Feller Takes Barcelona Race 1 Pole in Rain-Affected Session

Ricardo Feller put Emil Frey Racing’s No. 14 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo on pole for today’s GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup race at Barcelona.

The Swiss driver, who is standing in for Norbert Siedler this weekend alongside Mikael Grenier, posted a time of 1:45.572 which put him 0.367 seconds ahead of second-placed Luca Stolz in the No. 4 Haupt Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

Saturday’s qualifying session was impacted by adverse weather that arrived shortly after proceedings got underway at 12:50 p.m. local time.

A heavy shower meant that all 21 qualifying drivers were essentially limited to having two flying lap opportunities before track conditions declined.

While several drivers returned to the track later on with tires suited to the wet conditions, no improvements were made on the times set during the opening six minutes.

Feller made the most of the short slick tire window, setting the fastest lap to put Emil Frey’s No. 14 car, which is racing in Silver Cup this weekend, on the overall pole for the third consecutive race.

Giacomo Altoe qualified the Pro Emil Frey Lamborghini third on the grid with a time of 1:45.975, while Jim Pla was fourth in the Silver-class No. 89 AKKA-ASP Mercedes-AMG.

Pla’s teammate in the Pro class, Timur Boguslavskiy, put AKKA-ASP’s other vehicle fifth ahead of the Toksport WRT Mercedes qualified by Finland’s Juuso Puhakka.

Nelson Panciatici came through in seventh for the CMR Bentley squad, while Team WRT’s championship-contending Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos ran eighth and ninth overall.

Charles Weerts qualified just ahead of Ryuichiro Tomita, although the two WRT drivers are set to start behind two of their main title rivals in Stolz and Boguslavskiy.

In a block of Audis from eighth through to 13th, Tommaso Mosca rounded out the top ten for Attempto Racing, in front of Nicolas Schoell, Arthur Rougier and Steven Palette.

Pro-Am pole honors went to Chris Froggatt, who qualified his Sky-Tempesta Racing Ferrari 488 GTT3 Evo 2020 three cars ahead of his nearest class rival Louis Machiels.

The first race of the triple-header Barcelona season finale is due to get underway at 5:15 p.m. CEST (11:15 a.m. EST).

RESULTS: Qualifying 1