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Brazilian driver and inaugural champion, Igor Fraga, delivers a professional performance to claim victory in the World Tour!

On 22 June (local time), Brazilian driver Igor Fraga ran out victorious in the second Nations Cup event of the World Tour 2019 at the home of the Nürburgring 24-Hour race in Germany.

The World Tour is a series of official races of the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships'. In the 2019 Series, there will be 5 events with the final one being held at the Tokyo Motor Show on 26-27 October. This last event leads us up to the exciting midway point of the current campaign.

The Nations Cup is a solo tournament with drivers representing their respective countries. 24 of the best ranking drivers at the end of Stage 1, from 18 different countries, successfully clinched a spot at the Green Hell. Among them was Igor Fraga, the inaugural Nations Cup champion, and Nicolás Rubilar, winner of the previous World Tour event in Paris.

Top 6 Qualifying

The setting for the 'Top 6 Qualifying' was 'Sardegna - Road Track - A', a new circuit that will feature in an upcoming Gran Turismo Sport update. Spanish driver Coque López recorded the fastest lap time to take pole position in Semi-final Group A, while Japanese driver Tatsuya Sugawara claimed pole position in Semi-final Group B.

Semi-final Group A

Igor Fraga, Coque López, fellow countryman Manuel Rodríguez, and Finland’s Markus Könönen, clinched the top 4 spots over 8 laps of the Nürburgring GP layout in N300 class cars, to qualify for the Final.

Semi-final Group B

Group B was a classic car race on the Goodwood Motor Circuit. This circuit was only recently added in the May Update, and it was Australia’s Cody Nikola Latkovski, the driver who had raced so courageously in the previous day’s Manufacturer Series, who took first place. Italy’s Giorgio Mangano, France’s Rayan Derrouich, and Hong Kong’s Kai Hin Jonathan Wong took the other top spots and a place in the Final.

Repechage

A 12 car battle, featuring the drivers who placed 5th to 10th in each of the respective Semi-finals, the repechage also announced the arrival of rain conditions at the Red Bull Ring. The rain didn’t seem to stop Tatsuya Sugawara, who despite being involved in a couple of incidents, managed to adapt well to the lack of control on this high-speed course and seal a place in the Final. Meanwhile, despite their best efforts, favourites Nicolás Rubilar and the inaugural European champion Mikail Hizal, who was racing on home soil, were knocked out of the competition.

12 Car Final

The grand final would feature 20 laps of 'Sardegna Road - Track – A', with drivers racing in the Red Bull X2019 Competition Car. Drivers were required to use three sets of racing tyres: soft, medium, and hard. Igor Fraga and Coque López started with soft tyres and set about building a lead at the front of the pack.

On the 7th lap, after witnessing Igor Fraga pull in to change tyres, Coque López made the decision to keep his soft tyres for an extra lap in an attempt to take the lead. Desperate not to lose any time on the second tyre change, the Brazilian left the pit without refuelling. In response, Coque López also made the decision to not refuel on his final stop in order to maintain the lead ahead of Igor Fraga.

The final stint turned out to be a battle of fuel efficiency at the front of the pack. It was in this phase that Cody Nikola Latkovski, who had been building up strong momentum during the latter half of the race, pushed forward to create a 3-way battle. At the final corner, Lopez began to lose speed and took a knock from Latkovski. Fraga then calmly positioned himself to escape and used all of his remaining fuel to finish strongly. He now adds a Nations Cup World Tour trophy to his impressive American Regional and World Final victories.

Igor Fraga, the winner of the second World Tour event at the Nürburgring, follows up on Nicolás Rubilar’s victory at the first World Tour event in Paris to claim a second straight win for South America. The second position went to Australia’s Cody Nikola Latkovski, who delivered a brave performance in the previous day’s Manufacturer Series and looks to be a strong contender for future events. France's Rayan Derrouiche, who also earned a podium finish at the World Finals in the 2018 Manufacturer Series, took third.

World Tour 2019 - Nürburgring

The next World Tour event takes place in New York City

Marking the midway point of the 2019 Series, the third World Tour event of the year moves away from Europe to the Americas and will be held on 24-25 August in New York.

Don’t miss the Online Series as drivers compete for a place in the World Tours and World Finals

The Online Series of the 'FIA Gran Turismo Championships' is currently in Stage 3 of the Nations Cup and Stage 1 of the Manufacturer Series. Make sure to check out the action each week as drivers compete for a place in the World Tours and ultimately, a spot at the World Finals. The 'Top 16 Superstars' featuring races by the top-ranked drivers are broadcast on Gran Turismo LIVE.

- FIA GT Championships 2019 | Top 16 Superstars

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