LAMBORGHINI IRON LYNX ON POLE PAUL RICARD IN FANATEC GT EUROPE

Scuderia Iron Lynx gave Lamborghini its first place in the Endurance Cup since 2021 after the Italian brand established itself as the dominant force in qualifying on Sunday morning, April 7, 2024 at the Var circuit of Paul Ricard, in Castellet.

For the first two sections, it already looked like the Squadra Corsa Grasser Racing team would put P1 on the grid. Franck Perera started his dream by setting the pace in Q1, while Marco Mapelli finished fourth in Q2. But the Iron Lynx crew also launched an attack on pole position with Andrea Caldarelli taking sixth in the opening session, before Matteo Cairoli set the second fastest lap in Q2.

Going into the final 10-minute session, the gap between the top contenders was too close to call. But with qualifying specialist Mirko Bortolotti still racing, Iron Lynx had an ace up its sleeve. The Italian really got the best round of the day – during the 1’52 »775 – make a profit.

Their task was made easier by a tough final session for Grasser, with Christian Engelhart unable to do better than 29th in the general classification.

This allowed Schumacher CLRT to take second place on the grid with his number 22 Porsche after Ayhancan Güven (P4), Laurin Heinrich (P3) and Dorian Boccolacci (P6) achieved impressive consistency throughout the three sessions.

The Mercedes-AMG GetSpeed ​​team also split Lamborghinis. Luca Stolz was only 17th in Q1, but Fabian Schiller started to come back fastest in the second half, before Frenchman Jules Gounon recorded the third fastest time in Q3.

Grasser will start fourth, followed by three BMWs: 998 from ROWE Racing, 46 and some… Valentino Rossi and 32, two M4s from Vincent Vosse’s Belgian WRT team.

Eighth place in the general classification went to the pole car of the Bronze Cup, that of Garage 59, which produced a superb performance with its McLaren, number 188.

Adam Smalley was P3 overall in the opening session, while James Cottingham and Louis Prette also set good times. The British team will start eleven places ahead of its nearest competitor in the category, Ferrari, the number 93 of Sky Tempesta Racing.

The last place of the Gold Cup went to the three participants of the AlManar Race and GetSpeed ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ created by Al Faisal Al Zubair, Dominik Baumann and Mikaël Grenier.

The latter got the best result in the general classification, finishing P9 in the third session, when the car will start from the 15th position.

Another Mercedes-AMG team, Madpanada Motorsport, took a good position in the Silver Cup thanks to its crew of Ezequiel Perez Companc and Patrick Assenheimer, who will start 22nd.

All 54 cars took part in qualifying, although the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG and No. 74 Ferraris all missed periods.

The opening race of the Endurance Cup season will start at 3:00 p.m.

