Stefan Rosina and Filip Sladecka fought for the overall win in the Fanatec GT2 European Series right until the very end. Ultimately, the duo from True Racing by Reiter Engineering only missed out on title glory by the finest of margins. Gilles Vannelet, making his debut in the KTM X-BOW GT2 fielded by Reiter Engineering, was the surprise of the weekend at Le Castellet in France with victory in the AM class.
Four wins and a total of 189 points in the championship – an impressive season result to say the least. “We have achieved a great deal this year,” said Filip Sladecka. “Our overall package was always competitive, and the team gave us a perfect car. We came into the season finale a little bit behind, so we knew we had to take a few risks.”
The two Slovaks gave it absolutely everything in their title battle against Nicolas Saelens and Stienes Longin. After a setback in the opening stages of race one, Sladecka and Rosina put together a fantastic recovery drive to finish on the podium in third. The pair then put everything on the line in race two, before a collision just before the chequered flag dashed their hopes. “We would have loved to have won, but second in the championship is still a result we can be proud of,” said Rosina.
No-one could have predicted Gilles Vannelet’s victory at the final round of the season, least of all himself. “It was my first time in the KTM X-BOW GT2, and to take my first win as well, I have no words!” the Frenchman said after the race. “This car is so much fun to drive. I was really impressed by the performance and the balance.”
Vannelet wasn’t the only KTM driver to make the rostrum in the AM class at the weekend. Third position in race one saw Klaus Angerhofer and Hubert Trunkenpolz also taste the podium champagne. The duo in the #17 car added to their list of season highlights – which included two podiums at their home race at the Red Bull Ring. Sehdi Sarmini and Kris Rosenberger also made it onto the podium in the 2022 season.
The season finale at Circuit Paul Ricard marked the conclusion of season two of the Fanatec GT2 European Series. The SRO-organised championship is a key platform for KTM – particularly when it comes to the development of road cars. The KTM X-BOW GT2 is the technological basis for the KTM X-BOW GT-XR unveiled in September.