Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing’s Jules Gounon has scored back-to-back GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup pole positions, ahead of Race 1 at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France.
After earning pole on his Sprint Cup return last month at Misano, Gounon set a 1:36.023 to dominate Group A in the 2 Seas Motorsport-run #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO this afternoon.
This put him 0.388 seconds ahead of the #46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo of Max Hesse, before being forced to endure an agonisingly 10-minute wait as the pro drivers in the Bronze Cup entries made their bid for pole position in Group B.
In the end, however, Gounon’s time proved more than enough to secure pole, with the fastest lap in the second group coming from his 2 Seas Motorsport teammate Kiern Jewiss, who set a 1:36.189 to place the #222 Mercedes-AMG on the front row of the grid.
“I’m super happy to be here again,” Gounon said. “It’s great for me. I’ve been struggling a lot in another championship where some people can doubt me and tell me if I’ve still got it. I come here two times, and two times pole, so it feels really great for me to show I never left.”
Jewiss commented: “We’re finally over our little lull period. We’re in a good place now, and we just missed the last little bit to try and maybe get Jules, but to be 1-2 as a team is really good, and pole in Bronze is really good, so now we’ve got to get our head down for the race.”
Hesse held on to third, ahead of the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG of Lucas Auer, and #12 GetSpeed Team Dubai Mercedes-AMG of Fabian Schiller.
A pair of Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evos came next, with the #7 of Kobe Pauwels ahead of the Silver Cup-topping #21 entry of Oliver Söderström.
The #87 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, #50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo and #30 Team WRT BMW completed the top 10.
Gold Cup pole, in 12th overall, went to the #10 Boutsen VDS Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) of Gilles Magnus, thanks to a 1:36.772. The #51 AF Corse Ferrari was second in Gold, ahead of the #58 Garage 59 McLaren GT3 Evo.
Track limits proved to be an issue for several drivers, none more so than Amaury Cordeel, who failed to set a valid lap time aboard the #31 Team WRT BMW, and as such will start tonight’s race from the rear of the 44-car field.
Both Pro Porsches also lost laps, limiting the #80 Lionspeed GP and #2 Boutsen VDS entries to 21st and 22nd respectively.
It was also a difficult session for the championship-leading #32 Team WRT BMW, which Charles Weerts qualified in 17th. With the #48 Mercedes-AMG, its closest challenger after the opening two events, lining up on the second row, Weerts and Kelvin van der Linde’s 14-point advantage could be under threat this evening.
Race 1 at Magny-Cours will start at 21:05 CEST.
Image courtesy of SRO/JEP
