Greystone GT’s Dean Macdonald triumphed to pole position for Race 2 during the opening International GT Open race meeting in Portimão.
The McLaren factory driver jumped to the top of the timing screen over halfway through the 25-minute session, gaining time during his final few laps as the chequered flag loomed.
His fastest lap time of 1:40.469 put his #33 McLaren GT3 Evo just 0.267 seconds ahead of Yannick Mettler’s #54 CBRX by SPS Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
The Pro-Am class pole-sitter held provisional outright pole before Macdonald turned up the pace, with Mettler’s best lap time at 1:40.736.
“Of course, we’re happy with that,” said Macdonald after taking pole at a bright and sunny Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. “We had a strong race yesterday. We knew we had a good car, so the team did a great job.
“Just got to go again today and hopefully get that top step. Everyone else is super strong as well, so we just gotta have a clean race as a team, and then I’m sure Zac [Meakin] will do a great job in the second stint.
“It’s always good fun driving here. You have a bit of everything. It’s super tricky to drive and put a clean lap together, but it’s very enjoyable when you do so.”
After securing third yesterday, Macdonald and McLaren GT3 junior driver Zac Meakin have their sights set on Race 2 victory this afternoon without any pit stop handicap, which would be a back-to-back for Macdonald after winning the second race last year.
Dominik Baumann claimed third overall and second in the Pro category for the #28 Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG with a 1:40.800.
Yesterday’s race winner, Pietro Armanni, took fourth overall and third in Pro during his first qualifying laps in GT Open, setting a quickest time of 1:40.910.
James Kell put an impressive 1:41.045 lap time to position his #88 Track Focused McLaren fifth overall, second in Pro-Am.
Christian Mansell qualified sixth in the #71 Motopark Mercedes-AMG with a 1:41.062, followed by #25 Into Africa Racing by Dragon’s Ferrari 296 GT3 of Axel Jefferies in seventh overall, third in Pro-Am (1:41.070).
His session was not without action when Jefferies and #917 AF Motorport Porsche 991 GT3.R driver Angelo Fontana made minor contact at Turn 13, causing them both to spin.
Six-time GT Open race winner Vincent Abril put his #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo in eighth overall, fourth in Pro-Am, after his 1:41.109 lap time.
Yesterday’s Pro-Am winner Alexander Fach put his #11 Fach Auto Porsche in ninth from his 1:41.111 time, taking fifth in the Pro-Am classification.
Elite Motorsport’s Tom Emson rounded out the top-10 order in the #17 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo after a 1:41.248 lap time, taking fifth in the Pro category.
Fellow Pro-class rival Thomas Neubauer will start behind Emson in 11th for Race 2, with his 1:41.267 lap time in the #96 AF Corse Ferrari.
In the Am category, Olimp Racing’s #5 Ferrari 296 GT3 driver Krystian Korzeniowski took the class pole and starts 12th overall (1:41.315).
Baron Motorsport’s #6 Ferrari driver, Adrian Lewandowski, took second in Am, and starts further behind the #5 in 17th position overall (1:42.173).
Galid Osman rounded out the top three in the Am category for the blue #16 AF Corse Ferrari with his 1:42.223 lap time, starting just behind the #6.
The 60-minute-long Race 2 commences this afternoon at 14:30 local time, where yesterday’s top-two finishers, the #911 ZRS Porsche and runner-up #71 Motopark Mercedes crew, will each serve additional 10 and 5-second pit stop handicaps.
Image courtesy of GT Sport
