Interesting performances in Qualifying make for an interesting opening GT4 European Series race later today
Saturday, April 22, 2023
‘Just’ fourteen Aston Martin crews made the opening round from the previously stated fifteen as one of those had no stated crew members listed against it and one of the fourteen being a series ‘guesting’ car but at least we will see multiple Astons compete again within the series three listed classes.
Thankfully the rains from private testing on Thursday had gone ahead of dry running around the 3.6-mile circuit during yesterday’s Free Practice and this morning two Qualifying sessions. Hopefully that will continue into the first race later today, but rain is again being forecasted ahead of the second hour long race tomorrow.
This morning’s events saw the Vantage GT4 platform well in the mix for overall and class pole positions during Q1, dicing only for positions with the Audi R8 GT4 powered teams but in Q2, another six marques came into the fray.
Q1 was interrupted with an incident on track that appears to have been triggered by the #24 JSB Competition AMR of father and son crew Florian and Julien Briche when that car deposited oil around the track only for two Porsche’s to go off in separate incidents but to meet each other in the gravel with a bang. All drivers were otherwise uninjured, but those two cars now look doubtful for the two races this weekend although the #24 car was later back on track during Q2.
Results from Q1 again showed the #7 Mirage Racing car of Louis Meric being quick having showed similar pace with his joint FFSA GT4 programme the other week, finishing second overall for a front row start later today with the #74 Racing Spirit of Leman car of Victor Weyrich P5 overall and the guesting #19 Prosport Racing AMR of Andreas Bachman in sixth.
Best in class for the AMR runners, the #72 GPA Racing car of Kevin Jimenez starts P3 in Am, the three cars listed above starting P2/P5/P5 respectively in Silver whilst the #18 Team Racing Spirit car of Lorenz Stegmann starts fifth in Pro-Am just above the Newbridge Aston of Alex Denning in P7.
In Q2, the highest runner was again the #74 RSLM car of this time Konstantin Lachenaur P8 in Silver – just ahead the guesting #19 Prosport car of Jess Bachman in P9. In Am, the #72 GPA Racing car of Florent Grizaud was pipped the #68 AGS Events Racing car for position, this time P4 in class whilst in Pro-Am Markus Lungstrass was by far the quickest in his #18 car that he shares with Stegmann.
Qualifying is always one thing – racing another. With a starting grid of around forty-eight cars thundering into the chicane of T1 – any can and usually does happen.
Let the season begin.
Photo credits – GT4 European / Teams
