until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Subaru became the third different marque to win the Gran Turismo Manufacturer Series as it won two of the three races in the FIA-certified World Finals.
The 2019 Gran Turismo Nations Cup World Champion, Mikail Hizal was victorious in the double points final race to ensure Subaru beat BMW to the top of the table by five points.
That was despite BMW starting the event on three points thanks to its win in the Sydney World Tour event held back in February, with Porsche given a two point head start as the runner-up in that event.
All three of Subaru’s drivers, Hizal, Takuma Miyazono and Daniel Solis will all be officially honoured in the FIA’s Prize Giving Gala after completing one race each.
An alternate strategy meant that Hizal worked his way up from fifth on the grid at Interlagos to the top by staying out of traffic as he was the leading driver to pit at the end of the first lap to take off the hard compound tyres.
From there he often led the group of hard tyre starters, and had the lap times in clean air to eventually jump Nicolas Rubilar in the BMW who was in first for the majority of the 30 lap race.
As Rubilar exited the pits he came out behind Hizal and was on the harder tyres so was unable to take first place away from him.
Subaru therefore crossed the finish line in first and four seconds clear of BMW with Angel Inostroza for Porsche in third.
Despite Porsche’s podium in the final round it was Mercedes-Benz who ended the three-race championship in third, thanks in part to Lucas Bonelli who won the first race for the manufacturer.
In the second race Miyazono’s last corner overtake on Toyota’s Adriano Carrazza meant Subaru won two of the three races.
BIG. DRAMA. 😱
Subaru mug Toyota on the final corner to take an incredible victory in Race 2!@Kerokkuma_ej20 #GTSport #FIAGTC
— Gran Turismo (@thegranturismo) December 19, 2020
The two subsequent victories made up for a less than ideal start to the Manufacturer Series as Solis completed the first race in sixth place, and two spots behind title rival BMW.
Sunday will be the individual side of the Gran Turismo Championships as 16 drivers will compete across three races to be the 2020 Nations Cup Champion.
You can watch the event (below) LIVE from 1pm UK time on Sunday.