François LEROUX

Photo : Antoine CAMBLOR – Roberto BERETTA

PAUL RICARD STARTING GRID THIS APRIL 7, 2024

1 – Caldarelli-Cairoli-Bortolotti (Lamborghini Huracan) Iron Lynx – 1’53″027

2 – Güven-Heinrich-Boccolacci (Porsche 911) Schumacher – 1’53″214

3 – Stolz-Schiller-Gounon (Mercedes AMG) Getspeed – 1’53″286

4 – Perera-Mapelli-Engelhart (Lamborghini Huracan) GRT – 1’53″400

5 – Farfus -Harper- Hesse (BMW M4) Rowe – 1’53″439

6 – Marciello-Rossi-Martin (BMW M4) WRT – 1’53″503

7 – Vanthoor-van der Linde-Weerts (BMW M4) WRT – 1’53″588

8 – Smalley-Cottingham-Prette (McLaren 720S) Garage 59 – 1’53″607

9 – Macdonald-Goethe-Gamble (McLaren 720S) Garage 59 – 1’53″644

10 – Eng- Yelloly-Wittmann (BMW M4) Rowe – 1’53″681

11 – Rovera-Rigon-Pier Guidi (Ferrari 296) AF Corse – 1’53″707

12 – Pittard-Gunn-Chaves (Aston Martin Vantage) Walkenhorst – 1’53″764

13 – Andlauer-Niederhauser-Müller (Porsche 911) Rutronik – 1’53″808

14 – Engel-Morad-Auer (Mercedes AMG) Man Filter – 1’53″832

15 – Al Zubair- Baumann-Grenier (Mercedes AMG) GetSpeed ​​​​​​​​ – 1’53″890

16 – Leung-Sowery-Dennis (BMW M4) Century – 1’53″963

17 – Drudi-Sorensen-Thiim (Aston Martin Vantage) ComToYou – 1’53″967

18 – Mies-Vervisch-Olsen (Ford Mustang) Proton – 1’54″043

19 – Cheever-Hui-Froggatt (Ferrari 296) SKY-Tempesta – 1’54″088

20 – Marschall-Hartog-Blattner (Porsche 911) Rutronik – 1’54″095

21 – Magnus-Pla-Evrard (Audi R8) Sainteloc – 1’54″106

22 – Perez Companc-Assenheimer (Mercedes AMG) Madpanda – 1’54″189

23 – Bohn-Schuring-Renauer (Porsche 911) Herberth – 1’54″190

24 – Bachler-Malykhin Storm (Porsche 911) Clean – 1’54″200

25 – Christodoulou-Drouet-Götz (Mercedes AMG ) Boutsen VDS – 1’54″215

26 – Sathienthirakul-Arrow-Caresani (Mercedes AMG) Winward – 1’54″247

27 – Abril-Vidales-Neubauer (Ferrari 296) AF Corse – 1’54″320

28 – Rougier-Carton- Eteki (Audi R8) CSA – 1’54″393

29 – Klingmann-Al Harthy-de Haan (BMW M4) OQ for Oman – 1’54″410

30 – Gazeau-Meyuhas-Panis (Mercedes AMG) Boutsen VDS – 1’54″411

31 – LLarena-Cook-Qarajouli (Lamborghini Huracan) GRT – 1’54″436

32 – Millroy-Radcliffe-Bell (McLaren 720S) Optimum – 1’54″445

33 – Robin-Leroux- Hanafin (Aston Martin Vantage) Walkenhorst – 1’54″452

34 – Mukovoz-Hofer-Pereira (Audi R8) Treasury Test – 1’54′′5

35 – Haase-Aka-Feller (Audi R8) Test – 1’54″664

36 – Varutti-Klymenko-De Wilde (Audi R8) Sainteloc – 1’54″713

37 – Hook-Perel-Laser (Ferrari 296) Rinaldi – 1’54″741

38 – Doquin-Bechtolsheimer-Mitchell (Lamborghini Huracan) Barwell – 1’54″767

39 – Spengler-Kolb-Buus (Porsche 911) Lionspeed – 1’54″770

40 – Kodric-Al Khalifa-Williamson (Mercedes AMG) Bahari 2 – 1’54″774

41 – Van Uteirt-De Wilde-Pauwels (Aston Martin Vantage) ComToYou – 1’54″819

42 – Stevenson-Rindone-Kujala (Lamborghini Huracan) Barwell – 1’54″820

43 – Rappange-Nakken-Zöchling (Porsche 911) Dynamic – 1’54″851

44 – Mettler-Kell-Bartone (Mercedes AMG) GetSpeed​​​​- 1’54″887

45 – Muth-Baert-Øgaard (Aston Martin Vantage) ComToYou – 1’54″902

46 – Jansen-Creswick-Green (Aston Martin Vantage) Walkenhorst – 1’54″904

47 – Bertolini-L. Machiels-J. Machiels (Ferrari 296) AF Corse – 1’55″025

48 – Proctor-Sansom-Kjaergaard (McLaren 720S) Garage 59 – 1’55″095

49 – Patrese-Moncini-Ferrari (Audi R8) Tresor Test – 1 ’55″201

50 – Rosi-Schirò-Fumanelli (Ferrari 296) Kessel – 1’55″307

51 – Sager-Moura and Olivera-Dienst (Porsche 911) Dynamic – 1’55″491

52 – Clark-Lismont-Dejonghe (Aston Martin Vantage) ComToYou – 1’55″661

53 – Beretta-Maini-Owega (Mercedes AMG) Main – 1’57″454

54 – Hartshorne-Tuck-Bell (Ferrari 296) Kessel – 2’04″103