The GT4 International Cup teams headed out to the Bahrain Interantional Circuit shortly after the FIA GT Nations Cup cars to qualifying for the two Qualifying Races tomorrow.
In the end, the Audi R8 LMS GT4 proved to be the car to have, with Sainteloc and Phoenix dominating both sessions.
In Qualifying 1, it was an Audi R8 LMS GT4 1-2-3, with the #5 Phoenix Racing example of Milan Dontje finishing top of the times with a 2:11.555.
His time was over half a second clear at the top, the closest driver to him the #42 Sainteloc Audi of Fabien Michal in second with a 2:12.222. The top three was completed by Phoenix’s second Audi, the #3 of Gosia Rdest.
Best of the rest was the #10 Academy Motorsport McLaren 570S GT4 of Finlay Hutchison, with a 2:13.359, a strong run for the team in its one-off weekend racing with McLaren. The #222 TFT Racing Porsche completed the top five.
Qualifying 2 saw more of the same up the front, the top three all Audi R8 LMS GT4s again.
This time though it was Sainteloc which locked out the front row, Steven Palette reeling off a 2:11.191 with under 10 minutes to go in the session to put the #41 on Pole ahead of the sister #42 which was half a second off.
“I’m really happy for the team,” said Palette, “Greg (Guilvert in the #42) had a good lap, it’s the first meeting for Michael (Blanchemain) and me, so to be at the top is really cool. We will work overnight to find the best set up for tomorrow’s race.
“It’s my first time here in Bahrain, the light is amazing, it’s better than in sunny weather.”
In Q1 Academy Motorsport’s McLaren came closest to breaking the Audi deadlock, this time it was the #39 3Y Technology BMW M4 GT4, with a 2:12.242 by Enzo Guibbert, who came just a fraction over a second off the pole time. That put him two tenths up on the #26 CMR Alpine which took fifth.
Only one of the 21 cars didn’t make it out, the Ekris M4 GT4 which is undergoing an engine change ahead of tomorrow’s races.
The first Qualifying Race for the GT4 cars at the Bahrain GT Festival starts tomorrow morning at 10am local time.
