Monza has produced some of the most entertaining races in GT World Challenge history. There are several strong contenders for the top step of podium, one of which is unquestionably the 2016 event.
There are two major reasons for this: firstly, the winner produced a remarkable drive through the field; and secondly, the race ended with the lead duo nose-to-tail all the way to the chequered flag.
Had you asked around the paddock before the race, many would have pointed to the Garage 59 McLaren as a leading contender for victory. Indeed, the British squad and its trio of Rob Bell, Shane van Gisbergen and Côme Ledogar began 2016 among the favourites to claim the Endurance Cup title. Bell takes up the story.
"We'd had some good results in 2015 but we hadn't won the championship, so we went into 2016 trying to go one step further. We'd also had a change of teammates. The year before, it was myself, Shane and Kevin Estre. For 2016, Côme came in [taking over from Estre] and he gelled straight away. He was a great teammate.
"So, we went into Monza knowing that we could do it, but there was a bit of pressure to aim for the championship, to get the year started in the right fashion. We wanted to stamp our authority on that first race."
Given their clear objective of starting strongly, qualifying was a big disappointment for the McLaren crew. Despite being fast in the first two segments, the car ultimately found itself 20th on the grid.
"We felt we had more than we showed in quali," says Bell, who was third quickest in the opening segment, "so we went into the race knowing that we had the pace."
This was not blind optimism. The Garage 59 McLaren had qualified 24th for the final round of the 2015 season at the Nürburgring and come through to take the win. But the main drawback of qualifying P20 at Monza is the start. Being in the thick of the action as the pack arrives at the notoriously tricky opening chicane can lead to disaster.
"You've just got to survive that first corner, to be honest," says Bell, who took the start throughout 2016. "It's such a tight corner after a long straight and you arrive at high speed. I remember getting through it seeing a bit of pandemonium, cars going left, right and centre. I avoided that carnage, and from there I think I made some good decisions during my stint."
Indeed, Bell was crucial to the final result. By threading his way through a chaotic opening corner he made up eight spots on the first lap. From there he was able to use the McLaren's pace to good effect, quickly rising to fifth spot. Shortly before the pit window opened he passed the M-Sport Bentley for fourth and then took third from the RJN Nissan, completing a fantastic opening hour for the McLaren.
"That was a great feeling," says Bell. "To go forwards in a race with such a strong field is a really cool thing to do. I just remember getting out of the car, handing over to Côme and thinking, 'We've got a chance here.'"
Having qualified 20th, a podium finish would have been an impressive final result for the McLaren, but the Garage 59 boys weren't done yet. A quick stop from their crew – coupled with relatively delayed services for the leading Mercedes-AMG and Ferrari squads – allowed Ledogar to return to the track at the head of the order.
"There was still two hours to go, still a lot that could happen," says Bell. "You just have to keep calm. Côme did a great job and managed to build up a lead before handing over to Shane."
By the end of the second hour, the advantage stood at nine seconds. This held through the final pit stop phase, giving Van Gisbergen a clear run to victory. But the Kiwi had one problem to overcome: Maxi Buhk.
The German ace had qualified the HTP Mercedes-AMG on pole and, unsurpringly, his team chose to keep him back for the final stint. In 2016, Buhk was arguably the fastest GT3 driver in the world. Van Gisbergen was (and still is) an elite competitor, but the traffic cost him considerable time.
So, what looked to be a simple run to the flag became an increasingly tense battle. With 45 minutes to go the gap was five seconds; with half an hour left it was barely two seconds. Buhk took up residence in the McLaren's slipstream 10 minutes later.
"There was a little bit to and fro in traffic," says Bell, as calm now as you expect he was back then. "Obviously, you're anxious. You still have that trepidation about what could go wrong. But ultimately you can't control it; it's an irrational fear, because what can you do? There is literally nothing you can do, so you may as well chill out!
"From memory, we had eight or nine laps where Maxi was right on Shane's bumper," he continues. "They were faster in places, and we were faster in others. I think we had slightly better top speed. It was very, very tight, but Shane had it in hand. [An overtake] was going to have to happen in traffic, and in that instance I would back Shane over anyone.”
While it may have appeared calm from the garage, the view from the grandstands and on TV was quite different. When Van Gisbergen went wide at the Parabolica at the end of the penultimate lap, it gave Buhk his best chance yet at making a pass. The McLaren drifted right to cover the inside line at Turn 1, doing just enough to hold on to the victory.
"I remember the relief that came afterwards,” says Bell. “It was a really, really great moment when Shane crossed the line. We'd done what we wanted to do and started the season well. That stood us in good stead, and we went on to win the championship.”
Bagging the win at Monza was also a special feeling.
"It's atmospheric, quite old school. It's one of those places where you'd say it's got something about it. There's a few tracks around the world like that and Monza, for me, was one of them. And it always helps when you've won a few races there!”
Bell called time on his career behind the wheel at the conclusion of the 2024 season but remains actively involved in the GT World Challenge paddock as McLaren’s sporting director. As was the case a decade ago, Garage 59 carries the brand’s hopes of overall honours, but as Bell points out there are potential winners throughout the field.
“We've got some fantastic young Silver drivers, including the Greystone GT car with our McLaren Trophy champions, Jaden Kelly and Tommy Pintos, along with Josh Radican who's a GT4 Europe champion. We’ve got chances in Gold and Silver as well as overall. So we know we're going there this year with good teams and good driver line-ups, and we're looking for a win.
“Monza is also the opening round for McLaren Trophy, which will have the biggest grid Europe's ever seen. So we're there with GT3, the Trophy series and GT4 Europe. We’ve got a full house and it’ll be a very busy weekend.”
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