FIA WEC, 6 Hours of Sao Paulo - GTE Qualifying

Air temperature is 22.3°C and the track is 31.7°C for a finally sunny qualifying session, the first 6 minutes though of the 20 minutes combined GTE qualifying session.

Darren Turner emerged first in the #97 Aston Martin Vantage, followed by the Krohn Ferrari, Michele Rugolo on qualifying duty.

Turner’s first effort was a 1:34.976, Rugolo a 1:36.104.

Neither Bertolini nor Fisichella could better the Aston’s time first time around, both in the 1:35s as Turner completed a 1:34.453 to widen the gap.

Marc Lieb though was next by the timing line and he put the #77 Porsche on provisional pole 1:34.302 but Turner was still on it and a 1:33.8 next time around retook the advantage, Lieb’s next effort improved the time, 1:34.040 but he stayed second.

In GTE Am  Enrique Bernoldi  put the #61 AF Waltrip Ferrari at the front of the class with a 1:35.234, 3 tenths up on Paulo Rubertin in the #88 Porsche.

6 minutes remaining and Bernoldi improved to split the Pro Ferraris 1:34.860 the new GTE AM mark to beat as his countryman Fernando Rees improved to third in Am in the #50 Corvette, then a spin put paid to his challenge for pole.

Bertolini restored Pro honour by improving to better Bernoldi’s time – before Marcus Palttala spun wildly at Turn 4 pushing on in the JWA Avila Porsche, the car just grazing the tyre barriers at the end of a wild ride as the Finn lost the car after clouting the kerbs. He rejoined and crawled home.

Rugolo claimed second in GTE Am as Fisichella improved his time, but critically not his third in class.

Aston Martin on pole then in GTE Pro after an impressive run from Turner ahead of the #77 Porsche with the all local crew taking early honours in GTE Am with a Ferrari 1,2 in the Am class.

Just over three tenths separated the top three Pro cars but Bernoldi aced his lap with better than a half second edge over the second in GTE AM Krohn 458.

GG