It was all smiles at Ferrari as the Italian manufacturer celebrated a 1-2 front row lockout in the LMGTE Pro category and pole position in the LMGTE Am class for tomorrow’s 6 Hours of Nürburgring.
Reigning World GTE Champions Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander took their first pole of 2015 in the no51 AF Corse Ferrari 458 with an average time of 1m54.275, just 0.055s ahead of the no71 AF Corse 458 of Davide Rigon and James Calado. The two Ferraris were two tenths of a second ahead of the no95 Aston Martin Racing Vantage of Danish duo Christoffer Nygaard and Marco Sorensen, who will be joined on row 2 of the LMGTE grid by the no92 Team Manthey Porsche 911 of Fred Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet.
The rest of the LMGTE Pro grid was made up of the no91 Porsche of Michael Christensen and Richard Lietz, the Austrian having an off-road moment at the final chicane with the no99 Aston Martin Alex MacDowall and Ricjie Stanaway alongside on row 3. The no97 Aston Martin Vantage of Darren Turner and Stefan Mucke will bring up the rear.
In LMGTE Am it was the Ferrari 458 of 24 Hours of Le Mans winners SMP Racing, with Viktor Shaytar and Aleksey Basov claiming pole 0.5 seconds ahead of the no98 of Silverstone and Spa race winners Paul Dalla Lana and Pedro Lamy in the no98 Aston Martin Vantage. Porsche will head row two of the GTE Am grid with the no77 Dempsey Proton Racing of Patrick Dempsey and Patrick Long finishing ahead of the no83 AF Corse Ferrari of French duo Emanuel Collard and Francois Perrodo.
The grid was completed by the no88 Abu Dhabi Proton Racing Porsche of Earl Bamber and Christian Ried, the no50 Larbre Competition Chevrolet Corvette of Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda with the no96 Aston Martin Racing Vantage of Roald Goethe and Francesco Castellacci completing the grid for tomorrow’s 6 hours race which begins at 13h00 CET.
CLICK HERE for the result from Qualifying
CLICK HERE to view the post qualifying press conference video
PIT NOTES
14:23:30 In GTE Pro Ferrari #51 fastest from Ferrari #71 and Aston #95
14:23:29 In GTE Am Ferrari #72 fastest from Aston #98 and #77 Porsche
14:22:04 In GTE Pro Ferrari #51 fastest from Ferrari #71 and Aston #95
14:20:27 Chequered Flag
14:19:32 Aston #98 stopped at turn 9
14:18:15 1:54.330 2 lap average for Ferrari #71
14:17:44 1:54.275 2 lap average for Ferrari #51
14:15:33 1:54.498 average for Aston #95
14:14:05 All 14 GTE cars have set a first driver time - 2nd drivers now getting in
14:13:27 Pour le moment le meilleur temps revient à l'Aston Martin n°99 en LM GTE PRo
14:13:17 1:54.365 for Pilet in Porsche #92
14:09:35 Shaytar in #72 Ferrari fastest in GTE Am with 1:55.732
14:08:33 1:54.056 for Stanaway in Aston #99
14:05:48 1:53.964 for Sorensen in Aston #95
14:00:42 Green Flag
