The seventh round of the FIA GT1 World Championship was held at Circuito Algarve in sunny Portugal near the Strait of Gibraltar. On a high-speed track that is also used for F1 testing, the extreme elevation changes made a lot of drivers liken it to a roller coaster. The race weekend was blessed with good weather in a sudden change of conditions from Round 6.

Driver of the #23 GT-R from Sumo Power GT Michael Krumm said, - In the previous round at the Nurburgring I wasn't able to move up in the Qualifying Race, and that affected the rest of the racing and I couldn't get a good result. This time no matter what happens I want to get a good result in the qualifier to be ready for the Championship Race.

In line with those words, Krumm and the #23 GT-R lasted until Q3 of the knockout style qualifying session to secure 2nd place for the Qualifying Race. - I'm happy I was able to get a good position,- said Krumm.

The #3 GT-R of the Swiss Racing Team was eliminated in Q1 of the knockout qualifier and would start the Qualifying Race race from 19th. Something seemed to be wrong. Former FIA GT champion Karl Wendlinger's expression was severe.

A problem arose with the power steering of Sumo Power GT's #22 GT-R just after the start of the qualifying session. They were unable to go more than 5 laps in Q1, and were unable to do the time attack, leaving them to start the Qualifying Race from last place, 22nd.

Saying, - the machine is getting better every race, -Swiss Racing Team's #4 GT-R driver Seiji Ara was able to take 5th in Q1 of the qualifying session, but was eliminated in Q2 and would start the Qualifying Race from 15th place.

Henri Moser, who took the wheel of the #3 GT-R for the opening stint of the Qualifying Race said, - the car oversteered a bit, but I was able to just about keep pace with my teammate in the #4 GT-R. - However when Wendlinger took over in the second half he was hit by another car and forced to retire.

Krumm took the start of the Qualifying Race in the #23 GT-R and held on to 2nd position. The #1 Maserati gradually gained on him until it was just 0.5 seconds behind, but he maintained his position until the opening of the pits. When the top position Corvette made its stop, the #23 delayed his stop for one more lap. In the pit, the Sumo Power GT mechanics did their pit work without error and returned the #23 machine to the track.

Peter Dumbreck in the #23 GT-R owned the second half of the race, carrying out a nose to tail battle with the Corvette and Maserati, slipping into first place during the 29th lap and holding the lead until the chequered flag. This not only gave the team 8 points, but pole position in the Championship Race.

- The great results in the preliminaries were directly related to the excellent results seen today. The car's performance and the pit work was perfect, making this a win that everyone on the team was reaching for,- the #23 GT-R team members explained. - We're happy we were able to prove how great the GT-R is by taking the top spot in a Championship Race.-

The deciding Championship Race began at 15:30 on Sunday, September 19th. With good weather overhead, the 23 GT1 machines carried out a clean start. Due to the downhill slope leading into the first corner, a group of cars competed with each other as they braked for the turn.

The #3 GT-R made its start from 22nd on the grid. During the warm up run, hopes were high for the vehicle as its time put it in 9th place, however vibration problems arising in the latter part of the Qualifying Race forced a visit to the pit where the race eventually ended for the #3 car.

On the other hand, Dumbreck in the #23 GT-R was able to hold his first place position off the line until the 15th lap. During his pit stop however, problems with an impact wrench's air hose resulted in a 15-second time loss and Dumbreck returned to the track in 5th place.

Ara made his start in the #4 GT-R, rising to 7th place by the lap 4. However, during a multi-car battle on the opening lap that resulted in contact between his and other cars, a drive-through penalty was eventually handed down leading to a large loss in position. To add to this, a sudden change in the steering of the car lead to a spin, with Ara eventually capturing 18th place.

Krumm took control of the #23 GT-R in the second half, eventually passing the Aston Martin and crossing the finish line in 4th place. This position saw the Sumo Power GT team awarded enough championship points to boost their ranking from 6th to 3rd. We would like to see even more of a dash up the ranks in the final 3 races.