Christopher Mies scored pole position for the #2 WRT Audi after a time of 1:43.458, edging out the #84 HTP Bentley of Max Buhk and Vincent Abril by three tenths in the Portuguese sun.
Abril will start Race 1 from second place on the grid, the young Frenchman managed a lap just three tenths off Mies during the final session. Third spot was filled by Laurens Vanthoor’s #1 WRT Audi who held provisional pole for a significant portion of the shootout.
Lots of drivers had their laps cancelled during the three sessions for abusing track limits, Nick Catsburg was caught out on multiple occasions, and in the end it cost the Reiter Engineering team a spot in the top five. The best lap he could manage was a 1:44.869 in Q3 – which was limited to eight cars due to the low entry count, to put the Gallardo eighth. Himself and Albert von turn und Taxis will have a lot of work to do later today and tomorrow if they are to snatch a podium.
Audis made up the fourth and fifth spots on the grid, the R8 proving to be the car-of choice for the Algarve circuit. Marcus Winkelhock put the #6 Phoenix Audi fourth after going second-quickest in Q2, and Stephané Ortelli rounded out the top five in the #3 WRT R8.The pair were just six and eight tenths off the pace respectively.
Always Evolving Motorsport, who are running the JRM-backed Nissan GT-R for the remainder of the season, will start sixth. It was a promising performance from both Sean Walkinshaw and eventually Craig Dolby in Q2 and 3 to ensure the new crew will have a good starting position for the first race. Dolby’s best was a 1:44.613.
Max Buhk set the benchmark early in the first qualifying session, putting the #84 HTP Bentley at the top of the timing screens after his first flyer, before improving to a 1:43.902 a couple of laps later.
The only drama came courtesy of the Rinaldi Racing Ferrari, Marco Seefried struggled to find grip and spun the 458 at the final turn halfway through the session. His mistake was costly, as he was unable to set a true flying lap after that and only managed to set a time good enough for 14th.
The second of the three sessions were totally clean, and proved to be a preview of the shoot-out, as it was almost all Audi. WRT sat pretty at the top of the times after eventual pole-sitter Christopher Mies set a 1:43.772 aboard the #2 R8. Marcus Winkelhock put the Phoenix Racing Audi second after a 1:43.798.
Behind, the other two WRT Audis managed to go third and fifth. The highest non-R8 ended up being the #84 Bentley of Vincent Abril which sat fourth in the session.
Race 1 starts at 2:00pm local time.
Stephen Kilbey
