BOM Heads to Belgium with Türkkan and Gedik
Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport team drivers Ali Türkkan and Yağız Gedik were at the Zolder circuit in Belgium for the opening round of the GT4 European Series, which drew a total of 85 drivers from 25 teams and 21 countries, running 44 cars.
The championship consists of 6 rounds and 12 one-hour races, with 2 drivers sharing the car in each race. After the formation lap, the race begins with a rolling start, and the starting driver hands the wheel to the team-mate during the pit stop, which takes place between the 25th and 35th minutes and must be completed within a total of 95 seconds, including pit entry and exit. The starting positions for the two races are determined by two separate qualifying sessions held ahead of each race.
Competing with the new BMW M4 GT4, the young drivers Gedik and Türkkan secured 25th on the grid for the first race and 15th for the second in qualifying. Starting the first race, Yağız Gedik climbed to 20th by lap 14. He spun on lap 15 and dropped to 23rd, then pitted in 22nd on lap 16. Taking over the car, Ali Türkkan moved up to 19th. On lap 32, Ali was forced off the track at turn 4 after an unfortunate contact with a rival and hit the barriers, and had to retire from the race because of the damage to the car. Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport's experienced technical crew worked tirelessly to get the car ready to go out again for the second race. 
In the second race, it was Ali Türkkan on the colourful starting grid this time. Starting from 15th, Ali dropped to 19th on the first lap. Holding the same position, Ali came in for the pit stop and handed over to Yağız. The team lost a place in the pits after a 10-second delay compared with an ideal pit stop, and finished the race in 23rd.
In the series, drivers are categorised by the FIA as Gold, Silver and Bronze according to their racing careers, and receive trophies and points based on their position within their group. The Turkish drivers finished 13th in the Silver group, which had the highest number of entries, achieving a good result in the first race.
The next race for Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport, which aims to add international experience to the racing careers of its young and talented drivers, will take place at Brands Hatch in England on 3-6 May.
