FIA GT Silverstone – FIA GT Qualifying

GT2 Qualifying

The new control rubber not only seems to have longevity problems, it also seems set to produce less than gripping (no pun intended) quick fire qualifying, the teams seeming to opt out of a session long run for glory in favour of retaining whatever life can be squeezed out of the rubber in the race.

The GT2s were out first with Tim Mullen posting the first competitive time (1:50.562) with Martin Ragginger just 3 hundredths shy of that mark.

Moments later though Frederic Makowiecki popped up in the Hexis Aston with a 1:50.305.

Alvaro Barba Lopez’s best effort fell two tenths short of that effort, the Spaniard then being leapfrogged first by Mullen in the #55 CRS Ferrari and then by Ragginger (1:50.477) in the #97 Brixia Porsche.

Gianmaria Bruni though was now on track and he settled matters swiftly – 1:50.230, GT2 pole and effectively session complete, nobody else seeming willing or able to have a serious crack at class pole.

With no insult intended at all to those directly involved this was far from a spectacle worthy of an audience.

It’s worth noting here that the top six cars in the fastest FIA GT3 session beat the mark set by the GT2 polesetter!!

GT1 Qualifying

An astonishingly dull session rounded off the day's proceedings, which ended with Karl Wendlinger claiming his ninth FIA GT pole position for his new team KplusK.

Andrea Bertolini was first out in the #1 Vitaphone Racing Team Maserati MC12 and quickly established himself at the top of the times with a 1:43.542, which he soon improved to a 43.150. Behind him, Alex Muller began his Maserati career with a 1:43.576 in the #2 MC12; but Wendlinger soon put the two Italian cars in their place with a seemingly effortless 1:42.216 on his second lap. Bertolini pitted almost as soon as this time was set, and the Austrian's time was not threatened in the remaining few minutes.

Mike Hezemans took fourth for PK Carsport in the #4 Corvette C6.R to complete the front two rows.

Bas Leinders was fastest of the 2010 GT1 cars; the Marc VDS Ford finishing in tenth place, with a 1:46.567.

The #13 Full Speed Racing Saleen will start from the back of the grid after sitting out the session with technical maladies; but the large spread of times throughout the GT1 field - five seconds - does not auger well for a close race tomorrow. 

GG2/ MH