Connect with us

GT World Challenge Europe

Pier Guidi Puts AF Corse Ferrari on Pole at Monza

Pier Guidi grabs Blancpain GT pole at Monza…

Photo: Georges De Coster

Photo: Georges De Coster

Alessandro Pier Guidi put the No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 on pole for today’s Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup opener at Monza.

Pier Guidi, who shares the car with Michele Rugolo and Pasin Lathouras, was battling Davide Rigon in the No. 72 SMP Racing Ferrari when he reeled off a 1:47.423 lap time three minutes from the end.

Norbert Siedler, however, prevented a Ferrari 1-2 with a late flying lap, putting the No. 19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 second on the grid (+0.062s).

“We didn’t have a great feeling when we started yesterday, but we managed to find a perfect setup,” said Pier Guidi.

“In the first run we had traffic and I went out again, so we used two set of tires.”

The No. 7 M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 will line up next to the SMP Ferrari on the second row of the grid, with Steven Kane coming up 0.180s short for pole.

Mirko Bortolotti made it two Lamborghinis in the top five in the No. 63 GRT entry, while Matt Parry delivered a strong performance in the No. 22 Motul Team RJN Motorsport Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 in sixth.

Jonny Adam claimed pole in the Pro-Am Cup by going seventh fastest overall in the Oman Racing Team Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.

The factory backed No. 4 Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3 was the first of the AMGs in tenth, while Misano Sprint Cup winner Maxi Buhk had to settle for P16 in the No. 84 HTP entry.

David Fumanelli in the No. 44 Strakka Racing McLaren 650S GT3 and Clemens Schmid in the No. 75 ISR Audi R8 LMS led the way for their respective manufacturers in eleventh and twelfth.

No fewer than 32 cars were within one second of Pier Guidi’s time.

Q1 was interrupted by a big crash between the No. 66 Attempto Racing Lamborghini of Luca Filipi and No. 2 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi of Nathanaël Berthon.

Filipi had a big lock up in the braking zone leading up to the first chicane and smashed his Lamborghini into the back of the WRT Audi.

Both cars suffered considerable damage in the incident and will start from the back of the grid as they were yet to post a lap time (if they are repairable).

The three-hour race gets underway at 2.45 p.m. local time.

RESULTS: Qualifying

Vincent Wouters (@VinceWouters) is a Belgium-based sports car racing reporter, providing coverage primarily of the Blancpain GT Series.

Click to comment
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

More in GT World Challenge Europe