Three quick-fire qualifying sessions, each with a different driver per car and with an average lap across the three to set the grid meant that it was all fingers and toes in use at the end of the sessions – though an appeal against exclusion from the session from Graff Racing and their initial polesetting car would mean that qualifying results were not finalised for hours after the session.
Ben Barnicoat topped the first session in the #5 McLaren 720S GT3, both Graff Normas in the hands of their gentleman drivers, but the #39 finishing the session ahead of the #4 Ahmed Al Harthy (#97 Oman Racing by TF Sport) and Jake Dennis (#96 R-Motorsport) duked it out for the next slot, the Omani taking it from the young gun.
In GT4 it was the #3 Bullitt AMG of Oliver Caldwell pipping 16 year old Tom Canning’s best effort in the new #95 Aston Martin Vantage GT4
Q2 saw Alvaro Parente aboard the McLaren with no answer this time to the pace of the Normas, James Winslow (returning after a terrifying shunt here last year) and Norma Sales Engineer Thibault Mourgues (showing hugely impressive pace) topping the times, both in the 2:06s.
Alessandro Pier Guidi brought the #11 Kessel Ferrari into top spot for the GTs, Darren Turner next up to keep the #97 Aston in the fight. Parente was a little way down the order but the average after the two sessions still saw the McLaren ahead in the GT stakes, though provisional pole was now in the hands of the #39 Norma with the sister #4 car in close contention.
In GT4 the #25 Cicely Motorsport AMG went top in the session, bringing the British-based car into contention for class pole, the #95 Aston Martin though was second fastest, another close call on the cards.
Into Q3 and the Normas were untouchable, the pole battle between the pair, Ling Kang and Jake Parsons had to head to decide who would hold the first pole position at this race for an LMP3 and the first for a prototype car since the first running when Avelon Formula topped the times with their fast but fragile Wolf.
The Chinese driver would initially prevail in a session that was red flagged in the final seconds after a shunt for the #69 Stilo F Squadra Corse Ferrari 458 at the Yas Hotel, the subsequent flags, and an improvement under the Red Flag, would see the #39 relieved of its fastest time and penalised three positions on the grid. The sister #4 car would seal Pole.
The bragging rights in GT went to Kessel Racing, Davide Rigon in the #11 doing enough to fend off a last gasp effort from Shane van Gisbergen in the #5 McLaren, the aggregate gap just half a tenth between the two with the penalised #39 Norma and the #97 Oman Racing Aston Martin next up.
Consistency would pay off for the #95 Aston Martin racing crew, they would put the new GT4 version of the Aston Martin Vantage on a racing debut pole ahead of the #25 Cicely Motorsport AMG.
Final Qualifying times and grid positions to follow.
