Mercedes-AMG machinery continued to top the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup timesheets at Brands Hatch this afternoon (Saturday) with Maro Engel and Lucas Auer’s Winward Racing Team MANN FILTER machine going quickest in Pre-Qualifying.
Engel’s effort of 1m23.357s was enough to put the Mercedes-AMG just 0.151s clear of the opposition on the full Grand Prix circuit with times closely matched throughout the field. It was the McLaren of Tom Gamble and Benjamin Goethe which was best of the rest following the one-hour session at the Kent venue.
Behind that, Thomas Fleming and Eliseo Donno rounded out the top-three in their AF Corse Ferrari. That represented a promising step following Fleming’s off-track moment in Free Practice.
Maxi Götz and Jules Gounon’s Mercedes-AMG was fourth fastest after topping the times earlier one, one place ahead of the Aston Martin of reigning champion Mattia Drudi and Nicolas Baert which completed the top-five.
Behind that, Ben Green and Konsta Lappalainen’s Ferrari was sixth, completing a strong start to the weekend for many of the cars featuring a British driver in the line-up. Gamble, Fleming and Green’s entries all finished in the top-ten in both Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying.
Fans of Valentino Rossi will be pleased to note that the BMW he shares with Maxime Martin was ninth at the end of the last session before this afternoon’s Qualifying sessions.
Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Sprint Cup, Pre-Qualifying, Brands Hatch
- Engel/Auer, Winward Racing Team MANN FILTER, Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, 1m23.357s
- Gamble/Goethe, Garage 59, McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, +0.161s
- Fleming/Donno, AF Corse, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.176s
- Götz/Gounon, Boutsen VDS, Merdedes-AMG GT3 EVO, +0.246s
- Drudi/Baert, Comtoyou Racing, Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO, +0.362s
- Green/Lappalainen, Emil Frey Racing, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.378s
- Vanthoor/Weerts, Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3, +0.478s
- Altoe/Vermeulen, Emil Frey Racing, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.553s
- Rossi/Martin, Team WRT, BMW M4 GT3, +0.565s
- Yoluc/Eastwood, Racing Team Turkey, Ferrari 296 GT3, +0.619s
Click here for full results from this race event.