Second Poles for Pirri and Makowiecki

On the road to the FIA GT3 European Championship title, both qualifying session were quite important. In the first session Gilles Vannelet set the fastest time, but he set his best lap under yellow flag restrictions, so the Stewards cancelled his time, demoting him to fifth. This left Luca Pirri to set his second pole position of the season.  In the second session, Frederic Makowiecki, who claimed pole position last year in Dubai in the FIA GT Championship, was fastest, for the second time this season. In both qualifying sessions, the three sets of drivers who are going for the title are extremely close… the races are going to be determinant.

LAST MINUTE : The stewards have received a report from the Technical Delegate that a post qualifying checking cars 38 (Vannelet-Moser / Kessel Racing), 19 (Ruffier-Peyroles / Riverside) and 15 (Deletraz-La Marca / S-Berg Racing) were found to have a rear wing which did not comply with the homologation from the vehicle.
The Stewards placed those three cars at the back of the gird of race 1.

SECOND POLE FOR LUCA PIRRI

The first session of the weekend was very interesting. Phil Quaife and Jonathan Lang, both driving an Ascari KZ1R, were fastest at the beginning. But soon Gilles Vannelet, in the nr 38 Kessel Racing Ferrari, and Luca  Pirri, in the nr 18 Martini Callaway Racing Corvette Z06R, were fighting for the pole position : a psychological war between the men currently lying first and the second in the Championship. Vannelet took the advantage, but he did his fastest lap under yellow flag restrictions, so he went back from pole position to 5th place. A good opportunity for Luca Pirri, as the Italian driver therefore claimed his second pole position of the season, and  most importantly, the first race will give the nr 18 Martini Callaway Racing Corvette a real opportunity to close on the Championship leader. “The first race is going to be important. It is good to be on pole position, with the two others cars fighting for the title in 5th and 7th position. But it is going to be hard, and the race is always different from the qualifying session” said Luca Pirri.
On the pace since the beginning of the week end, Diego Alessi set the second-fastest time in the session, in the nr 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBRS9. Alessi and Frassinetti need a good result to finish the year. The nr 31 Team Berlanga Ascari KZ1R, driven by Jonathan Lang finished in 4th position. The Ascari seems to be really efficient on this track, and Lang and Bertram could think about a podium.
Once again, with eight cars within the same second, the FIA GT3 European Championship is incredibly close.

FRED MAKOWIECKI… LIKE LAST YEAR

Frederic Makowiecki had the advantage of previous knowledge of this track, and importantly, how to be fast on this track, as he claimed the pole position here last year, in the FIA GT Championship. After a difficult beginning of the week-end, with gearbox problems, Makowiecki pushed hard during this session, in order to thank the Hexis Racing mechanics for their hard work during the night.
Behind the fastest man of the day, the battle for the title went on. James Ruffier, in nr 19 Riverside Corvette, set the second time, just in front of the other Corvette in the battle, the nr 18 Martini Callaway Racing of Jürgen von Gartzen. With an exhaust problem Henri Moser, in nr 38 Kessel Racing Ferrari 430, was slightly further back, in 5th position. But the young driver from Switzerland is not disappointed, as this position on the grid will be a good opportunity to control the race, and stay out of trouble from the two others competitors.
Once again, the nr 23 BMS Scuderia Italia Aston Martin DBRS9 was on the pace, with Alex Frassinetti setting the 4th time, and the nr 31 Team Berlanga Ascari KZ1 R is again close to the leaders, in 6th position. Those cars can hope for a podium finish on Saturday, during the last race of the season.

Subscribe: