LIVE I Qualifying I Hockenheim I GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club 2024 (English)
Transcript
00:00🎵
00:29Here at Hockenheim, we have a green flag and we have a very busy track with cars on the circuit
00:34for the first part of the first qualifying session for GT4 European Series powered by Rapa Racing Club.
00:40The cars that go out first are those in the silver cup and then the second part is going to be the pro-ams
00:47and the ams, just to give this huge field a bit of breathing space, if you like,
00:52so they're not constantly having to fight the traffic and they can get in some representative lap times.
00:57So that's going to be why we have this split qualifying.
01:00Yesterday, Jamie Day was the fastest in the pre-qualifying session.
01:05So Aston Martin topping the times and in the free practice, it was Porsche, Nikolaj Mollemadsen's car,
01:11that was the quickest. We got the cars down two times in the low 1 minute 47s yesterday.
01:17So that is a guide, if you like, to what you might be anticipating over the course of this session.
01:24There is the man behind Rafa, Rafael Martinez in the pink hat and staring at his phone,
01:30the bearded American driver,
01:34who's moved from the McLaren trophy into GT4 this season and has been going really nicely as well.
01:38So we'll see him in the second part of the second session,
01:44along also with Cam Lawrence, who he stands with, because that means that John Lancaster is in Rafa Martinez's car
01:50and it also means that
01:52Cem Hepworth is in the sister car. The drivers are all being warned about not slowing down on the racing line,
01:58because admittedly, if you slow, you can let the car ahead go and get yourself some clear track space,
02:03but the danger is if you do that on the racing line, then you get in people's way and it all becomes a complete mess.
02:08So they're being warned not to do that. Right now, the situation in silver is that
02:17the only double winners that we've had this year are Josh Rattigan and Tom Levin.
02:22They won both at Spa, which is no easy feat, so they had a great result there.
02:26Other winners within silver, Benjamin Le Sen and Riccardo van der Ende.
02:30They had a win at Versano, as also did Luke Ibanez and Alex Papadopoulos.
02:36Enzo Giulie and Etienne Shelley won a Paul Ricard race, as also did Rafael Rehnhofer and Hugo Sasa.
02:42So it's been pretty open in pro-
02:44Sorry, I should say in silver, in Pro-Am. Similar situation, one double winner, Finn Zulauf, Max Kronberg,
02:50with a single win to Alexander Weintraub and Stanislas Safranoff, although they did win on the road at Riccard to make it two out of two from there.
02:56But they lost one with a post-race penalty.
02:59Paul Petit, Noel Abramchik have had a win in Pro-Am, so have Julien Brichet and Jean-Laurent Navarro,
03:03so have Anton Dubas and Greg Gilbert.
03:06Whereas in Am, five wins for Laurent Hurgon, Pascal Hutto, Alpine and one to Kevin Jimenez and Florent Griseau.
03:12So they've really been the dominant drivers within the Am category.
03:17The fastest time thus far is Benjamin Lariche in the number three Audi,
03:24that he shares with Robert Constantin. We know that Benjamin Lariche is quick.
03:28He's been very unlucky this year, really, with penalties getting in the way,
03:31but the car has always been there or thereabouts, to use the phrase.
03:35They are, by their standards, quite a long way back within the championship, though.
03:40So we'll see what can be done to sort of turn that around this weekend.
03:46They're only second, so 65 points to the 112 of Josh Rattigan and Tom Levin.
03:53So the Audi, there it is, number three needs a good haul of points and you get one for a pole position,
03:58so that would help if they can do that. However, Ruben Delsarte now in the
04:03Mirage Racing. Aston has now gone to the top and I think Lariche has backed out of this lap
04:07because there's just too many cars around him getting in the way.
04:10So Benjamin Lariche tries to let them go. There is number one,
04:15the
04:16Nathan van Sprengel
04:18Ford Mustang of the Team Floral van Sprengel squad. It is Nico Verdon that will drive it in the second session.
04:27And Eric Evans here,
04:29looking pretty rapid
04:31in his number 61 Mustang because he's done a good enough time to go on to pole position then. Eric Evans goes by.
04:39GT4 champion in British GT last season, the American driver. He shares with the
04:44Canadian, Marco Signoretti, and a really good effort putting that car up to the top ahead of the Lotus of Dexter Patterson,
04:50former touring car driver, and then Raphael Rehnhoff as Aston Martin.
04:54He's currently third, so change and change again up at the top of the field.
04:57Bear in mind as well that within the
05:02grid order
05:03we need to factor in the times that will come in the
05:06second part of this session once the pro-ams and ams go out. We don't segregate it with the silvers at the front.
