The two duelled to the limit of what was permitted in a 32-strong field of technically identical racing cars. Over the entire race distance, Porsche Junior Bastian Buus and polesitter Larry ten Voorde lapped the Formula 1 race track in Styria virtually glued to each other’s bumpers. Several times, the Dane from the local Austrian team BWT Lechner Racing and the Dutchman from GP Elite swapped places at the head of the field. Occasionally they drove wheel-to-wheel, looking for the best racing line and optimal braking point. On the penultimate lap, Buus made the decisive overtaking move – in a last-ditch effort, he squeezed past ten Voorde to secure his third victory in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup with an advantage of two-tenths of a second.
“I noticed that I was faster than Larry,” stated Buus, who had started from the third grid spot into the second race of the season in the international one-make cup with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. “At first I couldn’t find a way past him. In the second half of the race, I pulled alongside him several times and sometimes even just in front of him. But he immediately took his position back. I knew that the breaking point before the first corner would be perhaps my only chance. I tried it – and it worked.”
Despite occasional contact, two-time Supercup champion Larry ten Voorde was also delighted with his clash against the 20-year-old Buus. “We were both at the limit but that’s part of the Supercup. I just wasn’t fast enough today and, to be honest, I was a little surprised that I was able to keep Bastian behind me for so long. I fought like a lion.” Ten Voorde still keeps second position in the standings, two points shy of new overall leader Bastian Buus.
Further wild scenes unfolded behind the two aspirants for victory. Because some of the top drivers fluffed their qualifying in rainy conditions and tackled the race from unusually far down the grid, the race was also marked by countless overtaking manoeuvres in the midfield. Harry King, winner of the opening round in Monaco, put in a spirited drive. The UK racer headed into the race from P11 and for a while even dropped back to 16th. Midway through the race, he made the most of a short safety car phase to work his way up the order and into the leading group. He finally crossed the finish line in third.
But, after post-race analysis, King lost this position. The Stewards considered him guilty causing two separate collisions on his way through the field. They imposed a combined penalty of 15 seconds, which relegated King to tenth.
Dorian Boccolacci was another driver who improved significantly on his starting position. Competing for the CLRT squad, the Frenchman gained 14 places to take the flag in fourth place behind the new third placed driver, Germany’s Leon Köhler (Team Huber Racing). However, the best performance of the day went to former motorbike world champion Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard, who contests his first Supercup season for Huber Racing, made up 16 places and earned his first two championship points – the first ever motorbike world champion to do so in the history of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
Victory in the rookie classification was claimed by Huub van Eijndhoven. The GP Elite driver from the Netherlands finished 5th overall. Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti (Martinet by Alméras) and Belgian Benjamin Paque (CLRT) completed the podium of the Supercup rookies.
“That was one of the most dramatic races in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in recent years. It wasn’t just Bastian Buus and Larry ten Voorde who treated the fans to racing at its best. The fights for position in the midfield also provided plenty of thrills – the 2023 season continues to be extremely exciting,” commented Oliver Schwab, Project Manager Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.
