot of fun to drive the car again – it’s been a while.”
The Hungaroring weekend gets underway with two free practice sessions on Friday, followed by qualifying and the races on Saturday and Sunday. A total of 32 cars and 64 drivers are entered for the meeting, which marks round eight out of ten on the combined Blancpain GT Series schedule of Sprint and Endurance events.
TIME TABLE
Blancpain GT Series | Rd. 8
Sprint Cup | Rd. 4
Hungaroring, Hungary
All times local – GMT+02:00
Friday 25/8
Free Practice 1: 10.40-11.20
Free Practice 2: 14.15-15.35
Saturday 26/8
Qualifying: 09.40-10.35
Qualifying Race: 15.50-16.50
Sunday 27/8
Warm-up: 09.25-09.45
Main race: 14.20-15.20
MEDIA RESOURCES
TV / live stream
All Blancpain GT Series races are broadcast LIVE at www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live, with Eurosport also airing a highlights package in the days following each round.
Live timing
Live timing for each session of the 2017 Blancpain GT Series is available at www.blancpain-gt-series.com/live#live-timing.
Facebook/website
Reports, pictures, results and information will be published at www.jimmyerikssonracing.com and Jimmy Eriksson’s official Facebook page throughout the weekend.
