Mazzeo tops opening GT Worlds qualifier in chilly Chile
Raptor’s Alessio Mazzeo has taken the opening qualifier at the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships in Santiago, Chile, drivers at the 3rd running of the championships experiencing chilly conditions at the Club de Aeromodelos de Chile track. Having topped yesterday’s seeding practice, Mazzeo was able to maintain his form as the driver to beat despite temperatures today being 10-degrees cooler than the previous days of practice. The only driver to manage 20-laps over the first of the six 7-minute runs, the large circuit with its blue infield proving a big hit with drivers, Mazzeo’s closet challenger would be 2023 Sydney Podium finisher Andrea Catanzani – that was once the Serpent driver had a post tech disqualification revoked for failing the rear wing height inspection when it was discovered the measurement was incorrectly taken. 2.5 seconds off Catanzani, Capricorn’s Alex D’angelo completed the Top 3 ahead of Natanaele Senesi who posted the fastest lap of Q1 with Puerto Rico’s Carli Lopez recording a P5 ahead of IGT8’s Diego Morganti. With IFMAR referee Javier Garcia summing up the CACH facility best when he called it ‘A Disneyland for RC’, unfortunately it looks like GT’s opportunity to shine on its stage could be dampened by the weather which is set to turn bad going into the weekend. With that in mind, today drivers face a busy schedule of 4-rounds of qualifying with the final two rounds scheduled for tomorrow as IFMAR look to beat the weather in that particular off track race. Based off that revised schedule, the new 1:8 GT World Champion, as unfortunately Hong Nor’s Toni Gruber made a late decision not to travel to Chile and defend his title, is set to be now crowned on Friday.
