FIA GT, Adria – Qualifying Report
Vitaphone Lock The Front Row

The two qualifying sessions for the second round of the FIA GT championship were much more interesting than their Silverstone predecessors, and, by the end, it looked as though Austrian drivers topped the times in both classes. However, two post-scrutineering rulings significantly altered the balance of power for the evening race.

As ever, the GT2 cars went first, with four drivers out early in the attempt to take advantage of a clear track.

Richard Westbrook kicked things off in the #60 ProSpeed Competition Porsche – now carrying 20+50kg after its Silverstone win – with a 1:15.793. Nicki Cadei’s opener was a 1:15.914 in the #51 AF Corse 430, and Marco Holzer’s a 1:15.941 in the #61 Porsche; but it was Martin Ragginger who was first to beast Westbrook’s time, when he stopped the clock at 1:15.640 in the #97 Brixia Racing Porsche.  

Cadei then improved to 1:15.416 before Tim Sugden drew attention in the #59 Trackspeed Porsche, having set the fastest time so far in the first two sectors. His third sector, however, wasn’t so rapid and his laptime was 1:15.485. But by this time, Gimmi Bruni was also out on track and had already lowered the target time to 1:15.302 in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari.

It was already apparent that this was going to be a very close session, but further evidence of the efforts being made came when Bruni and Cédric Sbirrazuoli – sharing the #95 Pecom Racing Ferrari with Francesco La Mazza, in the absence of the car’s regular drivers Luis Perez Companc and Matias Russo – were warned for straying across the white lines at Turn One.

The Pecom car was not to feature in the times, finishing eleventh fastest on 1:18.960, but Bruni still had a bit more left and improved to 1:15.198; although by now both Ragginger – 1:15.177 – and Paolo Ruberti – 1:15.195, in the #77 BMS Scuderia Italia 430 – had improved.

The two CRS Racing Ferraris were not enjoying the session; Tim Mullen managing an eighth-fastest 1:15.547 in the #55 after losing most of the pre-qualifying session with gearbox woes; while Rob Bell’s #56 was clearly struggling – ninth fastest on 1:15.951 not what would normally be expected from driver or car.

Mullen was the only driver out on track when the chequered flag fell, and his best time had already been set.

So a Porsche took pole on what has traditionally been a Ferrari track. Did this herald the first Porsche win in Adria?

The GT1 cars took to the track just five minutes later and, just as with the GT2 runners, a small number of cars ventured out early in the hunt for an advantage.

Anthony Kumpen was the first to set a time in the #4 PK Carsport Corvette; a 1:12.617 improving to 1:12.498 on his next lap. Thomas Biagi, meanwhile, was finding more and more time in the 2010-spec Matech Ford GT – his 1:13.952 a full half-second faster than its previous best – with the enthusiastic support of numerous members of his fan-club.

As the two Vitaphone Masarati’s waited patiently in the pitlane, the (so far) all-conquering #14 K plus K Saleen of Karl Wendlinger came out to play. His 1:11.759 – just three hundredths shy of last year’s pole time – convincingly quicker than the other cars out there.

The two Full Speed Saleens had been out for some time at this stage. Ferdinando Monfardini had set a 1:13.390, but the sister car of Stephane Lémeret was struggling to find pace and a 1:14.252 was its best.

Xavier Maassen set a 1:12.479 in the Luc Alphand C6.R, while his replacement in the SRT Corvette, James Ruffier, managed a 1:13.035.

With five minutes of the session remaining, both Maseratis finally emerged from the pits.

Alex Müller was first, starting out with a 1:12.724, and then following up with a 1:12.165. Andrea Bertolini, meanwhile, opened his account on 1:12.554 before cementing second with 1:12.086. Müller almost demoted him shortly before the end, but fell two-thousandths of a second short in his efforts.

But things were about to change significantly, stopping K plus K’s celebrations in their tracks.

Post-session scrutineering revealed that the pole-setting Saleen "was in breach of Article 258.3.6.4 in that aerodynamics devices were not contained within the area of the bodywork when seen from above."  The team accepted the findings and the car’s times were disqualified.

Wendlinger would thus be starting the race from the rear of the grid, just ahead of the #77 GT2 Ferrari, whose times had also been cancelled after failing ride-height checks. The second K plus K Saleen missed qualifying after having to change an engine and would be forced to start from the pitlane.

These late developments completely changed the race-prospects. Now Wendlinger and Ryan Sharp would have to pass the whole field in order to win, and, although the Saleen was still the fastest car, an extra 10kg of weight (in addition to 40kg success ballast) and a smaller restrictor would not make things easy for them.