Silver Cup HRT Mercedes Sets Pre-Qualifying Pace

Fabian Schiller went quickest overall behind the wheel of Al Manar Racing by HRT’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in Pre-Qualifying practice for the 3 Hours of Barcelona.

The Nürburgring 24 runner-up, who co-drives with Axcil Jefferies and Al Faisal Al Zubair, beat the Pro entries to the top spot in Saturday’s second 90-minute session ahead of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup finale.

Schiller led the way in his Haupt Racing Team-prepared car with a time of 1:45.398, beating Akkodis ASP driver Jules Gounon to the top spot by 0.15 seconds.

Gounon and his co-drivers Raffaele Marciello and Daniel Juncadella lead the Endurance Cup overall drivers’ standings by 11 points with only Sunday’s race to go.

Their only challenger Antonio Fuoco set the 12th-best lap time aboard the No. 71 Iron Lynx Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, gaining 10 positions on the car’s Free Practice result.

Three different classes were represented in the Pre-Qualifying top three as Gold Cup leader Frederik Schandorff put Inception Racing’s McLaren 720S GT3 third with a 1:45.566.

The Dane was followed in the times by three Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo IIs run by different teams, with Tresor by Car Collection’s Mattia Drudi taking fourth place above Sainteloc Junior Team’s Patric Niederhauser and Team WRT’s Dries Vanthoor.

Pre-Qualifying ran without any interruptions, unlike Free Practice which saw two red flags after cars went off at the Turn 7-8 sequence.

The No. 33 WRT Audi that struck the barriers after its rotation in the first session was repaired in time to take part in Pre-Qualifying.

The GTWC Europe field returns to the track on Sunday morning for qualifying at 9 a.m. (3 a.m. ET).

RESULTS: Pre-Qualifying