05:12Times are all mixed together as you would expect really for a proper grid.
05:17So there is 61. Eric Evans is down to second now because
05:23Heroldin Nerudini's Porsche has gone fastest by 0.296 of a second.
05:32Heroldini is
05:34another very rapid driver. So whether the Porsche can stay there remains to be seen.
05:40Heroldin Nerudini has done a 1.47.140.
05:46And we're getting improvements in sectors now from quite a number of drivers.
05:50I think the battle for pole is going to be shuffled accordingly over the
05:55next few minutes.
05:57Luke Ibanez's Mercedes has gone up to second. This all pushes Eric Evans down to fifth. Nelson Panji teaching the Alpine has now gone fast.
06:03It's 1.47.134 by 0.006 from Heroldin Nerudini.
06:08Then you've got Ibanez
06:12dropping down the order because Josh Rattigan's McLaren, they're in the lead.
06:15They're in the lead.
06:16They're in the lead.
06:17They're in the lead.
06:18They're in the lead.
06:19They're in the lead.
06:20They're in the lead.
06:21They're in the lead.
06:22They're in the lead.
06:23They're in the lead.
06:24They're in the lead.
06:25Because Josh Rattigan's McLaren, there it is, have gone second.
06:28So Rattigan second and Eric Evans back to the very top in the Mustang there with the red nose just ahead.
06:33The Mustangs
06:34debuted this new
06:36one very red, one very blue over white livery last week in British GT at Snetterton.
06:40Although the cars got lots of attention.
06:42They were out of luck sadly with
06:45mechanical woes caused by contact in both races, but
06:49the car certainly looked good. And Nikki Mimoli
06:51An energetic backer. It's also just done a deal as a
06:55Organization with the British Touring Car Championship. So the brand is expanding
06:59We've got Liqui Moly presence, of course, on cars here this weekend in GT3 as well
07:03Luki Baniyev's Mercedes then pressing on to the end of the lap. This is coming up now towards the Sud curver
07:11Through which Baniyev turns, he steps it up over the kerb
07:14And now towards the timing line way out wide there, but let's see whether that lap stands
07:21We've got the cars queuing up at the end of the pit lane ready to go out for Q1-B
07:24And up onto pole position goes Luki Baniyev in Q1-A
07:27A 1.46.754, three thousandths of a second quicker than Eric Evans in the Ford Mustang
07:33That is how close the times now are and everybody is covered
07:39with the exception of the
07:42Number 91 Porsche which hasn't done a proper lap of Ivan Ekljic by 1.7 seconds
07:47He's the one exception to that, Ekljic, but I think having lost laps for
07:51Track limit offenses, it's only an out lap that he's got against his name. So there's more to come
07:55And one of the newcomers this weekend, Frederick Roy
07:58Has also just joined the circuit in his Alpine number 33
08:04but
08:06That's a Pro-Am car, that's gone out too early, surely
08:12A fast lane is open, but that car's gone out too soon
08:18So
08:23Whether a penalty comes for 33, we'll wait and find out
08:25But right now Eric Evans has pitted out of second, so his session is done, the checkered flag is out
08:37And
08:38The drivers that can't squeeze another lap out of the tires
08:42Heading down the pit lane, work done
08:44Although this car might be able to improve, only 13th is Etienne Ghelli in the Toyota Supra
08:49And as he comes up towards the timing line now
08:5533, ha, is under investigation
08:58So
08:59Frederick Roy did go out when he shouldn't and he's being told he's got to drive back into the pit lane
09:05He can't stay out and his pit exit is under investigation because he's basically gone out in the wrong session
09:10So he's being looked at
09:13Regular in the Alpine Europa Cup rather than GT4
09:16Right, so at the end of all of this, Luke Ibanez takes pole position
09:20And that would be for Ibanez a second of the season
09:28Eric Evans second, Josh Rattigan third, and the best of the Porsches is 24
09:31Vinnie Beltramelli's car up to fourth quickest, Roberto Faria fifth for Aston Martin
09:36And Audi sixth, Benjamin Lariche
09:40So all the drivers that have finished their session now on an in-lap
09:49And Benjamin Lariche improves as he takes the flag, he's up to third, 1.46.847 from Benjamin Lariche
09:58In a sense, no surprise
10:00He did race at a pretty high level in single-seaters a long time ago, got as far as the
10:06MSV-operated Formula 2 single-make category
10:11So Benjamin Lariche ends up third, who else?
