GetSpeed Fronts Mercedes-AMG 1-2 in Monza Qualifying

Luca Stolz, Jules Gounon and Fabian Schiller led a second consecutive Mercedes-AMG 1-2 in GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup qualifying, beating Winward Racing to capture pole position for Sunday’s three-hour race at Monza.

The No. 17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo put in a combined time of 1:45.235, which was 0.096 seconds faster than the best effort from the No. 48 Winward Racing machine shared by Lucas Auer, Matteo Cairoli and Maro Engel.

Notably, the result from Sunday morning’s qualifying session both matches and mirrors the outcome from qualifying for the Paul Ricard season opener in April, where Winward led a 1-2 for Mercedes-AMG with GetSpeed second.

This time, GetSpeed led two out of three sessions and carried over the strong Saturday form that saw it top both Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying, while Gounon set the fastest outright time of any driver with a 1:45.000 in session two.

Lamborghini runners occupied the second row, with Jordan Pepper’s late flyer aboard the No. 63 GRT Grasser Racing Huracan GT3 EVO2 helping secure third overall for the car he shares with Mirko Bortolotti and Luca Engstler.

The No. 163 Vincenzo Sospiri Racing machine, driven by Mattia Michelotto, Sandy Mitchell and Franck Perera, took fourth.

Garage 59 captured fifth and sixth with its pair of McLaren 720S GT3 Evos, as the No. 59 machine of Marvin Kirchhoefer, Joseph Loake and Benjamin Goethe outpaced the sister No. 58 car by just 0.013 seconds.

The second McLaren, driven by Adam Smalley, Dean MacDonald and Louis Prette, also captured Gold Cup pole position.

Boutsen VDS’ No. 9 Mercedes-AMG qualified seventh while the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of Alessio Rovera, Vincent Abril and Alessandro Pier Guidi captured eighth on average despite Rovera setting the fastest lap during the opening segment.

The overall top ten was completed by the No. 111 CSA Racing McLaren and the No. 007 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of reigning CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winners Nicki Thiim, Mattia Drudi and Marco Sorensen.

Comtoyou’s No. 21 car, meanwhile, secured Silver Cup pole position in the hands of Kobe Pauwels, Jamie Day and Nicolas Baert while the No. 188 Garage 59 McLaren took pole in Bronze Cup.

Sunday’s three-hour race is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. CEST (9 a.m. EST).

RESULTS: Qualifying (combined)