The #888 Triple Eight JMR Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Luca Stolz has won both pole positions for both GT World Challenge Asia races at Fuji Speedway.
Ibrahim, who was the fastest driver in Q1, will start up front in Race 1 which begins later today at 12:35 PM JST (local time).
Halfway into the 15-minute session, the Johor family royal was the first driver to break the one-minute, 40-second barrier with a lap of 1:39.434. He then improved to a 1:39.342, giving the Malaysian his first pole of the season.
Sepang Race 1 polesitter Cheng Congfu came close in his #36 FAW Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, but couldn’t topple Ibrahim – his best lap of 1:39.437 was enough for second on the grid in a fast-paced, frantic time trial.
Championship leader Lu Wei was third-fastest in the #4 Origine Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, sharing the second row with his team-mate Yuan Bo in the #87 Origine Porsche. Bian Hao was fifth in the #6 VSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, followed by Yu Kuai in the #41 Team Absolute Audi.
Best of the local Bronzes was Hiroaki Nagai, the reigning Japan Cup GT3 champion, who was seventh in the #16 Porsche Center Okazaki 911 – followed by Sri Lankan Eshan Pieris in the #911 Absolute Racing Porsche.
There were only minor dramas throughout the day – a spin at Panasonic Corner for Brian Lee in the #14 GTO Racing Porsche, and then at the chequered flag, Hiromasa “Hirobon” Kitano spun his #500 Team 5Zigen Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3.
The professional drivers rolled out for Q2, where Edoardo Liberati took the early advantage – but the top spot on the leaderboard changed hands quickly.
Past halfway, the #13 Phantom Global Porsche of Jaxon Evans, then the #22 Climax Racing Mercedes of Jules Gounon, and the #88 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes of Jayden Ojeda would take their respective turns at the top.
Then, Luca Stolz entered the conversation by taking top spot away from Ojeda, with a 1:38.458. Gounon responded soon after with a 1:38.310. But with about two minutes left, Stolz went even faster, setting a 1:38.147 to take pole position and hold it through to the chequered flag.
Add in Stolz’s pole position from Race 2 at Buriram, and Triple Eight JMR has now won the last three pole positions in GT World Challenge Asia.
It’ll be an all-Mercedes front two rows with Gounon, back in the series after having to fulfill relief driver duties in the WEC with Alpine, starting second tomorrow in the green and black #22 Climax Racing Mercedes – a good bounceback after Gounon crashed in the rain yesterday during Practice 1.
The two Craft-Bamboo Racing cars will occupy the second row, the pink #30 of Maro Engel in third, ahead of Ojeda – the Australian making his first appearance of the season – in fourth aboard the #88 car.
An all-Porsche third row follows with Alessio Picariello qualifying fifth in the #1 Absolute Racing Porsche, ahead of Jaxon Evans in the #13 Phantom Global Porsche.
Then it’s an all-Lamborghini fourth row – led by Marco Mapelli in the #6 VSR Lamborghini, then the best of the local drivers, Yuki Nemoto in the #563 ANR/VSR Lamborghini.
Rounding out the top ten was the #296 Absolute Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of Finn Gerhsitz, and the #4 Origine Porsche of Patrick Pilet, in ninth and tenth.
Images © SRO Motorsports Group Asia