10:15The other Mustang of Will Moore flattered to deceive, Riccardo van der Ende never really got going
10:19He's only 21st. So it is going to be, as ever, quite a mixed-up grid
10:29So the drivers make their way into the pit lane
10:36And
10:4233 is
10:44Frederick Roy now being given a black flag. Oh dear
10:49So as everybody else
10:53From the
10:55Pro-Am and Am Classes ventures out onto the circuit, those from Silver have to come in
11:01And
11:03Now the road becomes quite busy with some coming in and some going out
11:07But then it'll calm down and give the Pro-Ams and the Am Class drivers the opportunity to
11:13Get a proper lap time in
11:17So there, the Porsche
11:20Number 4, which is Lonnie Martins, the wheel of it. This is the car
11:25Shared with Sascha Bottoman
11:27One of the Pro-Am entries
11:30And that car
11:32Was quick yesterday. In fact, Lonnie Martins has done quite a bit of racing in his time. So he's another quick young gun
11:42Raced in the Renault Sport Trophy as well as in GT4 over the years
11:47The Porsche
11:49On its first flying lap therefore would be doing
11:53Personal bests, but let's see where it blends in come the end of the session
11:58So Lonnie Martins up to the end of the lap
12:01And the lap time that the car does is a 1.49 second
12:07And that's the time that the car has done
12:09The best lap time of the day
12:11So it's a pretty good lap time
12:13But it's not quite as fast as the Porsche
12:16And the Porsche is going to be a little bit more aggressive
12:19And it's a little bit faster than the Porsche
12:21But it's a little bit more aggressive
12:23But it's a little bit faster than the Porsche
12:26And the lap time that the car does is a 1.49.706
12:32There is time to find which is the short answer to where Lonnie Martins is going to place. There's more to come
12:45So now the interest becomes as to whether of the
12:48Pro-Am cars, especially if they've got the Pro rather than the Am in there
12:52Can get up to the point again to the times
12:55I'm afraid that the day is going from bad to worse of Frederick Roy because now
12:58Having gone out in the wrong part of the session having ignored the black flag
13:02The team manager is now being summoned to the stewards straight away. So the hot water is getting hotter all the time for him here
13:12This is the run-up towards turn two where the number 66 Supra just went through shot
13:18Shot
13:21Which is
13:23Cindy Gooday, I thought I'd seen at the wheel of that car. No, Gabriele Ilkova, forgive me
13:27Cindy Gooday will do the second stint. There is
13:3216 Mercedes the NM racing team entry
13:36Which has got Andy Cantu at the wheel. Now, he's had a couple of
13:39Ampole positions this year. Andy Cantu is another rapid driver that we saw in the championship
13:44For the first time really last season and Andy Cantu
13:49Has had a variety of co-drivers over the years having come into European racing from
13:55Lamborghini Super Trofeo in North America
13:59Number 300 Audi is the other team speed car entry that's
14:05Adrian Fabio is behind the wheel of for the first part of qualifying and
14:10Let's see where that car can hold itself to at the end of this lap
14:14Number 90 Supra has just gone over the line improving its time. Number 30 here is really the car to beat within
14:21Part of the qualifying
14:23And let's see how much that car can hold itself to at the end of this lap
14:27Number 90 Supra has just gone over the line, improving its time.
14:40Number 30 here is really the car to beat within Pro-Am this year.
14:45The WNS Motorsport car of Finn Zulauf and Max Kronberg.
14:51On board we go and it is Finn Zulauf at the wheel of it.
14:58Double winners this year in terms of pole positions.
15:02It's had three, but when Max Kronberg has been at the wheel perversely.
15:06And Finn Zulauf now makes his way out of the Spitzkera, that tight hairpin out of the Parabolica.
15:15And accelerates in towards the Mercedes arena.
15:18So the Porsche, which was a winning car outright here for Max Kronberg last year.
15:24Has Finn Zulauf at the wheel right now and comes from the Mercedes arena.
15:30Steps out of Turn 10.
15:37And then between the walls, that final straight, which doubles up as the drag strip here.
15:42Down towards the stadium through Turn 12, up towards the Sachskurve now.
15:47And then just an ever so slight rise in the road as he will power up now.
15:53Through the little kink here.
15:56Turn 14 and 15 and then a sort of double apex right at the Sudkurve.
16:02You can either have it as one long corner or two bites.
16:06So for our purposes this weekend, 17 corners.
16:09And at the end of the lap, over the timing line, goes Finn Zulauf.
16:1419th and the best of those in this session.
16:17Not anymore, because now 31 goes even quicker.
16:20And that is the W&S Porsche sister car of Alon Gabay.
16:25Who knows the track pretty well because he races in the German GT4 championship.
