Vanthoor Leads Audi 1-2-3 in Second Practice

Photo: Patrick Hecq/SRO

Dries Vanthoor set the pace in Friday afternoon’s Free Practice 2 for the Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe round at the Nürburgring, leading a sweep of the top three positions for Audi.

The young Belgian’s 1:54.938 put him almost half a second clear of second position, which was occupied by Sainteloc Racing’s Christopher Haase and Simon Gachet.

Vanthoor shares the No. 1 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT car with Ezequiel Perez Companc. 

Third place went to another of WRT’s four cars, the No. 2 car driven by Christopher Mies and Charles Weerts.

Black Falcon’s Maro Engel and Luca Stolz placed fourth, ahead of two more Audis from Attempto Racing and Sainteloc. 

Attempto’s other Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo, driven by Mattia Drudi and Milan Dontje, led the Silver Cup category, while AKKA ASP’s Mauro Ricci and Jim Pla went to the top of Pro-Am. 

Kessel Racing’s one-off entry for Rory Penttinen and Stephen Earle went quickest in Am Cup, meanwhile.

Qualifying will take place at 9:15 a.m. local time (3:15 a.m. EDT) on Saturday ahead of Race 1 at 2:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m.).

RESULTS: Free Practice 2

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.