FIA GT1 World Championship, Zolder - Qualifying Report

After finishing the first day at Zolder as the fastest car on the Zolder circuit the All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport Lamborghini Murcielago 670 R-SV secured pole position for today’s Qualifying Race. Dominik Schwager set the fastest time in the third part of the qualifying session this morning.

In Qualifying 1 the #8 Young Driver AMR and #4 Hexis AMR Aston Martins of Darren Turner and Christian Hohenadel were quickest in the opening minutes but just when the clock showed the session was at its halfway point Maxime Martin dipped into the 1:27s by setting a 1:27.912. Behind him the Belgian Racing drivers struggled to keep their car on the track at the Villeneuve chicane and kept cutting it.

In the final minutes the battle for P14, the final position to qualify for Q2, intensified and several drivers were on the bubble. When the chequered flag came out the two Belgian Racing Ford GTs were out, as were the #6 Swiss Racing Team Lamborghini and championship leader Clivio Piccione in the Hexis AMR Aston Martin #3.

In Q2 the Aston Martins were quick out of the box and were first, second and third a couple of minutes into the session. Michael Krumm briefly moved into first, but then Stefan Mücke in the Young Driver AMR Aston Martin DBR9 #8 quickly restored the order. Fred Makowiecki went off and backed his Ford GT into the wall, the French driver returned to the pit lane with a damaged Ford and was eliminated.

Tomas Enge set the fastest lap on his last flying lap, posting a 1:27.546. Jaime Camara, Bas Leinders, Fred Makowiecki, Enrique Bernoldi, Markus Winkelhock and Peter Kox were unable to improve their positions and ended the session outside the top 8. They were forced to park their cars in the pit and sit out Q3.

Three Nissans, three Astons, one Lamborghini and one Corvette started Q3 and all cars went out to try and secure the pole position for today’s Qualifying Race.

Lucas Luhr and Darren Turner were on provisional pole position after the first and second flying lap, but then All-Inkl.com Münnich Motorsport’s Dominik Schwager posted a 1:27.691 on his third lap. Alex Müller put the Young Driver AMR Aston Martin DBR9 in second position, albeit half a second behind the Lamborghini, Darren Turner set the third quickest lap time. No further improvements were made and most cars returned to the pit before the chequered flag came out.

The JR Motorsports Nissan GT-R #22 of Peter Dumbreck and Richard Westbrook finished the qualifying session in fifth place, but due to grid place penalties for the Enge-Müller Aston Martin and the Exim Bank Team China Corvette it will start the race from third on the grid. Young Driver AMR’s Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner will start the Qualifying Race from the front row.

MtC