Proton Competition shows true potential at Spa despite difficult result
It is honestly difficult to process just how much speed Proton Competition found at Spa-Francorchamps. This team arrived in the Ardennes with the Ford Mustang looking like a genuine threat for the LMGT3 win, and for a glorious stretch, they backed it up. Stefano Gattuso and Eric Powell were clinical in qualifying, setting the stage for Ben Tuck and Giammarco Levorato to lock down third and fifth on the grid during the Hyperpole shootout.
The race itself was a rollercoaster that reminds you why we love this sport. Eric Powell was a man possessed, fighting his way into the lead after a bold move through Eau Rouge, only for a heart-wrenching trip into the gravel at Stavelot to ruin their charge. Despite the 16th-place finish for the #77, Powell was characteristically honest about the mistake, noting he finally feels he has unlocked the potential of the Mustang on these tyres.
Meanwhile, the #88 machine was showing the world what this new 'Evo' package is capable of. Stefano Gattuso was absolutely flying, picking off rivals to take the lead and earning the Goodyear Wingfoot Award for his efforts. While a pair of track-limit penalties ultimately pushed the car to 12th, the raw pace they displayed in front of 101,606 fans is impossible to ignore. As Gattuso said, the team is already looking toward the next battle, and frankly, they have every right to be optimistic.