16:29First time out with us in SRO GT, but up to the top of the times.
16:33And then John Lancaster goes even better in 812 McLaren.
16:36The Rafa Martinez shared car and has just gone 12th overall.
16:40So that's the fastest out of ProAm John Lancaster there.
16:45There, 33rd in the times. Paul Petit, he's been a class winner this year.
17:02Shares the car with Noam Abramchik.
17:05Turns out from the Spitzcarer.
17:10Of course the drivers, having yesterday, had a very busy track.
17:14Both in the free practice and pre-qualifying sessions.
17:16Now get this breathing space, but it's going to be back to a busy racetrack once more.
17:20We get to the first race this afternoon.
17:22There is 31 then, Alon Gabay.
17:27That's the car that was briefly fastest in ProAm, but has slipped to second.
17:31But it's hustling on, way out wide it's stepped, coming out of turn 12.
17:40So Gabay up towards the end of the lap.
17:49He's timed it pretty well, there's not much around him to get in the way.
17:52Sector times have both been improvements as you can see.
17:54Green in both.
17:56Comes up there now towards the line.
18:01And Alon Gabay goes through 11th ahead of John Lancaster then.
18:05So that gives him class pole position in ProAm.
18:08And 11th overall is very good going indeed, given how competitive it is.
18:12We have got 51 cars for the racing this weekend.
18:21So it's certainly a busy racetrack, no question about that.
18:24Or it will be for the racing.
18:26And the chequered flag is just shown, that brings to an end Q1.
18:32That will be a break, driver change, and they'll go again.
18:39For one or two cars being looked at for their pit lane speeds.
18:47And the fast lane is opening to get the cars for the next part of qualifying ready to go.
18:57Because the silver cars have been in the pits.
19:00They've already had, of course, therefore time to do that driver change.
19:05So it is Luke Ibanez who's now got a second pole of the year out of silver.
19:16In ProAm, Alon Gabay takes the first pole.
19:21And guess who it is in Am? It's Pascal Hutto once again.
19:24So Pascal Hutto in the number 55 Alpine, the all-conquering Alpine, is the quickest.
19:29That is the Cayman in the hands of Edwin Hellstein that's just crossed the timing line.
19:39And Hellstein up to 18th, good effort.
19:42Stanislav Safronov goes through to be 21st in the Aston Martin.
19:46And the Toyota Supra here, number 155, is the car of Christopher Brunnhagen.
20:00So all of the ProAm and Ams take the flag, including number 70 BMW there, which is the
20:21Razun X Automotive Racing, Rick Bathorn under Edem BMW.
20:29BMWs normally go pretty well around here, we've seen in the past in GT4.
20:38So looking down that great high shot of the cars going through the Parabolica up to the Spitzkerer hairpin.
20:44And then you come all the way back around the other side down to the Mercedes Arena.
20:48It's a long, long drag, that part of the circuit, and it shows who's got the grunt.
20:52And then it's heavy, heavy, heavy braking down to first gear in some cars through the hairpin here.
21:02It's also, it being a big wide part of the circuit, an overtaking opportunity.
21:06So this is the car that tops Q1 with Luke Ibanez, the driver.
21:12So Luke Ibanez doing the time, 1.46.754, three thousandths of a second quicker than Eric Evans.
21:20This car fastest in ProAm, Alain Gabert using his knowledge of the German GT4,
21:26seeing to very good effect here with the Porsche Cayman, taking fastest time in that ProAm battle.
21:33And in the Am Class, Pascal Hutto once again in the Am Class.
21:38In the Am Class, Pascal Hutto once again in the Alpine.
21:42Amper 55 topping the times.
21:44Right, the cars are set to be released, I think, for Q2.
21:52The green light will be readied.
21:54The fast lane has been open for a little while to get the cars ready.
22:02So we're not far off now, getting the field ready to go.
22:06In Q1 then, Luke Ibanez, fastest from Eric Evans.
22:09Benjamin LaRiche, third.
22:10Josh Rattigan, fourth.
22:12Fifth fastest, Vinny Beltramelli, ahead of Roberto Faria.
22:17Nelson Pancicchi, seventh.
22:18Eric Kjaerdaal was eighth.
22:21Haralinda Rodini, ninth.
22:22Jamie Day in tenth.
22:26After that, Alain Gabert's pole-grabbing Porsche, eleventh.
22:31Ahead of Jem Hepworth and John Lancaster.
22:33So the two Rafa Racing Club McLarens getting themselves together.
22:37Ahead of Ruben Delsarte.
22:38Paul Ricciardo, winner.
