GT1 World, Nogaro - Qualifying Report

AF Corse will start from pole position tomorrow for the first race of the FIA GT1 World Championship at Nogaro. In the all-deciding final qualifying session on the 3.636 kilometers long French circuit AF Corse driver Toni Vilander managed to keep both Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi's behind.

It quickly became clear that the battle for pole position was going to be between the teams of AF Corse (Ferrari) and WRT (Audi). Halfway the first session Vilander was just ahed of Frank Stippler and Stephane Ortelli, while Milos Pavlovic (Ford), Andreas Zuber (Aston Martin) and Gregoire Demoustier (McLaren) found themselves in danger of missing the cut. After Hexis Racing team boss Philippe Dumas complained about Balance of Performance adjustments to the McLaren MP4-12C Demoustier managed to improve and on his final lap the French driver worked himself into the top 14.

In the second session another six cars would drop out so that the final shoot-out would be between eight cars. The Hexis Racing McLaren of Stef Dusseldorp did not take part in the second session, a broken starter motor causing the car to stay in the box. In the final moments Tomas Enge in the Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo LP600 improved the fastest time and with a lap time of 1:26.400 the Czech driver finished the second session as the fastest man on the track..

Two AF Corse Ferrari, two WRT Audi, two All-Inkl.com Mercedes, a Hexis McLaren and the Lamborghini Reiter made it to the final part of qualifying. After the first fast laps it was Vilander on provisional pole, with team-mate Enzo Ide second and Audi driver Stephane Ortelli in third. Ortelli improved and briefly took provisional pole, but Toni Vilander wanted to be on pole in his first FIA GT1 World Championship race and went even quicker. His time of 1:26.138 was not improved by the seven other drivers. As a result the Finn did indeed claim the first pole of 2012. Audi drivers Ortelli and Stippler qualified second and third, both just over a tenth of a second behind Vilander. Hexis Racing driver Gregoire Demoustier didn't set a time after his McLaren also had problems with the starter.

The Qualifying Race will be held tomorrow. The race will start at 2.15 pm local time.