Peroni/Rosser win race, Mostert/Talbot seal title

Alex Peroni and Mark Rosser won a nail-biting GT World Challenge Australia Bathurst finale as Chaz Mostert and Liam Talbot wrapped up the title with a special drive.

Penalties played their part with Brandon Leitch and Tim Miles controlling the opening stages, but falling to ninth due to a drive through, while Elliott Schutte took the chequered flag first in the sister Arise Racing Ferrari, but fell to fourth due to a 5s penalty.

The leading four cars crossed the line nose to tail with Rosser holding off Peter Hackett in the Triple Eight Mercedes to get a special victory. 

A Saturday win for Brown and Schumacher kept the title fight alive with Mostert and Talbot entering the finale, but the Audi combination still needed a miracle.

Being 24 points adrift with only 25 up for grabs, Brown/Schumacher faced a must-win scenario.

Helping their campaign was the fact that Mostert and Talbot started last due to a turbo boost penalty in qualifying.

However, both Mostert and Talbot were rapid behind the wheel and flew from 18th to third to seal the crown in style.

It was Ferrari’s first Australian title since Allan Simonsen in 2007 and ended a six-year unbeaten run for Audi, while Talbot became the first driver to win back-to-back GT World Challenge Australia crowns for different brands after tasing success in an Audi last year.

The back of the grid start for the #1 Ferrari 296 gave Brown an opportunity from the second row.

However, he lost ground off the line and dropped to seventh as the front row of Leitch and Evans almost made contact coming into Hell Corner but survived.

Leitch prevailed on the inside and opened a solid lead, leaving Evans to keep Ojeda and Peroni at bay.

International Fontana made a decent start to get into the two five, while Mostert flew from 18th to 12th on the opening lap alone.

Only two green flag laps were possible before the yellows arrived for a big crash at the top of the mountain.

Ash Samadi was already out of touch of the pack after a close call at griffins Bend on the opening lap, but his race ended after a bigger moment at McPhillamy Park.

He lost the rears going through Turn 9 and went backwards into the concrete.

Racing finally resumed with just 35 minutes left and a wild moment for Evans going over the top of the mountain allowed the #7 Audi to open a 1.4s advantage.

It only took seven laps for Mostert to not only catch the back go Grove, but pass him.

Brown found himself battling with Brenton Grove coming out of Murrays Corner and with the duo banging doors running wide, Mostert pounced.

The #1 Ferrari slipped through beneath both of them to snare an impressive sixth.

Peroni was trying to snatch third from Ojeda, but wan wide at The Chase, which gifted fourth to Fontana.

Mostert’s soaring stint to sixth ended after nine rapid laps when he handed over to Talbot with 24 minutes left.

He was the first to pit as the rest of the top nine pitted the following lap.

Before the strategy games started Leitch had opened up an imposing 5s advantage over Evans, who had Ojeda, Fontana, Peroni and Brown on his tail.

Miles was able to maintain the lead, but only just ahead of Schutte and Rosser, while Talbot was down in eighth and 13s adrift with 20 minutes on the clock.

But Schutte’s push for victory was heavily hurt by a 5s penalty for an unsafe release.

However, there was even more pain for Dayle ITM/Team MPC with Miles forced to take a drive through penalty for breaking the minimum time required in the pit lane.

Despite seeing a win disappear and falling to ninth, Leitch was not too concerned with the team admitting it was under.

Due to Schutte’s 5s penalty, it became an imaginary race with the #8 Ferrari only leading by half a second with 10 minutes left.

As a result, Rosser, who was only half a second clear of Hackett, held the effective race lead.

To add an extra element, Talbot made it a four-car train leading the field with five minutes on the clock.

Rosser was on the defensive for the first time with two minutes left on the clock, forced to cover the lines of Hackett behind.

When the clock ran out, less than 2s covered the entire top four and a special run to the flag awaited.

The quartet ran nose to tail throughout the final lap and the lapped the #56 Ferrari almost spoiled the show.

However, they kept it clean and Talbot had a little look on Hackett at The Chase, but stayed in fourth on the road with the championship in mind that was clinched two corners later.

Whilst there was initial disappointment for Arise Racing seeing Schutte lose the win, the rookie squad were celebrating winning a title on its first attempt.

Image: Jack Martin Photography

GT World Challenge Bathurst Race 2 results

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