FIA GT Championship

FIA GT – Adria – Qualifying Report (update)

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Vitaphone Racing Team and Brixia Racing secured pole positions for tonight’s second round of the FIA GT Championship at the Adria International Raceway. Wendlinger (GT1) and Ragginger (GT2) beat their rivals in their qualifying sessions, but post-qualifying scrutineering revealed a non-compliant Saleen

At 12:15 the GT2 cars were released for their qualifying session. Niki Cadei was the first driver out on the track, but it was team mate Gianmaria Bruni who was fastest when all drivers had completed their first flying lap, under a tenth ahead of Brixia Racing’s Martin Ragginger.

Just over eight minutes left in the session the Austrian beat Bruni’s time, putting the Brixia Racing Porsche 997 GT3 RSR on provisional pole position. 1:15.177. Paolo Ruberti then posted a fast lap time that put him right between Ragginger and Bruni, both at around 0.02s from pole.

Ragginger went into parc fermé with just over five minutes left, leaving it up to the other teams to try and beat his time. With the clock ticking further towards the end of the session second placed Ruberti came back into the pit as well. More and more cars ended their session without being able to challenge Raggingers time. Tim Mullen was the last driver to cross the line, but his flying lap not fast enough to keep Ragginger and Brixia Racing away from their first ever FIA GT pole position.

After a five minute break the GT1 cars went out for their qualifying session. Anthony Kumpen in the PK Carsport Corvette was the first to set a time, his 1:12.6 was still nine tenths of a second slower than last year’s pole time set by Marcel Fässler (1:11.731). Kumpen’s next lap was a 1:12.498.

The Maserati’s and K plus K Motorsport Saleens waited in the pit while the Corvettes, Ford GTs and the Full Speed Saleens went for it. Just over eight minutes were left when Wendlinger came out on the track, just as James Ruffier in the SRT Corvette set the 2nd fastest lap time, still half a second behind Kumpen.

Wendlinger’s first flying lap time was almost as fast as last year’s pole time. 1:11.759 was good enough for provisional pole with six and a half minutes remaining. Xavier Maassen posted a third fastest time, before losing a lap due to a slow SRT Corvette in front of him.

Muller and Bertolini spoilt Maassen’s run by taking second and fourth, pusing the LAA driver down into fifth. On the next flying lap Bertolini posted a quicker time, but his time of 1:12.086 was still over three tenths of a second slower than Wendlinger. Team mate Müller was two thousandths of a second behind in third.

Wendlinger went into parc fermé just before the end of the session. Maassen improved once more, getting his Corvette back into fourth place on the grid.

As the chequered flag came out several cars were still on fast laps, but none of the teams managed to beat Wendlinger’s lap time. As a result K plus K Motorsport took their second pole position of the year, while Wendlinger secured his tenth pole position in FIA GT.

Update:
After the session had ended the #14 K plus K Motorsport Saleen S7R and #77 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari F430 GT did not pass scrutineering.

The Saleen was in breach of Article 258.3.6.4, in that the aerodynamic devices were not contained within the area of the bodywork when seen from above. The Saleen will have to start from the back of the grid.

In GT2 the #77 BMS Scuderia Italia Ferrari failed to comply to ride-height regulations and will also start the race from the back of the grid.

As a result the Vitaphone Racing Team will fill the front row in GT2, with AF Corse moving up to second and third on the GT2 grid.