Top 30 qualifying: Farfus takes pole position for the BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS - Four BMW Z4 GT3s in the top 6.
The BMW Sports Trophy Teams Marc VDS and Schubert secured excellent starting positions for the 30-hour race at the Nürburgring (DE) in the top 24 qualifying. Augusto Farfus (BR) took pole position in the number 4 BMW Z3 GT26 for the BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS. The BMW DTM driver achieved a time of 8: 17,394 minutes in the faster of his two qualifying laps on the legendary Nordschleife. It was the first pole position for the BMW Z4 GT3 since 2012 and the first time in qualifying for the BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS in the Eifel.
Jens Klingmann (DE) came third in the number 4 BMW Z3 GT20 for the BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert, followed directly by his team-mate Dirk Müller (DE) in the number 19 vehicle. Maxime Martin (BE) finished in the second BMW Z4 GT3 from BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS took sixth place. The fifth BMW in the top 30 qualifying from Team Walkenhorst Motorsport came in 26th with Felipe Férnandez Laser (DE) behind the wheel.
During the BMW M235i Racing Cup class The pole position went to the “Eifelblitz”: Michael Schrey (DE), Max Partl (DE), Uwe Ebertz (DE) and Jörg Weidinger (DE) start number one in the BMW M235i Racing with the number 303. The 43rd edition of the endurance marathon starts on Saturday at 16.00 p.m.
Reactions to the top 30 qualifying for the 24 hours from the Nürburgring.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“Congratulations to Augusto Farfus and the BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS. Augusto and the Nordschleife is a very special relationship. To add another five tenths of a second in the second round deserves the greatest respect. Our other qualification drivers also did a great job. To be in the first three rows with four cars is a very good starting position for the race. But our competition is extremely strong, as we saw yesterday and today. And even if it is nice to be at the top of the grid - the race is not decided at the start but only after 24 hours. ”
Augustus Farfus (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, start number 26, Place 1):
“It's great to be in pole position and to have completed two free laps on the Nordschleife without traffic. A great experience. However, the starting position in a 24-hour race is not too crucial. We know that we have a strong vehicle and an equally strong team. Hopefully we can do that in the race and be just as successful there as in qualifying. ”
“It's great to be in pole position and to have completed two free laps on the Nordschleife without traffic. A great experience. However, the starting position in a 24-hour race is not too crucial. We know that we have a strong vehicle and an equally strong team. Hopefully we can do that in the race and be just as successful there as in qualifying. ”
Jens Klingmann (BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert, car number 20, 3rd place):
“Augusto has proven today that he is one of the fastest drivers on the Nordschleife. Congratulations on pole position. I am also very happy that I converted the speed of the car into a very good starting position in the top 30 qualifying. This is a very good starting point for the race because you can keep out of tight duels in the middle in the first corners. Nevertheless, a 24-hour race is of course very long - and we haven't won anything yet. ”
“Augusto has proven today that he is one of the fastest drivers on the Nordschleife. Congratulations on pole position. I am also very happy that I converted the speed of the car into a very good starting position in the top 30 qualifying. This is a very good starting point for the race because you can keep out of tight duels in the middle in the first corners. Nevertheless, a 24-hour race is of course very long - and we haven't won anything yet. ”
Dirk Müller (BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert, car number 19, place 4):
"I'm very satisfied. Fourth place on the grid is a fantastic result. Having two completely free laps on the Nordschleife is very rare. That's why I enjoyed qualifying in the BMW Z4 GT3. Many thanks to the team who provided me with a perfect car. Four BMWs in the top 6: This is a great basis for tomorrow's race. "
"I'm very satisfied. Fourth place on the grid is a fantastic result. Having two completely free laps on the Nordschleife is very rare. That's why I enjoyed qualifying in the BMW Z4 GT3. Many thanks to the team who provided me with a perfect car. Four BMWs in the top 6: This is a great basis for tomorrow's race. "
Maxime Martin (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 25, 6nd place):
“Unfortunately, I lost some time in the second fast lap when overtaking a Porsche. Starting position six is still absolutely fine. We can be satisfied with that, after all, we have a 24-hour race here. A lot can happen there. And one thing is clear: the pace of our BMW Z4 GT3 is there. I am looking forward to the race. Everything can happen."
“Unfortunately, I lost some time in the second fast lap when overtaking a Porsche. Starting position six is still absolutely fine. We can be satisfied with that, after all, we have a 24-hour race here. A lot can happen there. And one thing is clear: the pace of our BMW Z4 GT3 is there. I am looking forward to the race. Everything can happen."
BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert
# 19 BMW Z4 GT3, Dirk Werner (DE), Marco Wittmann (DE), Dirk Müller (DE), Alexander Sims (GB) - 4th place
# 20 BMW Z4 GT3, Claudia Hürtgen (DE), Dominik Baumann (AT), Jens Klingmann (DE), Martin Tomczyk (DE) - 3rd place
BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS
# 25 BMW Z4 GT3, Maxime Martin (BE), Lucas Luhr (DE), Richard Westbrook (GB), Markus Palttala (FI) - 6nd place
# 26 BMW Z4 GT3, Dirk Adorf (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Nick Catsburg (NL), Jörg Müller (DE) - 1th place
Walkenhorst Motorsport powered by Dunlop
# 17 BMW Z4 GT3, Felipe Laser (DE), Michela Cerruti (IT), John Edwards (US), Daniel Keilwitz (DE) - 26th place
# 18 BMW Z4 GT3, Henry Walkenhorst (DE), Ralf Oeverhaus (DE), Christian Bollrath (DE), Stefan Aust (DE) - 36th place
BMW M235i Racing media vehicle
# 235 BMW M235i Racing, Bernd Ostmann (DE), Christian Gebhardt (DE), Victor Bouveng (SE), Harald Grohs (DE) - 2st place (SP 8T)
All photos: Robert Kah imagetrust / Stefan Baldauf SB-Medien