Spain’s Pol Urra has won the penultimate round of the 2025 Gran Turismo World Series Nations Cup in Los Angeles.
Starting fifth for the main Gran Turismo 7 race, a 30-lap affair around the Daytona Road Course using the traditional Gran Turismo Red Bull X2019 Competition, he avoided a messy final third, which witnessed seven drivers with a chance of victory.
As the rules mandated the use of three different tyre compounds, Urra used the medium compound in the initial stint, like the rest of the top eight.
The first part of the race was characterised by the strong slipstream effect that the Floridian circuit provides down its lengthy straights and flat-out banked sections.
Jose Serrano (Spain) and Kylian Drumont (France) would switch position for the lead almost every lap, both being careful to maximise the tow without losing time defending.
With the first round of pitstops complete, the second French driver, Thomas Labouteley, jumped his compatriot in the pitlane, then breezed by Serrano to lead.
Urra began making progress, passing Japan’s Takuma Miyazono on the start-finish line, only to then make contact with the rear of Drumont through the Le Mans Chicane. This loss of momentum for both meant Miyazono jumped both for third place.
However, the key mover was Italy’s Valerio Gallo, who had started the race on hard tyres. Now using mediums, he had closed in on the leading group by over 0.5s per lap. However, he reached them just as his tyres began to wear.
The net result was a gaggle of cars swapping positions and diving down the inside of each other. Thrilling viewing, and it was Serrano who lost out the most, but it cost them all time.
When the top septet all pitted for soft tyres on the same lap, Urra made use of a quick stop, and then audaciously overtook Labouteley into the Rodriguez International Horseshoe to lead.
He couldn’t make a break, and soon, the eventual winner, the former leader, Miayzono and Gallo were four-wide heading into the opening corner.
It couldn’t last, and it didn’t.
Urra held a tight inside line, fending off his immediate rivals. Meanwhile, everyone else was left to squabble. When Labouteley tapped Miyazono into a spin on the final lap, not only did that allow Serrano into second and Drumont into third, it handed Urra the gap required to claim victory.
Heading into the World Finals, to be held between 20th and 21st December 2025 in Fukuoka, Japan, Spain holds a one-two position in the standings. Serrano still leads Urra, with Gallo in contention, rounding out the provisional podium.
Elsewhere, Angel Inostroza won the Los Angeles round of the Manufacturers Cup for Porsche.
Chat with the Community
Sign Up To CommentIt's completely Free