+ Result: Qualifying 1, Spa
+ Result: Qualifying 2, Spa
Elite Motorsport drivers Charlie Hart and McKenzy Cresswell proved the stars of Qualifying at Spa, backing up their table-topping practice pace with a double pole on Friday morning.
The #78 Artura set the pace across both halves of Qualifying, with Hart leading an Elite one-two-three in the first session. The second half proved a slower session with the heat rising, but Cresswell again brought the car to the front, once again just beating the sister #77 car.
Charlie Robertson and Ravi Ramyead took Pro-Am top spot for Race 1, before Yagiz Gedik and Bati Ege Yildirim grabbed pole for Race 2. Christoffer Brunnhagen scored the opening Am class pole for Gazoo Racing Sweden with Max Kronberg fastest in Q2 for W&S Motorsport.
Q1: Hart makes his mark
Qualifying began under scorching-hot temperatures, meaning making the most of the peak of the Pirelli tyre early would be key to success, with all of the best times being set on either the third or fourth lap.
Nicco Ferrarin’s JSB Porsche set the first benchmark before Hendrik Still (#32 W&S Porsche) and Victor Bouveng (#98 Schubert BMW) took a turn. Yani Stevenheydens was the first of the McLarens to show his hand, flying to the top of the times on his third tour. Hart’s first effort was good enough for second, but he saved a bit more tyre life and pumped in what he claimed to be “one of my best laps ever” to put the #78 on top by 0.3s.
That was the contest for top spot done with the drivers, cars and tyres feeling the heat. A fine lap by Charlie Robertson made it an Elite trio up top, securing Pro-Am pole in the #71 he shares with Ravi Ramyead. Grégory Guilvert was the best of the non-McLarens in third aboard the #8 Team Speedcar Audi while Stefano D’Aste caught the eye in the #26 PB Racing Lotus, going fifth-fastest and second in Pro-Am with strong first and final sectors. Benjamin Lariche rounded out the top six to grab a solid starting point for the defending #1 Audi.
A notable struggler was Silver points-leader Enrico Förderer, who could only set the 18th fastest time aboard the #111 SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG.
With Julien Ripert’s car not taking part in Qualifying after troubles yesterday, the Am shootout was between the #55 GR Sweden Supra and #30 W&S Porsche, with Christoffer Brunnhagen just getting the better of Daniel Blickle by 0.2s.
.jpg)
Q2: Heat rises for Cresswell
Just between the start of Q1 and Q2, track temperatures had risen another few degrees, which led to a sizable drop-off in pace. Although Cresswell made it count with a second pole for the #78, his pole time was a huge 0.7s down on Hart’s from Q1.
Cedric Fuchs looked to right the #111’s struggles from Q1 by going fastest early on but it wouldn’t last, as Julien Briché (JSB Porsche) and Robert Consani in the #1 Audi both beat him. Then came the twin Silver Elite McLarens, with Cresswell leading Harri Reynolds across the line as the two cars immediately locked out the top two places yet again.
With no further improvements beyond lap three, Cresswell sealed the deal by 0.5s from Reynolds, and in doing so secured his fourth-straight pole position at Spa following the double he achieved alongside Josh Rattican here in 2025. It also made it an incredible six in a row for the Elite team at Spa, meaning the British squad has taken every pole position here since 2024.
Gabriele Piana was best of the rest in the #11 Borusan Otomotiv BMW, despite dipping a wheel into the gravel as he charged to third. Michiel Haverans put the Team Floral Ford Mustang fourth with a strong lap ahead of Joel Mesch in the #110 SR Motorsport Mercedes-AMG. Erik Evans made it two Mustangs in the top six in the Academy Motorsport Ford.
Fuchs fared slightly better than Förderer in the end, putting the #111 11th overall for Saturday morning’s race.
After being reclassified into Pro-Am, Yagiz Gedik made the most of a strong run to qualify the #11 Borusan Otomotiv BMW inside the top 10 and snatch a class pole ahead of the Razoon – more than racing M4 of Chris Salkeld.
In the straight fight between GR Sweden and W&S for Am spoils, Max Kronberg dominated this time, putting the #30 Porsche well clear of the #55 Supra.
