Breakell Racing have made a fantastic start to their maiden season in the Ginetta GT Academy, with Leo Karavasili scoring multiple pole positions as well as a breakthrough podium finish.
The GT Academy was introduced to Ginetta’s roster of championships last year as an entry point into GT racing. Karavasili is doing exactly that and truly excelling in his first season of car-racing.
In the season opener on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit (07/08 May), Karavasili started his debut event in style by going fastest overall in pre-event testing. He carried that pace across into qualifying, scoring a stunning double pole position at the front of a huge, competitive 30 car grid.
Unfortunately he wasn’t able to convert that brilliant pace into strong race results however as he suffered mechanical failures out of his and the team’s control in both races. He was able to showcase his potential again though as he recorded the fastest lap of all in the second encounter.
Karavasili, who is no stranger to high level sporting competition as one of Britain’s top ranked skiers on the international alpine circuit, enjoyed another superb weekend as the championship returned to action for its second round at Donington Park (28/29 May).
He was right in the mix again at the front of the field in qualifying, posting the second fastest time overall and the race two pole position. Whilst he dropped to third in race one, a supreme drive from there saw him hold the place to the chequered flag for his maiden podium finish.
Race two unfortunately proved to be a tougher race and ultimately ended in retirement, however he bounced back in exceptional fashion in the final outing. From 23rd on the grid, he rose no less than 11 places on the opening lap alone and ended up battling his way through to eighth at the finish.
James Breakell: “We honestly couldn’t be more impressed with the way Leo has started his season. We knew from pre-season testing that he had great pace and it’s been great to watch him convert that into some sensational performances across Silverstone and Donington Park.
“As a complete racing novice, it’s no surprise to see Leo making some mistakes out there, but that’s only going to improve with the more race time he gets. With three pole positions out of four so far, plus a maiden podium finish, there’s a lot to be excited about heading into the next rounds.”
Image from Jakob Ebrey Photography.