Aston Martin Sweeps GTE Qualifying at Shanghai

Photo: John Dagys

Aston Martin Racing swept GTE qualifying honors for Sunday’s FIA WEC Six Hours of Shanghai, with the factory Vantage GTEs taking poles in both GTE-Pro and GTE-Am for the second consecutive race.

While it was the Craft-Bamboo-backed Aston that scored pole at Fuji, it was Darren Turner and Stefan Muecke that claimed the top spot Saturday at Shanghai International Circuit.

The duo combined for a four-lap average of 2:04.342 average in their No. 97 Aston Martin, edging out the No. 92 Porsche Team Manthey Porsche 911 RSR of Fred Makowiecki and Patrick Pilet by 0.102 seconds.

It marked Turner and Muecke’s first pole of the season as they seek their third straight class win in Shanghai tomorrow.

Joerg Bergmeister and Richard Lietz made it two Porsches in the top-three, following improved pace for the pair of factory 911 RSRs.

Championship leaders Gianmaria Bruni and Toni Vilander will roll off fourth on the grid, thanks to their 2:04.780 average that was nearly a half-second slower than the pole-sitting Aston.

AMR’s Pedro Lamy and Christoffer Nygaard scored their second straight pole in GTE-Am, thanks to a 2:05.072 average.

The time was 0.072 seconds quicker than the No. 75 ProSpeed Competition Porsche 911 RSR, qualified by Emmanuel Collard and Matthieu Vaxiviere, which ended up second.

Class pole-sitters Lamy and Nygaard will be joined by Paul Dalla Lana in the No. 98 car on Sunday.

The No. 95 Aston Martin will start third in class, despite Richie Stanaway’s 2:03.649 lap time, which stood as the quickest single lap in GTE combined.

The FIA WEC Six Hours of Shanghai takes the green Sunday at 11 a.m. local. (Saturday, 11 p.m. ET)

RESULTS: Qualifying

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John