+ Result: Qualifying 1, Portimão
+ Result: Qualifying 2, Portimão
McKenzy Cesswell and Charlie Hart moved a step closer to this year’s GT4 European Series Silver title by bagging a bonus point for pole at Portimão, as a star performance from Alon Gabbay scored a first top spot of the season for W&S Motorsport in Q1.
A mid-session red flag in Q1 hurt the Silver hopes for outright pole, with track temperatures rising and the track rubbering in the Pro-Am runners across the second half enjoyed the better conditions, and Gabbay took full advantage to snatch Race 1 pole in the #31 Porsche.
Q2 proved a more predictable affair, with a superb lap from Cresswell helping the championship-leading #78 McLaren to a fourth pole of the season, crucially giving the car some breathing space ahead of the rival twin SR Motorsport by Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMGs.
Two difficult sessions have put Schubert Motorsport on the back foot in Pro-Am, opening the door for Sacha Bottemanne and Viny Beltramelli to take advantage with a pole in Race 2.
Q1: Gabbay scorches to pole
A mid-session red flag dramatically mixed up the order of the opening session, handing the momentum to the Pro-Am crews across the second half.
Enrico Förderer set the opening pace in the #111 Schnitzelalm Mercedes-AMG and looked good for an important bonus point before Yani Stevenheydens denied him in the #77 Elite McLaren. Just as the field was warming up for the ultimate push laps, Benjamin Lariche ground to a halt on track in the #1 Team Speedcar Audi, bringing out the red flags and heartbreakingly dumping the reigning champion down the order.
The stoppage allowed the track temperatures to rise further, so the Pro-Am runners enjoyed greater grip and Gabbay produced a superb lap fly to the top of the times. The contest was far from over though, as Charlie Robertson put his Elite McLaren second, just 0.022s down on the Porsche. Edvin Hellsten then grabbed third, 0.001s further back. The pace was such that 0.031s split the top four, with Stevenheydens holding Silver class pole and a spot on the second row.
Beltramelli put the #3 Team Speedcar Audi fifth ahead of Francisco Mora’s GR Racing Portugal Supra. Förderer was shuffled back to seventh, and has his main title rival alongside as Charlie Hart had his best lap spoiled by the red and will start the #78 Elite McLaren eighth.
Victor Bouveng’s Schubert Motorsport BMW never looked settled and could only manage 11th, meaning the team has work to do to keep hold of its championship lead. Max Kronberg scored Am class pole, putting team-mate Daniel Blickle a step closer to the title.
Q2: Cresswell times it right
At the start of Q2 Schnitzelalm sent both of its cars out together, looking to maximise the aerodynamic tow, so Elite did likewise, waiting until later in the session to secure clean air for both its cars. That meant everybody had to wait to see Cresswell’s pace.
Fuchs was fastest initially before Jay Mo Härtling beat him in the sister Schnitzelalm car and, despite his best efforts, when the places were switched Fuchs couldn’t drag more performance out of the car, even with the tow.
Cresswell took advantage, producing the fastest ever GT4 lap of Portimão to pull 0.2s on Härtling to grab pole, and with it extend his and Hart’s championship lead to 17pts ahead of the opening race.
Paul Petit was third in the #8 Team Speedcar Audi, with Henry Joslyn fourth in the second Elite Artura. Fuchs was nudged down to fifth, just ahead of Cameron Mcleod’s Team Floral Ford Mustang.
With Walde struggling to 11th, Bottemanne grabbed a big pole for Team Speedcar to keep his and Beltramelli’s title challenge alive. The GR Portugal Supra will start second in class with Jose Carlos Pires while Ravi Ramyead was third for Elite.
Blickle doubled up in Am, with the bonus two points meaning he only needs a handful extra to be crowned champion later today.