Lionspeed GP’s Pro class debut in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup is off to a dream start, after the German outfit swept this afternoon’s qualifying sessions at Brands Hatch.
Ricardo Feller was fastest in Q1 aboard the #80 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) Evo, before Bastian Buus topped Q2, giving the German squad pole position for both of tomorrow’s races at the season opener.
It is the team’s second and third Sprint Cup pole positions, following on from Zandvoort last year, and the first time since Misano 2022 that an individual car has claimed both outright poles for a Sprint Cup round.
In Q1, Porsche contracted driver Feller set a 1:22.722 on his first flying lap, a time which would go unthreatened for the remaining four minutes of the fast-paced 10-minute session.
“On this track, overtaking is very difficult, and to take the start from P1 is the best,” Feller said. “[I’m] very happy with quali, the car felt really good.”
Arthur Leclerc was the only other driver to dip below the 1:23-mark, setting a 1:22.971 to qualifying second in the #50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, whilst Matisse Lismont claimed Silver Cup pole position in a surprise third overall aboard the #30 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Daniel Juncadella qualified fourth on his Sprint Cup return aboard the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing AMG GT3 EVO, ahead of the #14 Emil Frey Racing Ferrari and #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche.
Gold Cup pole, in seventh overall, went to Dylan Pereira in the #99 Tresor Attempto Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, courtesy of a 1:23.259.
Second in Gold was the #51 AF Corse Ferrari of Tommaso Mosca in 10th overall, with Pereira and the Italian split by the #46 Team WRT BMW and Silver Cup-entered #9 Pure Rxcing Porsche.
Defending champion Charles Weerts qualified 12th in the #32 WRT BMW, whilst other title protagonists with work to do in tomorrow’s opening race include the #48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG and #59 Garage 59 McLaren, which qualified in 15th and 20th respectively.
And then in Q2, Buus matched Feller’s example by setting the pole position lap, a 1:22.676, on his first attempt, establishing a benchmark that the others tried, and ultimately failed, to beat.
“I think we cannot be more satisfied than we are,” Buus commented. “I think we maximised what we could, both of us, and it also proved that both the team and the car is strong.”
Chris Lulham came closest to Buus in the #3 Mercedes-AMG, ending up 0.102 seconds off pole, with Max Hesse third in the #46 BMW.
Fourth went to the #48 Mercedes-AMG of Engel, with Gilles Magnus scoring Gold Cup pole in fifth aboard the #10 Boutsen VDS Porsche.
The #59 McLaren and #2 Porsche came next, ahead of the #555 CSA Racing McLaren, whilst Ignacio Montenegro made it a double Silver Cup pole for the #30 BMW in ninth overall.
The Argentinian set a 1:23.041, 0.176 seconds clear of the #5 Optimum Motorsport Mclaren of Guilherme Oliveira, with the #71 AF Corse Ferrari third in class.
Further back, Patric Niederhauser placed the #96 Rutronik Racing Lamborghini Temerario GT3 in 19th overall, 0.691 seconds off pole, but the best qualifying position for the new Temerario in SRO competition to-date.
Q2 was interrupted by a red flag in the final minute, after an incident for the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo of Mateo Villagomez. The Silver Cup driver spun on the exit of Stirling’s, and then beached the car as he attempted to recover.
The opening races of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup will be held tomorrow. The first 60-minute encounter will take place at 11:15 BST, with Race 2 following suit at 15:45 BST.
Images courtesy of SRO/JEP
