Pittard: “Weight Lifted” by KCMG Automatic Top Qualifying 3 Spot

David Pittard says securing an automatic place in the Top Qualifying 3 pole shootout for this weekend’s Nürburgring 24 is a “weight lifted off our shoulders” ahead of the “race of the century.”

The No. 47 KCMG Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo is one of five cars that have already got a spot in the final part of qualifying on Friday based on their performances in Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie races earlier this year.

Pittard, who won the N24 three years ago in Frikadelli Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3, is confident of challenging for a repeat success knowing his worst position on the grid will be 12th.

“The good thing is we can go into this weekend fully focused on knowing we’re going to start in the top-12, which will most likely mean we will go with that front group,” he told Sportscar365.

“The drama situation is when you’re 12th backwards really, you get caught up in the fight, everyone’s scrapping for position and you drop 30 seconds in the first stint, which you’re never going to get back.

“To have that comfort already means we can fully focus on race setup, we don’t have to prioritize performance over one lap to get through these knockout sessions and we can go in quite relaxed — we will take any position in the top-12 effectively.

“Obviously, the closer to the front, the better but there’s no pressure. We’re pleased we’ve ticked that box.”

Pittard’s NLS outings have represented the first time he has raced the Mercedes-AMG, having previously been a regular in Aston Martin machinery.

He has described his “love” for the German car because of its simplicity, adding: “The mechanical grip is incredible — I don’t think you really need that advanced traction control and ABS because it just seems to generate so much grip, which is very impressive.

“What’s interesting is in the higher-speed stuff, it’s a little bit more roll-y, a softer platform compared to some of the other cars so that takes a bit of confidence. The car will grip but you just get that uneasiness from the softer platform.

“It’s been an interesting challenge and it’s a good car to be in.”

The Briton also explained that the chance to compete with KCMG dates back to his previous victory around the Nordschleife.

“Matt Howson [KCMG team manager] and I first touched bases the day after I won in 2023,” said Pittard. “I actually went to the traditional post-race weekend KCMG barbecue. We just stayed in touch ever since basically.

“It was good timing over winter when I saw Matt’s name pop up on my phone and I thought, ‘This could be an interesting call.’

“He presented the idea of what he wanted to do with the Mercedes.

“I’ve always really admired what KCMG have done as a private team — I think they operate at a factory level even though they’re a private team.

“It’s been a fantastic preparation program so far and they’ve lived up to what I thought how they operate, which is fantastic.

“I think we have a very competitive package coming into this event. It’s a bucket list event for the team to try and win and I think we’re in a very good position to give that a good go.

“It’s going to be a stressful weekend, I think it’s going to be wild. With those 41 SP9 cars I think it’s going to be a war.”