Ultimate Cup | Vortex Takes Big Pole for GTE Trophy at Mugello

Q1

The GTE qualifying session got underway right on time, with Ferrari, Mercedes and Vortex 2.0 battling it out for the top UCS1 class.

First provisional pole for the Porsche of Karl Vandewoestyne with 1’54”840, followed by the Ferrari 488 GT3 EVO of Pagny and the Porsche of Amado (PC class).

Pagny starts to push, goes below the 1’54” wall and signs 1’53”378.

Naran’s Mercedes was unstoppable and was immediately ousted by Gomez’s Vortex 2.0 with 1.50”389. In the UCS Light, Rousset took the lead with the Alpine A110 Cup ahead of Marion and Abbatu.

In UCS4, best time for Laurent Mogica’s Ginetta, followed by Rego de Sebes with the BMW.

Q2

Teire with the Porsche 992 Cup takes the lead with 2’15”529 ahead of the Ginetta of Hugo Mogica.

Halliday and Ferrari don’t keep us waiting with 1’53”143, the Frenchman continues to push but goes wide on the sand of Poggio Secco, managing to maintain control.

‘Warning’ for Teire, time taken off for cutting, while Gomez’s Vortex takes the lead with 1’50”998. Problems for Naran’s Mercedes who remains in the pits.

Good for Penlou’s Porsche, third overall and first in class with 1’57”191. Under the flag, the best time remains for Gomez on Vortex ahead of Halliday’s Ferrari and the other Vortex of Luminier.

Q3

Practically a Q3 that started like a bomb with Bouvet immediately very fast, but he had to chase the Vortex 2.0 of Arnaud Gomez.

Gomez takes the lead with 1’50”887, followed by Bouvet at 0”936 and Bernier’s Porsche at 2”234. Gomez pushes but Bouvet breaks the 1’50” barrier with 1’49”739, beating the Vortex driver by over a second.

Bernier is very fast with the 992 leading the Porsche patrol with ’53”101. Lipp’s Alpine goes out in the sand at turn 14. In the final there are no changes in the rankings, with Bouvet taking home the best time.

In the combined standings, pole goes to the Vortex of Arnaud and Olivier Gomez, second position for the Ferrari of Bouvet-Pagny-Halliday, while the second row is for the two Porsche 992 Cups of Team 2B Autosport, Chevalier-Favre-Penlou and Karl, Cesar and Hugues Vandewoestyne.

The race is scheduled to start on Sunday at 2.40pm.