Did someone spike the DHL pit wall espresso machine, or did Fernando Horta genuinely swipe another GT2 victory right from under Tim Sugden's nose? Gossip has been swirling around the Anderstorp paddock ever since the #02 SEGA Porsche GT3-RSR crossed the line to take the spoils after eight frantic laps of the Swedish circuit.
It was a proper nail-biter of an afternoon on the 1.8-kilometre layout. Horta steered his machine home in a total race time of six minutes and fifty-three seconds, but the real story was the relentless pressure from Sugden in the #34 DHL Porsche. Sugden actually clocked the fastest lap of the entire race—a searing 0:49.327—and spent the closing laps hunting down the Brazilian leader like a ghost in the mirrors. When the checkered flag fell, the gap was a razor-thin 0.767 seconds.
Down in the Freisinger Motorsport garage, Alexei Vasiliev quietly steered the #77 Porsche to a lonely third place, six seconds adrift of the leading duo, while Emmanuel Collard rounded out the four-car field in the second DHL entry. Rumours immediately started flying among the mechanics that Sonic the Hedgehog himself had snuck into the SEGA telemetry trailer to reprogram the gear ratios, though team engineers firmly denied the accusation.
Post-race paddock chatter naturally turned to the close margins. When cornered by reporters, Horta played it cool.
Fernando Horta (SEGA Driver): Look, we just kept the tyres pointing straight and hoped nobody noticed the smoke coming out of the dashboard. Sugden was flying out there.
Meanwhile, the press gaggle did what they do best, cornering team representatives in the media pen with some probing inquiries.
Barry Cade (The Daily Chicane): Tim, you had the pace all afternoon with that sub-fifty lap, so why leave the door wide open for SEGA on the final tour?
Tim Sugden (DHL Racing): *stares blankly at a stopwatch* Ask the telemetry. I was too busy trying not to collect a flock of Swedish seagulls.
Anita Brake (Paddock Gossip Weekly): Fernando, is it true you spent the entire formation lap arguing with Dr. Robotnik over team catering expenses?
Fernando Horta (SEGA Driver): Dr. Robotnik doesn't understand the tactical importance of stale brigadeiros. Next question.
Ps. Rodrigo
