Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER has claimed pole position for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup opener at Circuit Paul Ricard for the second consecutive season.
The Winward Racing-run #48 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO led on aggregate heading into the final session, following a 1:53.770 from Lucas Auer, and a Q2-topping 1:53.402 from new signing Luca Stolz. Maro Engel was only 11th in Q3, but a 1:53.694 on his final flying lap was enough to hold on for overall pole.
“I don’t really know where it came from, because for the last two days we’ve had quite some struggle,” Stolz said. “The boys and girls at Winward did an amazing job overnight, and they gave us an amazing car.
“Usually, the hotter temperatures suit the AMG quite well, and last year we struggled in the race, but let’s see.”
The #48 Mercedes-AMG will be joined on the front row by the #58 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo, with Tom Fleming, Louis Prette and Benjamin Goethe averaging a 1:53.676 to secure Gold Cup pole.
The #7 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, which looked on course for pole until late improvements from Engel and Goethe, had to settle for third overall, with the #59 Garage 59 McLaren, in which Joseph Loake topped Q1, fourth.
The best of the new-for-2026 cars was the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2), which qualified fifth, ahead of the #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed entry in which Fabian Schiller set the fastest individual lap of qualifying, a 1:53.049 in Q2.
The #111 CSA Racing McLaren, #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing AMG, #51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and the defending race winner, the #32 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3, completed the top 10.
Lance Stroll will start his maiden GT3 race from 15th on the grid, after the Canadian, Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya averaged a 1:54.205.
The Lamborghini Temerario GT3’s difficult European debut continued, with the #96 Rutronik Racing entry qualifying 41st overall, 1.491 seconds off pole. The #63 TGI Team by GRT Temerario was four places further behind, in 45th.
The Lamborghinis aren’t at the back of the Pro field, however, with the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche down in 53rd overall after Morris Schuring was 57th in Q1.
In the Silver Cup, Comtoyou Racing claimed pole with its #21 Aston Martin, after Kobe Pauwels set the fastest time in Q3 to overhaul the #555 CSA Racing McLaren, in the Vantage he shares with Sébastien Baud and Oliver Söderström, by 0.047 seconds.
The #21 Aston Martin will start from 13th on the grid, with the #555 McLaren 16th, whilst the #65 HRT Ford Racing Mustang GT3 Evo qualified third in Silver and 20th overall.
And in Bronze, Herberth Motorsport’s #91 Porsche claimed pole in 34th overall, after Ralf Bohn, Huub van Eijndhoven and Robert Renauer averaged a 1:54.693.
The #56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn Aston Martin was second, ahead of the #97 Rutronik Racing Porsche, with the defending champion and Paul Ricard race winner, the #74 Kessel Racing Ferrari, fourth.
57 cars managed to set a time in all three sessions, with the exception being the #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG. Gabriele Piana stopped on the run to Turn 3 in Q2 with a loose wheel aboard the Bronze cup entry, causing the only red flag, with the AMG GT3 EVO unable to continue.
The opening race of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup will commence later today at 18:00 CEST, with the six-hour event racing into the night towards a midnight finish.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP
