Attempto Audi Quickest in Pre-Qualifying as Rossi Crashes

Tresor Attempto Racing driver Lorenzo Patrese set the overall pace in Pre-Qualifying for the 3 Hours of Monza, as Valentino Rossi crashed to bring out one of two red flags.

Silver Cup competitor Patrese beat the Pro-class runners to the top spot in Saturday afternoon’s 90-minute session with a 1:46.568 lap in the No. 99 Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

The Italian teenager’s nearest challenger was Audi Sport factory driver Simon Gachet, who slotted into second for Sainteloc Junior Team on a 1:46.632 effort.

Former MotoGP star Rossi had his practice time cut short when he spun the No. 46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 into the Tecpro barrier at Parabolica with 53 minutes remaining.

The Italian rotated early into the right-hand corner and his car went backward into the barrier where it had a cushioned impact that appeared to cause minor rear-end damage.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

Pre-Qualifying continued after the red flag until another stoppage occurred when the Team Parker Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Derek Pierce ended up in the Lesmo 1 gravel with just over half an hour to go.

At the sharp end of the timing sheets, Akkodis ASP finished third with its No. 88 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo that led Free Practice in the hands of Jules Gounon.

Raffaele Marciello produced a 1:36.737 to sit just over a tenth behind pacesetter Patrese, while the other Pro Mercedes-AMGs from GetSpeed’s Al Manar Racing program and Akkodis ASP followed close behind.

Philipp Eng put the No. 98 ROWE Racing BMW sixth with a time of 1:47.037, while the best Porsche was the No. 54 Dinamic GT Huber Racing example in ninth.

Gold Cup leader Indy Dontje ranked eighth for Mercedes-AMG outfit Winward Racing.

Andrea Bertolini went quickest in the Bronze Cup class and placed 11th overall aboard the No. 52 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, some eight-tenths faster than the best of the Italian manufacturer’s Pro cars.

RESULTS: Pre-Qualifying