Optimum Motorsport Grabs Pole Position for 12H Spa

Photo: Racingpixels/Creventic

Optimum Motorsport took pole position in its No. 77 Mclaren 720S GT3 Evo ahead of the Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps.

The Optimum driver lineup of Salman Owega, Harry George and Freddie Tomlinson set a fastest combined qualifying time of 2:15.534, just 0.259 seconds ahead of the No. 286 GetSpeed Team JR286 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

The GetSpeed entry would also take the GT3-Am class pole.

Optimum’s entry is the only McLaren on the grid in this weekend’s race.

The team were at the head of the field from early on in the session with a strong time from George in Qualifying 1.

Spanish team E2P Racing jostled with Optimum for the top of the timesheets in the opening two qualifying sessions, but its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo could achieve no better than an eighth place finish at the end of Qualifying 3.

Owega set a fastest overall time of 2:14.593 in Qualifying 3, sealing the pole position for Optimum.

Herberth Motorsport’s No. 269 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo finished third overall in qualifying and first of the Pro-Am runners, with reigning series champion Klaus Bachler propelling the team up the order in the final session.

Last year’s teams’ champions Proton Competition will line up fourth on Saturday’s grid in its No. 73 Porsche, with the No. 93 Mercedes-AMG of Ajith RedAnt Racing in fifth place.

Comtoyou Racing locked out sixth and seventh on the grid with its pair of Aston Martin Vantages, ahead of E2P’s No. 90 Aston Martin.

HAAS RT rounded out the top ten, with its No. 21 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II in ninth ahead of its No. 2 entry.

Championship leaders Mühlner Motorsport took pole in the 992 Class, 0.699 seconds ahead of title rivals Red Camel-Jordans.nl. The 992-Am class pole went to HRT Perfomance, which also took third place overall in the 992 Class.

In the GTX class, NM Racing sailed to pole in its No. 715 Mercedes-AMG GT2 ahead of both Vortex entries.

Not Only Motorsport scored a TCE-TCX class pole with its Ligier JS2 R.

The opening five-and-a-half hours of the Michelin 12H Spa-Francorchamps will commence on Saturday at 11:30 a.m local time (5:30 a.m ET) with live coverage on Creventic Motorsports TV YouTube channel featuring Radio Show Limited commentary.

Results: GT3/992, GTX, TCE-TCX

Finlay Ringer

Finlay Ringer is a freelance motorsport journalist covering the 24H Series for Sportscar365. He is also a journalism student at City St George's, University of London, and has contributed to publications such as The Race and Autocar.