Q1
The first ever Qualifying of the Blancpain GT Series Asia in Sepang saw two red flags and an immense battle which saw Mitch Gilbert take pole in the OD Racing Team’s #86 Audi R8 with a 2:84.180 lap.
Before the cars even left the pit lane, the KCMG #18 stayed in the pits and would not see any action in the first qualifying session, the only casualty.
Anthony Liu had set the initial fastest time putting his Ferrari six tenths ahead of Hunter Abbott and was setting fastest sectors when the session was red flagged after two cars span off circuit.
Terrence Tse lost control at turn nine and his Porsche Cayman stopped on track and in a separate incident Jiang Xin saw his Ferrari, which was sitting 5th in the timings, have a spin off circuit. The cars came back to the pits and with Liu top of the timings ahead of Jules Gounon.
It was after the restart when Mitch Gilbert continued to set purple sectors to put himself on pole ahead of Liu and Darryl O’Young making it three different cars in the top three.
The session was stopped with two and half minutes remaining after a second red flag.
“It was a good lap.” Gilbert commented afterwards. “I’m surprised I am first, we have a few problems with the car.”
Gilbert gave further details to reporters by stating there was a problem with the power steering which meant when he turned into the corner the car wanted to move away.
Q2
After setting the fastest time of the weekend so far during practice, Raffaele Marciello came into the second Qualifying session full of confidence, but it was the Audi R8 of Alex Yoong which would top the timing screens with a 2:03.248.
Marciello started quick and posted a time of 2:03.416 over six tenths quicker than the Milestone Racing Audi of Franky Cheng. Yoong would cross the line soon after and post a time just seven thousandths quicker.
Yellow flags came out in the fourth sector which hurt a few drivers setting purple sectors, Massimiliano Wiser in the #37 Spirit of Race Ferrari span off the circuit.
Davide Rizzo had been gradually getting quicker and quicker until his BBT Ferrari came to a grinding halt on the straight leading to turn fourteen. This meant a red flag, as the marshals quickly put the car behind the wall.
Swen Herberger was the quickest in the GT4 class but Frank Yu was quickly closing and although there were no major improvements after the restart in the top order, Yu would leapfrog Herberger to be the quickest GT4 car on the track.
Yoong, late out of the pits, remained on pole with Marciello second and the Audi of Will Stevens third.
