In the first of the two 20-minute qualifying sessions for Rounds 5 & 6 of the FIA GT3 European Championship at Jarama saw Albert von Thurn und Taxis score his first ever pole position in the championship ahead of championship leader Daniel Keilwitz in the Callaway Competition Corvette, with the Team S-Berg Racing BMW Alpina of Nikolaus Mayr-Melnhof in 3rd.  The second session saw Marco Holzer taking the top spot in the Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3-R, ahead of double race winner Mike Parisy in the Graff Racing Corvette and the Marc VDS Racing  Team Ford Mustang Marc VDS GT3 of Maxime Martin in a close 3rd place.

AMENDMENT TO ROUND 6 QUALIFYING: In the post qualifying checks the FIA Technical Delegate reported that the nr 98 Marc VDS Ford Mustang of Maxime Martin and Eric de Doncker was found to have front and rear anti roll bars and fittings which did not comply with the Homologation form and the Stewards decided to cancel the times set in the qualifying session 2 and place it at the back of the grid for Round 6.

Also cars 1, 23 and 88 set their fastest lap times under yellow flag conditions and had the lap time for the affected lap cancelled. 

Round 5 Qualifying
The session began at 16:00 local time with the sun shining on the Spanish circuit.  Joe Osborne was the quickest driver on the opening lap in the nr11 Muehlner Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R but was quickly demoted from the top spot by the nr9 Team S-Berg Racing BMW Alpina of Nikolas Mayr-Melnhof and then by Daniel Keilwitz in the nr101 Callaway Competition Corvette.  After seven minutes of the session Albert von Thurn und Taxis went second quickest in the nr25 Argo Racing Lamborghini and then took the top spot on the next lap with a 1m 33.443 lap.  The German returned to the pits five minutes later, the early lap times proving to be the pace setting laps.  The nr4 Team Rosberg Audi of Paolo Bonifacio and the nr 61 Prospeed Competition Porsche or Paul van Splunteren improved to 7th and 4th respectively late into the session, with Stephane Lemeret in the Sainteloc- Phoenix Racing Audi in 5th and Joe Osborne taking 6th.

Albert von Thurn und Taxis -Nr 25 Argo Racing Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4

“I am very happy with the result.  I was pretty scared when I arrived to have a first look at the track and I never imagined that I we would be so very fast. We had a problem with the gearbox in the second half of the first free practice, Giorgio had three or four laps when he reported a problem and by the time he came in it was broken.  It is important to start here at the front and for me qualifying in the most important part of the race.  It is going to be very difficult to overtake here, one or two places are possible but that’s it.  The car is perfect and I’m really looking forward to the race tomorrow.”

CLICK HERE to see result from qualifying for Round 5 (PDF file)

CLICK HERE to see Qualifying Facts for Round 5

Round 6 Qualifying
Christian Hohenadel in the nr101 Callaway Competition Corvette was the early pace setter on the opening two laps but was knocked off the top place by Maxime Martin in the nr98 Marc VDS Racing Ford Mustang with Claudia Huertgen posting the second fastest time in the nr77 Need for Speed by Schubert Motorsport BMW Z4 at the halfway point of the 20 minute session.  Mike Parisy then posted a 1m33.474 to take the provisional pole position just before Michael Ammermueller, who had just posted the 4th fastest time in the Team Rosberg Audi R8, went off into the gravel trap at Turn 1 bringing out the waved yellow flags.  Marco Holzer, who had been on a flying lap when the yellows came out, crossed the line in 1m33.213 to take the provisional pole away from Parisy.  With waved yellows the times were pretty much set but some drivers did improve during this period and the times set by those drivers are being investigated by the stewards.  The greens were waved with four minutes of qualifying remaining but there was no improvement by the top cars, with Marco Holzer on pole position with Mike Parisy in second. Maxime Martin was going to start from the second row in the Ford Mustang alongside the BMW Z4 of Claudia Huertgen but a post race technical check found that the car did not comply with the Homologation form and the nr98 Ford Mustang will start Round 6 from the back of the grid. 

Marco Holzer - Nr61 Prospeed Competition Porsche 911 GT3R

“I was very pleased with that lap and I have to say thank you to the team because they sent me out on to the track at the right time.  I did the lap and then the yellow flags were out and I had to wait to see if the lap was good enough.  Last year I did the GT3 race in the Algarve in the Porsche and I have to say this years Porsche is a really good car.  I’m very happy to set the pole position here at Jarama.”

CLICK HERE to see result from qualifying for Round 6 (PDF file)

CLICK HERE to see Qualifying Facts for Round 6

CLICK HERE to see full PDF booklet for results and lap charts