Things went backward for the duo in the Audi R8 LMS right from the start when the Indian supported by Audi India, JK Tyres and Amante, starting 13th on the grid and 8th in the GT3 class, lost many positions after being caught out on the wrong side before turn one.
That, coupled with a momentary problem with the throttle pedal, lost the team time and track position.
Stuck behind a slow car after that, Patel decided to make an early pitstop and hand the car over to Cesar who managed to get out on track in some clear air.
Aditya said: "It was a really a race for me to forget. Nothing went in my favour right from the start. That, coupled with a throttle issue and lack of straight line speed made things hard for me.
"Overall, it wasn't the best of weekends but it was a track where we knew we would have a hard time due to lack of speed compared to the competition.
Cesar said: "It was a hard race! I managed to recover many positions after the pit stops but unfortunately was hit by an ambitious competitor. Well, that's part of racing. We hope to be further up in Jerez.
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