The Mercedes-AMGs dictated the law in the Free Practice and Pre-Qualifications of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, which reached the last round of the Endurance Cup 2022 in Barcelona.
The day was beautiful and sunny, but with very different track conditions in terms of temperatures given the increase as the hours went by, with many fans and fans who came to the circuit to enjoy the ‘Festival de la Velocidad’.
FREE TRIALS: the Star shines in the early morning
The Free Practice started at 9.00 am with the sun still low and temperatures rather cold which however did not discourage the already numerous fans present in the paddock and on the stands of Montmelò.
In the 80 ‘available there were a couple of interruptions with red flags for off the track, while the best time was established by the Mercedes-AMG # 2 of GetSpeed Performance in the hands of Engel / Stolz / Schothorst in 1’44 “366 , beating the Porsche # 54 of Dinamic Motorsport (Bachler / Picariello / Cairoli) and the Lamborghini # 63 of Emil Frey Racing (Aitken / Costa / Bortolotti) by 3 tenths.
Fourth time half a second from the top for Baert / Gazeau / Panis, the fastest in the Silver Cup at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS # 26 of the Saintéloc Junior Team with which they precede those of Tresor by Car Collection (# 12 Haase / Drudi / Ghiotto ) and the WRT Team, among which the # 46 of Vervisch / Müller / Rossi is faster than the # 30 of A.Robin / M.Robin / Tomita, who stand out in the Gold Cup.
In eighth overall position we find Winkelhock / Schramm / Marschall in the Audi # 66 of Attempto Racing, followed by the # 32 of Vanthoor / Feller / Weerts (Team WRT) and the Mercedes # 88 of the Akkodis-ASP (Marciello / Juncadella / Gounon) which completes the Top10.
Eleventh and second in the Silver Cup we have Lappalainen / Wishofer / White on the Lamborghini # 14 by Emil Frey Racing, third in the category are classified by Valente / Vermeulen / Patrese with the Audi # 11 by Tresor by Car Collection.
To complete the Gold Cup speech, the place of honor goes to the Mercedes # 5 of HRT (Scholze / Maini / Haupt), with the Porsche # 911 of Herbert Motorsport (Bohn / A.Renauer / R.Renauer) behind it.
In PRO-AM stands the McLaren # 188 of Garage 59 in the hands of West / Ramos / Chaves in 1’45 “360, 12th overall. The second time is signed by Malykhin / Guven on the Porsche # 91 branded Allied Racing, virtual podium completed by Mercedes # 20 from SPS Automotive Performance (Loggie / Pierburg / Baumann).
# 777 Al Manar Racing by HRT, Mercedes-AMG GT3: Al Faisal Al Zubair, Axcil Jefferies, Fabian Schiller
Photo by: Francesco Corghi
PRE-QUALIFICATIONS: bis AMG with HRT
Pre-Qualifying also speaks the language of Mercedes, under the hot sun that has raised temperatures here in Catalonia.
To stand out after another 90 ‘of tests is the AMG # 777 of Al Manar Racing by HRT with the trio Al Zubair / Jefferies / Schiller that gets the 1’53 “163 with which it also leaps to the top in the Silver Cup.
Double for the Star also signed by the # 88 of the Akkodis ASP, just 0 “150 from the first place and best of the PRO cars, while the McLaren # 7 of Inception Racing (Millroy / Schandorff / Iribe) is third overall and at the command of the Gold Class.
Following is a trio of Audi, with the # 12 of Tresor by Car Collection and the # 25 of the Saintéloc Junior Team (Mies / Legeret / Niederhauser) in the Top5, with the # 32 of the WRT Team behind.
Good seventh time for the McLaren # 111 of JP Motorsport (Lind / Klien / Abril), which is behind the # 20 Mercedes-AMG of SPS Automotive Performance, this time the fastest of the PRO-AM cars.
Among the top ten there are also the Lamborghini # 19 of Emil Frey Racing (Roussel / Altoè / Rougier) and the Mercedes # 5 of HRT, second Gold.
The Ferraris are behind, given that Iron Lynx’s # 71 (Pier Guidi / Rovera / Fuoco) is 12th, almost 1 “from the record, after he had finished 22nd in the morning free practice.
The ‘twin’ # 51 of Molina / Nielsen / Fisichella instead has a 32nd and a 26th time in the two sessions, also the # 83 of the Iron Dames Frey / Gatting / Bovy who are very backward in difficulty.
The Audi # 46, which Valentino Rossi shares with Vervisch and Müller, also struggled a lot in the afternoon tests, paying almost 2 “late for those in first position.
GTWC Europe Endurance Cup – Barcelona: Free Practice
GTWC Europe Endurance Cup – Barcelona: Pre-Qualifying
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