– UK driver is fastest in qualifying for the final round of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup
– Problems hamper title aspirants Bastian Buus and Larry ten Voorde
– Porsche Junior Bastian Buus tackles the race on the Formula 1 circuit in Monza with a 21-point lead
Larry ten Voorde must win the final race of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup on Sunday (11:55 am CEST) to have any chance of catching the championship leader Bastian Buus. After the qualifying session, the task has not become easier for the Dutchman: On the Formula 1 circuit in the Royal Park of Monza, ten Voorde only set the sixth fastest time. UK driver Harry King planted the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the BWT Lechner Racing team on pole position.
It’s simple math: Ahead of the final Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race in Monza, northern Italy, Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (BWT Lechner Racing) leads the table with a 21-point lead over Larry ten Voorde (Team GP Elite). Ten Voorde can only turn things around with a victory, for which he would earn 25 points. Consequently, the two-time Supercup champion was unhappy with the sixth-fastest time in qualifying. « My goal was pole position. I failed, no doubt about that. The balance of my car wasn’t right in qualifying and I also made a few minor mistakes, » admitted ten Voorde. « But I’m not giving up – I’ll do everything I can to win the race on Sunday. »
Bastian Buus also struggled. The 20-year-old Porsche Junior was only ninth fastest in qualifying. « It wasn’t the car’s fault, as my teammate Harry King’s pole time underlines. I wasn’t able to match the pace of the frontrunners today. So instead, I focussed on giving Harry a good slipstream on his way to pole position. In the end, it would help me, if he wins the race, » commented the Dane.
Should Larry ten Voorde secure his first win of the season in Monza, points for eleventh place would still be enough for Bastian Buus to be crowned the youngest champion in the history of the Supercup. « My advantage is that I don’t have to take any major risks. The pressure is definitely on Larry, » says the relatively relaxed Dane as he heads into the decisive race.
Harry King will start from pole position for the second time this season after the Supercup race at the Hungarian Grand Prix. He turned his fastest qualifying lap with an average speed of over 191 km/h and was the only driver to stay under the 1:49-minute mark. « I can still become vice-champion, which is why I’m fully focused on winning the race. If I can help Bastian with that, all the better, » said the 22-year-old Brit, describing his strategy for the season finale of the international one-make cup with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.
The fight for the team title is also still open. BWT Lechner Racing – Buus and King’s squad – leads the classification ahead of GP Elite with its drivers ten Voorde and Loek Hartog. Hartog turned the third-fastest lap in qualifying. In the Rookie classification, the decision goes down to the wire between the Frenchman Alessandro Ghiretti (Martinet by Alméras) and the Australian Harri Jones, who also drives for BWT Lechner Racing.
Qualifying results, round 8 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Monza (I)
1. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:48.878 minutes
2. Dorian Boccolacci (F/CLRT), 1:49.028 minutes
3. Loek Hartog (NL/Team GP Elite), 1:49.029 minutes
4. Benjamin Paque (F/CLRT), 1:49.191 minutes
5. Harri Jones (AUS/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:49.209 minutes
6. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 1:49.238 minutes. . .
9. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 1:49.311 minutes
Standings 2023 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup (before the finale)
1. Porsche Junior Bastian Buus (DK/BWT Lechner Racing), 118 points
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite), 97 points
3. Morris Schuring (NL/Fach Auto Tech), 91 points
4. Harry King (UK/BWT Lechner Racing), 83 points
Holger Eckhardt,