GT1 World

Phoenix Racing Carsport on pole at Portimao

© DPPI

After the Ford GT’s were the pace setters on Friday the first qualifying session on Saturday saw only one of them towards the front of the field. Julien Jousse, driving the number 11 Mad Croc Racing Corvette C6.R this weekend, was fastest halfway Q1, just ahead of the Marc VDS Racing Team Ford GT of Maxime Martin and the Vitaphone Racing Team Maserati MC12 of Andrea Bertolini.

Maxime Martin however showed the Portimao track suits the Marc VDS Ford GT as he set a 1:42.802, just .017 seconds quicker than the Mad Croc Corvette – locking up the right front wheel not much later. Several other teams were suffering on the Portuguese track as plumes of smoke seen from tyres more than once.

Frank Kechele moved into first place with six minutes left in Q1, only .052 seconds quicker than the Marc VDS Ford and .069 seconds quicker than Jousse’s Corvette. Karl Wendlinge, 19th at that point, spun his Nissan GT-R with just a few minutes left in the session – effectively killing any chances of getting into Q2.

As the chequered flag came out it was still Kechele in first place. However while the number 25 Reiter Lamborghini and the #40 Marc VDS Ford GT were first and second, the number 24 Reiter Lamborghini (Peter Kox complaining about lack of grip after changing the set-up overnight) and the #41 Marc VDS Ford GT did not make it into Q2. Both Matech Competition Ford GT’s also failed to make it into the second session, with Jonathan Hirschi (#10 Hexis Aston), Jamie Campbell-Walter (#22 Sumo Nissan) and Karl Wendlinger (#3 SRT Nissan) the final three drivers failing to qualify for Q2.

In Q2 the Lamborghini’s were at the front again in the first minutes with first minutes but soon after Dominik Schwager (#38 All-Inkl.com Lamborghini) had improved the time set by Jos Menten in the Reiter Lamborghini it was Michael Bartels who moved into first place. With seven minutes left in Q2 the Maserati was still fastest, ahead of three Lamborghini’s and a Ford GT. As several cars came into the pit Alessandro Pier Guidi and Alex Margaritis were out and started a quick lap on a rather quiet track. It resulted in Pier Guidi setting the fastest time (1:42.561) and Margaritis setting the second fastest time at a tenth of a second. Michael Krumm moved the Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R into second place with just four minutes left. Several cars were still out on the track waiting for their opportunity though.

At the end of Q2 the top eight was within nine tenths of a second – the top three separated by just .132 seconds. Marc Basseng was the first driver to miss out on Q3, just a tenth of a second shy of eighth place. Jos Menten, Tomas Enge, Xavier Maassen, Pedro Lamy, Yann Clairay, Max Nilsson and Perti Kuismanen were the other drivers to miss the cut in Q2.

In the final shoot-out for pole position Pastorelli was the first to set a fast lap time. A 1:43.854 on his first flying lap. Soon after though Andrea Bertolini blasted through in a 1:42.843 but even the Italian’s time wasn’t fast enough as Maxime Martin and Marc Hennerici went even quicker – the Corvette driver setting a 1:42.394.
Peter Dumbreck set the third quickest lap time in his Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R, but then spun his car towards the end of his next lap.

Before the chequered flag came out all cars had come in already, resulting in a pole position for the Phoenix Racing Corvette C6.R of Marc Hennerici and Alex Margaritis. Maxime Martin and Bas Leinders will start from second place on the grid while the Sumo Power GT Nissan GT-R of Peter Dumbreck and Michael Krumm will line-up in third.