Prince Carl Philip has climbed to second place in the Swedish GT standings after securing a double podium finish in the race weekend at Gelleråsen Arena with Lotus Cyan Racing team-mate and reigning touring car world champion Thed Björk.
"I am happy with the results from the weekend and to get onto the podium twice with my team-mate Thed. Our goal is of course always to win and we came very close in the second race which is of course something I want to improve for the next race. But we have gained valuable championship points and climbed in the standings which was our objective ahead of the weekend," said Prince Carl Philip.
The first race of the weekend saw a heavy rain shower hit the circuit just before the start, providing treacherous conditions for the duo that nonetheless fought to finish second in the GTB class.
The second race was held in dry conditions where Prince Carl Philip and Thed Björk fought their way from fifth on the grid to leading the GTB class in the final part of the race. However, a stop and go penalty for a too short pit stop time saw them dropping vital time. Thed Björk fought hard in the final stint from fourth position to cross the line in a strong second place.
"It was unfortunate that we missed the mandatory pit stop time by a mere seven tenths of a second. But the changes we made on the car overnight made a real difference and we had the speed to win. Combine that with a solid points haul from the weekend and I am rather happy with the overall outcome," said Thed Björk.
Prince Carl Philip is placed second in the GTB championship ahead of the closing stages of the championship, 47 points behind main title rivals Gullberg and Mörner.
"A classic motorsport saying is that if you are not going over the limit some point, you are not trying hard enough and I think what happened today with the penalty was a classic example of just that. The team has faced almost all possible challenges this weekend and still gained positions in the championship. We are never pleased until we win but all things considered, we are quite happy progressing in the right direction," said Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Head of Motorsport at Geely Group Motorsport.
Results
Race 1 – GTB Top 5
1 Gullberg/Mörner Ginetta G55 29 laps
2 Björk/Bernadotte Lotus Evora GT4
3 Lilja/Mäkinen Maserati GranTurismo MC GT4
4 Simon Sjöö Porsche Cayman GT4
5 Ros/Ricknäs Porsche Cayman GT4
Race 2 – GTB Top 5
1 Gullberg/Mörner Ginetta G55 27 laps
2 Björk/Bernadotte Lotus Evora GT4
3 Marcus Söderholm Porsche 911 GT4
4 Ros/Ricknäs Porsche Cayman GT4
5 Simon Sjöö Porsche Cayman GT4
TV Schedule
Sportkanalen/www.cmore.se
Championship standings GTB – Top 5
1 Gullberg/Mörner 136 points
2 Carl Philip Bernadotte 89 (-47)
3 Mäkinen/Lilja 85 (-51)
4 Håkan Ricknäs 69 (-67)
5 Thed Björk 64 (-72)
2018 Swedish GT Calendar
04-05/5 Knutstorp
16-17/6 Anderstorp
18-19/8 Karlskoga
08-09/9 Rudskogen
21-22/9 Mantorp Park
Contact Details
Johan Meissner
Press Manager
Cyan Racing
+46 (0)70 241 3234
johan.meissner@cyanracing.com
About Cyan Racing
Founded in 1996 and today known as Cyan Racing, the privately owned and operated company has been appointed Geely Group Motorsport’s official motorsport partner. Cyan Racing has previously been official motorsport partner to Volvo Cars and Polestar since its conception in 1996 and has claimed multiple titles, most recently the 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship titles for driver and team.