Stolz, Schiller Take Poles in Incident-Filled Qualifying

Luca Stolz and Fabien Schiller will each start one of Sunday’s Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe races at Brands Hatch from pole after going quickest in their respective incident-filled qualifying sessions.

Both of Saturday afternoon’s 20-minute sessions were red-flagged for major incidents and affected by constantly changing weather conditions that included heavy rain showers.

Black Falcon’s Stolz posted a best time of 1:23.261 in his No. 4 Mercedes-AMG GT3 which he shares with Maro Engel to take the top spot for Race 1.

Mirko Bortolotti qualified second after consistently posting quick times throughout Qualifying 1 but the Grasser Racing Team driver crashed after spinning on the exit of Stirlings late in the session.

This took the No. 63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 out of action for the rest of the day, meaning Christian Engelhart was unable to qualify in his session.

Nico Bastian will start from third for AKKA ASP, also claiming the Silver Cup pole, while Andrea Caldarelli will line up fourth. Louis Machiels is on Pro-Am pole for AF Corse in 20th overall.

Rain arrived just as Q1 got underway and times improved as the track dried throughout, continuing for the first few minutes of Q2.

Fabien Schiller was the early pace-setter in his Silver Cup-entered AKKA ASP Mercedes with a time of 1:23.604, which unexpectedly remained unbeaten throughout the session.

Rain arrived a few minutes in and then the session was red-flagged for over ten minutes to collect the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evos of Christopher Mies and Stephane Ortelli who went off track separately at the final corner but collected each other.

By the time the session was restarted, the track was wet and no improvements were made at the top of the field.

It has resulted in a mixed-up grid for Race 2, with Nick Foster started second for Attempto Racing.

Maro Engel, driving the same car as Race 1 polesitter Stolz, will start third, while Marvin Kirchhoefer is fourth. Jim Pla took the Pro-Am pole from 13th overall, meanwhile.

The other major incident of the session came midway through Q1 when Diego Menchaca spun off at Paddock Hill Bend.

His Orange 1 FFF Racing Team Lamborghini hit the tire barriers backwards and lifted up into the air, landing upside down.

Menchaca, along with all other drivers involved in qualifying incidents, escaped without serious injuries.

Race 1 will get underway at 12:10 p.m. local time on Sunday.

RESULTS: Qualifying 1
RESULTS: Qualifying 2