22:39Etienne Shelley, only 15th from Finn Zulauf.
22:41And then Alex Denning, Edwin Hellstein, Beke Bessler, and Oskar Christensen
22:45rounding out the top 20.
22:47Stanislas Savronov was next from Jagis Gedik.
22:49Quite a long way back.
22:50So also, Rafael Rennhofer and Fabio Raur.
22:53And Ricciardo van der Ende.
22:54Ivan Ekelchik got up to 26th in the end.
22:56Ahead of the Ampole car of Pascal Hutto.
22:59Rick Bouton, 28th from Will Moore.
23:02And Alex Marchado.
23:03Dexter Patterson was 31st.
23:04And on it goes with no time recorded in the end from Andy Cantu.
23:08I think that must have been for track limits.
23:10And Frederic Roy not getting a lap time because he was black flagged
23:14having gone out the wrong session.
23:15And it all became rather messy.
23:30So Q2 is ready to get underway.
23:38Down from that high shot over turn 2.
23:42You can see in the foreground the Porsche driving centre track.
23:46And then behind that the paddock.
23:48This relatively recent iteration of the Hockenheim circuit.
23:53Which, because of the nature of the hairpins,
23:56doesn't get some very close racing.
23:57And overtaking opportunities abound as well.
23:59Number 7 there being pushed back.
24:01Stanislas Safronov's Aston that he will give to Alexander Weintraub
24:04for the second part of the session.
24:20So we are in business.
24:27Everybody for silver rumbles out.
24:52And a chance to get some warmth into the tyres.
24:54A chance for the silver graded teams to have the road to themselves.
24:57Don't trip over the traffic.
24:59Others sit and wait their turn in the pit lane.
25:06The Toyota Gazoo Racing Sweden entries of Hans Holm and Emil Schwerhaus.
25:13That car ready to go in the second part of the session.
25:1992 is now Nikolaj Molomadsson.
25:25A race winner out of British GT.
25:37And this is, well, Charles Dawson sharing with Andy Cantu.
25:40So knows the car because he drives a Mercedes within the British Championship.
25:43With Seb Mauritz, one at Alton Park.
25:45And Charles Dawson we'll see out in group B for the AMG Rally drivers.
25:55Number 15 Mercedes goes through.
25:59So Lukia Banev, pole for the first race, has given that car over now to Alex Papadopoulos.
26:04They won at Misano together.
26:06Papadopoulos coming into GT4 last year.
26:10The American lets the traffic go.
26:13Heading up now into the tight right.
26:16Up at the Spitzkerer.
26:19So you take the same cars that we saw in the first session's first group.
26:24But shuffle the drivers around.
26:25And in one or two cases that'll start to change the pace, I think.
26:29Nathan van Springel was rather disappointing.
26:31Nassan van Springel for Team Floral.
26:34Van Springel in the Mustang.
26:35But now Nico Verdonk is in number one.
26:37Should go even better.
26:40And already the track limit warnings are coming.
26:48The first one being offered up.
26:502.99, which is Hugo Sassa.
26:53Now Robert Consigny pressing on in the Audi here.
26:55Number three.
26:56Let's see what he can do.
26:57They get 20 minutes for each group.
26:59So there's quite a lot of track time that they are allowed.
27:10Mandatory pit stops, of course, to come in the races.
27:20And Robert Consigny there all up the kerb.
27:25Gets past Marco Signoretti, the Canadian.
27:29The Borussan Automotive BMWs, they're getting themselves together.
27:35Trying to get clear track space.
27:36Working as a team.
27:41And it is 92 then.
27:44Fastest early doors.
27:46The Nick Molloy.
27:51It is 92 then.
27:53Fastest early doors.
27:55The Nick Molloy Team Wimowac Porsche.
28:01And Robert Consigny blows that out of the water when he goes across the line.
28:04150.458.
28:21This is Antoine Leclerc stepping up over the kerb in the Alpine as he comes then now down through the Sachs curve.
28:30And a start-up lap has been offered up by that car, but no real more.
28:36So this will be the first proper flying lap.
28:38See where it feeds him in when he comes across the line.
28:42Others to improve.
28:43More German, less than up to 12.
28:45So over the line now goes Antoine Leclerc and the Alpine will go onto pole position.
28:52So that lap.
28:53147.363.
28:55Way up the kerb.
28:56He bounces on the inside at turn one.
28:58But Antoine Leclerc then is the fastest.
29:01Whether he's going to stay there, we will wait and see.
29:03But it's a good effort.
29:14Next one over the timing line.
29:20Josh Miller and the Aston Martin.
29:22Up to second fastest then.
