The qualifying session for the final race of the GT World Challenge Europe in Portimão has been marked by emotion and surprises. The Verstappen Racing team, consisting of Max Verstappen, Chris Lulham, and Ben Barnicoat, faced difficulties and was only able to secure the 15th position on the starting grid.
The competition was not easy, as another vehicle in the same category, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 number 17, driven by Ralf Aron, Maximilian Gotz, and Fabian Schiller, achieved the second position on the grid. Despite expectations, the number 3 of Verstappen Racing showed inferior performance in qualifying.
The pilots’ problems were evident during the first session, with Barnicoat finishing with the 21st best time, 0.679 seconds behind the best record set by Morris Schuring, who was driving the Porsche 911 GT3 R number 2 from Boutsen VDS. In the second session, Chris Lulham, the most experienced, could not qualify better than 16th, finishing 0.799 seconds behind the leader.
Max Verstappen opted to improve the team’s record in the third session, achieving a time of 1m42.093s. This was insufficient, as the team’s situation could not improve significantly.
Vehicle setup issues
During qualifying, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 presented several setup issues. The vehicle height seemed appropriate, but the team experienced strong sparks on the track. Additionally, the car suffered from bouncing and understeer, especially in the fast corners of the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
Barnicoat admitted that the changes made after the practice sessions did not yield the expected results. “We haven’t been completely satisfied with the speed,” noted the British driver, asserting that the team tried several strategies that proved ineffective.
Nevertheless, Barnicoat remains optimistic: “We are a competitive team, and I am confident that we can improve during tomorrow’s race. We need to work on our weaknesses, and I am sure we can advance. Max and Chris have the skills to make it happen.”
Emotional pole for Boutsen VDS
The Boutsen VDS has achieved pole position with an average time of 1m42.071s, dedicating this to the memory of Marc van der Straten, co-owner of the team, who recently passed away. Drivers Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci, and Alessio Picariello skillfully defended their position, promising great competition during the three-hour race scheduled for tomorrow.
In the same upper part of the grid, other standout teams include the number 80 from Lionspeed, which will start from third position, along with other teams like HRT and AF Corse, which demonstrated strong performance in qualifying.
The main race is scheduled for tomorrow at 17:00 local time and promises to be an exciting spectacle full of emotions and intense competition.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
