Gounon Fastest in Endurance Cup Practice at Monza

Jules Gounon set the pace aboard his Mercedes-AMG during practice for the second round of the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup at Monza.

Gounon’s benchmark time of 1:46.081 seconds in the first of two 90-minute practice sessions on Saturday was not beaten in the warmer afternoon conditions, as the 2 Seas Motorsport-run No. 3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo headed the combined times.

The three-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner left it late to deny Dennis Lind aboard Steller Motorsport’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R entered in the Gold Cup, which came up just 0.028 seconds short.

Lind was also on form in the afternoon, the 2021 British GT champion again clocking the second fastest time behind Ben Dorr’s RJN Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo.

Silver Cup entrant Dorr’s 1:46.315 effort, set on his fifth timed lap, was 0.025 seconds quicker than Lind but only the tenth fastest time of the day.

Alex Malykhin was third fastest in the morning and overall aboard his No. 9 Pure Rxcing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, also within a tenth of Gounon’s outright best, although the Silver Cup pace-setter’s strong day was brought to a premature end in second practice with a fire under the bonnet while Max Hofer was exiting the pits.

Fabian Schiller was fourth aboard his No. 17 GetSpeed Mercedes, leading the No. 34 Walkenhorst Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of Christian Krognes and Nicklas Nielsen’s No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

Sven Muller was the quickest of the Bronze Cup entrants in seventh overall, driving Rutronik Racing’s No. 97 Porsche, while Luca Stolz in the No. 48 Winward Mercedes and Thomas Drouet’s No. 64 HRT Ford Mustang GT3 EVO also ducked under Dorr’s afternoon best.

The morning session was stopped twice, first when Rolf Ineichen spun his No. 60 JMW Motorsport Ferrari into the Ascari gravel and then to sweep the road surface free of stones. Another red flag was required in the afternoon when Stylianos Kolovos found the barriers at the second chicane aboard his Razoon – more than racing Porsche.

There were also dramas for the No. 59 Garage 59 McLaren of Joseph Loake and Bastian Buus in the No. 80 Lionspeed GP Porsche, who were both forced to stop at the side of the road in opening practice with loose wheels.

The grid for the 3 Hours of Monza will be set in qualifying on Sunday, which is due to get under way at 9:35 a.m. local time (3:35 a.m. EST).

RESULTS: Free Practice 1/Free Practice 2