29:24So good lap from the British young gun.
29:270.286 of a second back.
29:29So Antoine Leclerc.
29:31147.363 to the top.
29:38How are the McLarens doing?
29:40Tom Levin is eighth.
29:41Tom Ensom is ninth.
29:43And there's a good lap being put in by
29:45Mateo Villagomez who's doing absolute best in sectors as now.
29:52I was going to tell you that Marco Signoretti had gone up to fourth.
29:54Now ahead of him goes Leo Piccoli's Porsche and Matt Byrne number 96 in the Lotus.
30:01The new for this year, Emira GT4.
30:04Also now seventh fastest.
30:06So that's another car that's improving.
30:09The order is changing quite a lot.
30:10Not necessarily because of lap times that are good.
30:13But because of lap times that are being lost for track limits.
30:15Hugo Sasser, though, has gone up to second on a 147.614.
30:21So Leclerc, Sasser, Miller, Consigny, Piccoli, Signoretti, Byrne, Le Sen, Mollemadsen, Ebrahim.
30:26Pedro Ebrahim now into the top ten for the Borisan Automotive BMW team.
30:30Now this is Tom Leaven who took those two wins at Spa.
30:42Had a pole position at Spa as well.
30:44Comes then now down through the left-hander at the Sachs Curver.
30:49The elite motorsport run car.
30:51Busy team with Ginetta Activity with GB3 as well.
30:55And obviously running cars in this championship.
30:58Skips over the kerb on the exit of turn 16.
31:01To the timing line comes Tom Leaven.
31:03Graduate of Ginetta Junior Racing.
31:05He'll break the timing beam.
31:06And where's that going to put him?
31:08Second fastest onto the front row of the grid then goes Tom Leaven.
31:130.154 of a second off Antoine Leclerc.
31:15And Tom Emsen, his teammate, goes through behind him.
31:18Up to third.
31:19The best lap of this is a 46.9.
31:21Slightly slower than Q1 where we had a 46.7 as the best.
31:25Here is Marco Signoretti in the Mustang that's about to howl past the pits.
31:31Makes a fabulous noise that car.
31:33Goes through and Signoretti goes third.
31:37He and Eric Evans make a very good combination in that.
31:40I think looking as though they might well be in the mix come race one.
31:46It's going to be very very hot for the teams today.
31:48The temperatures have been hot all weekend thus far.
31:51And they're only going to rise and rise both in the cars and on track.
31:54When we get to the first GT4 race a little bit later on.
32:00So Antoine Leclerc, quickest in this very Alpine.
32:06It's deceptive that car because you think it's going to be breathless on a
32:09circuit like this where horsepower counts.
32:12But Antoine Leclerc drives it very very well.
32:14And he and Nelson Pangiatici have got to be in the mix surely for
32:17the two races here this weekend.
32:19Leclerc a little bit down in the middle sector though on this lap.
32:25Goes through.
32:30And the fast lane has just opened for the second group of cars.
32:35So the Pro-Ams and the Ams can get themselves ready to go.
32:39Make their way down to the end of the pit lane.
32:43They'll be on track very shortly.
32:55And they're off.
33:06Marco Signoretti in absolute best middle sector.
33:08Max Bird there in the Lotus. Up to ninth.
33:11Max, very quick.
33:12Ginetta turned Mini, turned Porsche racer before he's come into GT4 Europe this year.
33:16And Tom Levin onto pole position now.
33:181.46.770.
33:20Still fractionally down.
33:22But I'm talking hundreds now compared to Q1.
33:25So Levin, Leclerc.
33:26Signoretti's third didn't get himself up onto the front row on that last lap by.
33:34Nikolay Monomats on only 19th is a bit of a surprise for a
33:37previous champion out of Silver Cup.
33:39So there's more to come from him.
33:41As the drone hovers over turn two there.
33:51Now the team manager of number 17, which is the
33:55Riccardo van der Ende, now Benjamin Lessen,
33:58BMW, being summoned to the race director immediately.
34:02The cars for group B are on track.
34:05The cars from group A will take the chequered flag and then pit.
34:09So there is this overlap of a minute or a lap or so.
34:13Whilst you've got cars going out looking for space,
34:16cars coming in having done their session.
34:19But Tom Levin takes a second pole of the season now.
34:36A bit of tar smoke settling there coming into the
34:38Sachs curve, I thought for a moment.
34:40Might have been a locking up McLaren ahead of Robert Consigny.
34:43That little Audi, though, has suffered a bit in this session.
34:46It's just not quite come alive in the way that others have.
34:51Not for want of trying on the part of Robert Consigny, that's for sure.
