Raffaele Marciello and Christopher Mies topped their respective qualifying sessions in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Championship at Brands Hatch this afternoon.
Mercedes driver Marciello was fastest in the first 20 minute session courtesy of two late efforts, while Audi’s Mies topped the second session by over a quarter of a second, setting the fastest time of the day in the process.
Qualifying one
The first segment of qualifying determined the grid for the first race of the weekend, due to be held at 11.05 on Sunday morning.
Marciello left it late to claim pole, having been outside the top three prior to a red flag caused by the spun Porsche of Christian Englehardt at Stirlings with just over three minutes remaining.
Upon the resumption of the 20-minute session, the Swiss-Italian was on a mission, initially setting a 1m22.325s with seconds left on the clock, putting him three tenths clear of the pack. But he found even more time on his final tour, recording a 1m22.258s, to put him 0.307s ahead of the #69 Ferrari of Albert Costa, with Konsta Lappalainen’s Ferrari ending up third, having been top of the pile before the red flag.
Mattia Drudi was the lead Audi runner in fourth, two tenths further back from Lappalainen and half a tenth ahead of the fastest BMW of Charles Weerts.
A quarter of a second behind was the second Audi runner of Lucas Legeret, with the quickest Lamborghini of Jordan Pepper seventh.
Englehardt was sixth but lost his best time as he caused the red flag, and dropped to eighth as a result, ahead of Audi duo Alex Aka and Frederic Vervisch in ninth and tenth respectively.
Qualifying two
Mies dominated the second segment, having been fastest before a red flag caused by Lorenzo Patrese’s Audi, which was stuck in the gravel after a spin at Paddock Hill.
The session resumed with 10 minutes still remaining, and Mees stamped his authority, but only after the Ferrari of Giacomo Altoe had taken over top spot.
Mies retained the position on his next lap, with just over a tenth of a second covering the top-four with just a few minutes remaining. But then Mies put the hammer down and recorded a 1m21.716s, easily the quickest lap of the day, at that point putting him three tenths of a second clear of the field.
Whilst fellow Audi driver Christopher Haase was able to reduce the margin down to 0.254s by the end of the session, no one else was able to get close, with Altoe settling for third in the new Ferrari 296.
Patric Niederhauser ensured three Audis will start inside the top four slots in tomorrow afternoon’s race two, and ahead of the #46 BMW M4 of Maxime Martin. The same car had qualified 20th for race one in the hands of Valentino Rossi, but the pair will have a much stronger chance in race two from fifth on the grid.
Gilles Magnus (Audi) and Nicola Kjaergaard (McLaren) were next up, ahead of another Audi, this time piloted by Ricardo Feller, with his late effort pushing him up to eighth from 14th right at the end.
The top-10 in the second segment was completed by the BMW M4 of Niklas Krutten and the Lamborghini Huracan of Franck Perera.
Two Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe contests will take place tomorrow (Sunday) with the first scheduled for 11.05, and the second for 16.10.
Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, Brands Hatch Qualifying one result:
1. Raffaele Marciello, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, 1m22.258s
2. Albert Costa, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.307s
3. Konsta Lappalainen, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.367s
4. Mattia Drudi, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.567s
5. Charles Weerts, BMW M4 GT3, +0.616s
6. Lucas Legret, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.866s
7. Jordan Pepper, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, +0.881s
8. Christian Englehardt, Porsche 911 GT3 R, +0.910s
9. Alex Aka, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.957s
10. Frederic Vervisch, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +1.021s
Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, Brands Hatch Qualifying one result:
1. Christopher Mies, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, 1m21.716s
2. Christopher Haase, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.254s
3. Giacomo Altoe, Ferrari 269 GT3, +0.312s
4. Patric Niederhauser, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.364s
5. Maxime Martin, BMW M4, +0.424s
6. Gilles Magnus, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.648s
7. Nicolai Kjaergaard, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, +0.652s
8. Ricardo Feller, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, +0.681s
9. Niklas Krutten, BMW M4, +0.733s
10. Franck Perera, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, +0.734s
Click here for full results from the event.
Tickets for the Fanatec GT World Challenge at Brands Hatch on 13/14 May are available on the gate all weekend, with free entry for children under-13. Click here for more information.