35:02So Consigny goes through.
35:03Sixth takes the flag.
35:04Pedro Ebrahim's BMW got itself up into eighth at the end of the session.
35:09And Gabriele Piana only 15th.
35:11Again, we said it a lot this season.
35:13The BMWs don't seem to be good qualifying cars, but they do race well.
35:17So as the teams are set to get on with their times now for the second group,
35:25those that are done, such as Rafa Martinez, can now reflect on their session.
35:37Cam Lawrence out of his car.
35:39Tenth he was, number 81.
35:44And there, number 17 BMW, Borgman Le Sen.
35:52And it is his team manager who has been summoned immediately to race control.
35:57So what they've done, we'll find out about.
35:59But that car is being looked at for something.
36:13Already down to seven minutes of the session for the Pro-Ams and the Ams.
36:23So give them a lap or two.
36:25We'll start to see how the order translates.
36:2727 now being driven by Daniel Nilsson.
36:33Brompton Grady driver.
36:37Makes the way into Massach's Curver.
36:43And for the GT4 teams, they get two of these 61 minute races this weekend, of course.
36:49One today, one tomorrow, with today's race due to be just after 3.35.
36:56Build-up starts round about then.
37:01And the GT2 cars, which are also here, they have both of their races tomorrow.
37:05There is number 78 then, Tom Levin.
37:09The fastest driver.
37:11Staying in the car, interestingly.
37:13Even though he can't go back out again because his session is done, but staying in the car.
37:18Don't think anyone else is going to be able to threaten him, even out of the other classes, in fairness.
37:28So the last handful from
37:31Silver come to the pit lane.
37:38And
37:41Tom Levin, Antoine Leclerc, Marco Signoretti, the top three.
37:44The best lap thus far, and the fairly meaningless, really, from the
37:50Pro-Ams is from Andres Sotokhotsev, ahead of Rafa Martinez, and then Charles Dawson
37:56was next. Winner at Alton Park, your British GT at the start of the season.
37:59But Sascha Bottoman has put the Porsche number four ahead of all of them.
38:12Andres Sotokhotsev in the Toyota goes through.
38:19That car from the Taichman Continental Racing Stable.
38:25Vasily Vladikin having driven it at the start of the session, the Cypriot licensed driver. Andres Sotokhotsev now.
38:33And the clock ticks on into the final five minutes then, so rattling through GT4 qualifying.
38:39They get the sort of bulk of the track time, if you like, in practice and pre-qualifying.
38:45That gives them, in theory, the ideal setup ready to deliver in these short, sharp ten minute blasts that they get.
38:52Bouncing up the kerb. Sotokhotsev.
39:01Leaving nothing on the table, that's for sure, with two personal bests now.
39:06A bit of a slide.
39:08Sotokhotsev up towards the timing line then.
39:10Let's see where this lap's going to put him.
39:12It's in the 49th, and it puts him 29th overall.
39:16So of those within this group that is a good result for the Porsche.
39:21Bit of a slide, Solokhovsev up towards the timing line then, let's see where this lap is going to put him
39:27It's in the 49s and he puts in 29th overall
39:30So of those within this group that is
39:35fifth now
39:41Others cope with the heat in the pit lane as
39:43Laurent Hergant is up to
39:4510th fastest. Pascal Hutto took a pole for the number 55 Alpine in Am in the first session
39:52and now it looks as though it's going to be a double
39:55It really has been the class of the field that car
39:57with two experienced drivers in it and now Laurent Hergant for a class pole position as well provisionally
40:15This is Charles Dawson then
40:24In the car that he shares with Andy Cantu
40:27And we saw Charles briefly in the championship at the back end of last year in a Porsche this year
40:32concentrating on the British series, but more mileage coming into
40:37The European series this weekend had a rather nasty accident a year or so ago
40:41He did a lot of damage to his back but has recovered from that
40:44And driving the Stuart Parker's team in Britain for the NL racing team the Spanish team here this weekend
40:50Charles Dawson pressing on two personal bests here
41:04Very wide coming out of turn 17 Charles Dawson
41:07So let's see whether that lap stands as he comes up towards the line Max Kronberg has just got himself onto
41:12Class pole position through goes Dawson that
41:16Does benefit him up to 26 the one minute 48.338
41:22So Laurent Hergant for the Am pole
41:2510th of the Pro-Am pole Max Kronberg 23rd, but that would be a
41:30fourth
41:32Pole of the year for Max Kronberg
41:38And there are points for the pole positions so they're worth going for
41:46Cindy Goudet's Toyota the purple car has improved and at the moment the one that is the slowest
41:53is
41:54The BMW of Onda Erdem that he shares with Rick Bouthorn
41:58So that car I would have thought would be quicker than that. That's Max Kronberg that you're looking at now
42:03This is the car currently 23rd, but the best of the Pro-Am brigade
42:08Heading up towards the
42:10Approach to turn 12 down to the stadium
42:15Comes between the walls either side of him
42:18Turns right, kerb on the inside, drifts it, slides it indeed up to the kerb on the outside
42:29So this is Kronberg to see if he can improve two personal bests in the Porsche Cayman. Let's go on board
42:38Comes out of turn 16 into 17
42:43Or that one long loop really as it is of the Sudkurve and again
42:47The car steps up pretty wide coming out of the bend but over the timing line Max Kronberg
42:51Stage 23rd lost out in that last sector in fact
43:07So Max Kronberg is going to take the flag at the end of this lap because the chequered flag is now out
43:37So the flag out, that concludes qualifying for this race
43:40I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you in the next one. Bye!
44:07Qualifying for the GT4 European Series powered by RAF at Racing Club and
44:12That second session where although drivers are fighting for class positions
44:16But being put in the context of where they are overall makes for a slightly confusing and slightly mixed up order
44:22But Laurent Hurgon's Alpine, not only a class pole in AM, but 10th overall. That's quite something
44:29Sort of AM plus those drivers
44:32Second of the AMs is
44:34Julian Leandri, so good for Alpine and good for number 33 because it had a pretty woeful first session with Nicola Rai
44:40Sorry, Frederik Rai not getting out on track at the allotted time. So the car
44:45Didn't really get a lap in at all in the first part of qualifying, but Julian Leandri responding in the second
45:02So
45:09The drivers come to the pit lane
45:12there will be no doubt a little bit of
45:14Investigative work from race control about any track limit penalties that may or may not be lurking in the system
45:19but a provisional grid we can at least look at in a moment as the
45:24Schumacher CLRT Alpine
45:26Comes down the pit road. There's a Schumacher CLRT presence in GT3 here as well with Porsche
45:32Very busy team this year running cars in Multitudinous Championships with lots of different brands as well
45:36so a pole position to Luc Ibanez, a pole position to Tom Levin and
45:41Another pole position to Laurent Hurgon and a further pole position which would be his fourth for Max Kromberg
45:53So the cars
45:57Now being allowed down the pit lane ready to return to the paddock
46:02The Ford Mustang of
46:0562, the Matt McNichol-Jones car, right
46:07So at the end of the second session Tom Levin the fastest from Antoine Leclerc and Marco Signoretti
46:12Matteo Villar-Gomez fourth ahead of Tom Emsen and Robert Consigny with Hugo Sassa seventh
46:17Pedro Ebrahim eighth, Benjamin Lessen ninth and tenth heading and
46:22Laurent Hurgon. Cam Lawrence was 11th from Leo Pickler and Matt McNichol-Jones
46:26Then Max Bird in the Lotus, Josh Miller ahead of reigning silver champion Gabriele Piana
46:31Next up in 74 we had
46:35Daniel Kuhlmann and then behind him
46:38It was Nico Verdonck 18th, 19th Julian Leandri from Hendrik Stihl
46:42Nikolai Molomatz and only 21st from Alex Papadopoulos, Max Kromberg
46:47Charles Dawson 25th picking out one or two others
46:50A little bit further down the order Enzo Jullier in the Supra 29th in the end
46:55And Anthony de Baan with Greg Gilbert
46:58Greg for Q1 but Anthony de Baan in this only 38th
47:02And it is a Toyota Slowest then as the Brunhagens round out the order
47:07Mikhail Brunhagen the bronze-graded Swede doing the honours in that second session
47:13Race one just after half-past three this afternoon and promises to be as ever in GT4
47:19dramatic indeed
47:23So there is the
47:25Pole position car then
47:27Tom Levin
47:28A second pole of the season for him and a good job done as well that so
47:32The quick British driver getting that car to the top of the times
47:37By a pretty modest margin just
47:3991 thousandths of a second was what he had in hand come the end of the session
47:52There is the leading AM Cup car 55 of Laurent Hurgon
48:00And that car that he shares with Pascal Hutto very much the one to beat within the AM category
48:05And in the
48:07Pro-Am division number 30 Porsche of Max Kronberg taking provisional pole position there as well
48:20So Tom Levin's car doing the time for tomorrow's grid
48:24And as I say race one with Luke Ibanez starting on pole position
48:28We'll be getting underway just after half-past three this afternoon
48:34You
49:04You