– Three Porsche 911 GT3 R took part in the Superpole session
– Missed pit exit time slots result in penalties
– Tenth grid spot for the Porsche customer team SSR Herberth
– 24 Hours of Spa gets underway on Saturday at 16:30 hrs
The best 911 GT3 R will head into the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday from position ten on the grid. Works driver Mathieu Jaminet set the eighth fastest time in the individual time trial. However, like the two other GT3 racing cars fielded by Porsche’s customer teams Phantom Global Racing and Schumacher CLRT, SSR Herberth’s 911 failed to leave the pit lane at the right moment. For this infraction, all three received penalties. Phantom Global Racing tackles the endurance classic from the 18th grid spot, with Schumacher CLRT starting from P20.
Three Porsche racing cars took part in the so-called Superpole on the Formula 1 circuit in Spa-Francorchamps on Friday afternoon. In the 30-minute session, the best 20 competitors from Thursday’s qualifying determined the grid lineup of the first ten rows. For each vehicle, the fastest of two flying laps counted in the individual time trial. The GT3 cars headed out onto the 7.004-kilometre ‘Ardennes rollercoaster’ in one-minute intervals. The regulations stipulate a ten-second time window in which each driver must leave the pits and attempt their laps. The three 911 GT3 R were too late passing the pit exit. The difference to the allocated time was added to their fastest lap result.
The ca. 416 kW (565 PS) Porsche 911 GT3 R fielded by the German squad SSR Herberth was the first of the Porsche trio to attempt the Superpole qualifier. Clocking 2:14.250 minutes in his second flying lap, Mathieu Jaminet improved his standing. The Frenchman shares the cockpit with his fellow countryman Frédéric Makowiecki and Matt Campbell from Australia.
Their works driver colleague Thomas Preining – a former Porsche Junior like Jaminet and Campbell – was a touch slower in his first hot lap, setting a time of 2:14.271 minutes. In the second lap, it seemed as if the reigning DTM champion would improve his time. The Austrian joins forces with Joel Eriksson from Sweden and New Zealander Jaxon Evans. However, after exceeding the track limits, Preining returned to the pits early in Phantom Global Racing’s 911. The Chinese team is supported by Team75 owned by Porsche brand ambassador Timo Bernhard.
Dorian Boccolacci turned his faster first lap in a time of 2:15.966 minutes. The Frenchman competes for Schumacher CLRT with Ayhancan Güven from Turkey and Germany’s Laurin Heinrich. Güven and Heinrich have also come up through the ranks of Porsche’s Junior support programme.
With 66 racing cars entered, the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps is the world’s largest event for GT3 vehicles and counts towards the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Drivers and teams receive points for the GTWC after six, twelve and 24 hours. The race will be broadcast live in several languages on the website www.intercontinentalgtchallenge.com.
Quotes after Superpole
Sebastian Golz (Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R): « Generally speaking, we can be satisfied with the performance of our Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Superpole session, as the eighth and tenth fastest times underlined. Being relegated down the grid is obviously annoying, but it’s no big deal. We’ll now support our customer teams in finding out how this could’ve happened. But first, we’re focussing on the upcoming 24-hour race. We’re still optimistic. »
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): « We hardly made any changes to the setup of our 911 GT3 R compared to yesterday, because the performance was great. It was the same today. Basically, we’re pleased with our performance – our result is pretty much what we expected. The leading cars are fast. We have a long race ahead of us and a lot can happen. »
Dorian Boccolacci (Porsche 911 GT3 R #22): « This was the first time I’ve ever taken part in an individual time trial – getting a clear run without traffic is a lot of fun. I was a little surprised that I immediately had great grip on my first lap. Unfortunately, I couldn’t improve my time on the second lap. The Porsche 911 GT3 R felt great. I’m looking forward to the race. »
Thomas Preining (Porsche 911 GT3 R #23): « It’s always cool to have the track to yourself in the Superpole session. My lap was solid, but I made a minor mistake. We still have a few issues with the overall balance of the vehicle. Still, we’ll make progress in the warmup so that we’ll be well-sorted for the race. »
Superpole result
1. (1. Pro) Perera/Mapelli/Pepper (F/CH/ZA), Lamborghini #163, 2:13.718 minutes
2. (2. Pro) Engel/Morad/Auer (D/CAN/A), Mercedes-AMG #48, 2:13.754 minutes
3. (3. Pro) Rovera/Rigon/Pier Guidi (I/I/I), Ferrari #51, 2:13.,968 minutes
10. (7. Pro) Jaminet/Campbell/Makowiecki (F/A/F), SSR Herberth, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92, 2:14.432 minutes
18. (13. Pro) Evans/Eriksson/Preining (NZ/S/A), Phantom Global Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #23, 2:15.557 minutes
20. (15. Pro) Güven/Heinrich/Boccolacci (TR/D/F), Schumacher CLRT, Porsche 911 GT3 R #22, 2:15.986 minutes
The other grid positions
27. (20. Pro) Andlauer/Müller/Niederhauser (F/D/CH), Rutronik Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #96, 2:16.500 minutes
30. (21. Pro) Malykhin/Sturm/Bachler (UK/D/A), PureRxcing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #911, 2:16.574 minutes
43. (9. BC) Sager/Moura de Oliveira/Zöchling/Dienst (A/P/D/D), Dinamic GT, Porsche 911 GT3 R #54, 2:17.043 minutes
44. (23. Pro) Estre/Pilet/Vanthoor (F/F/B), HubAuto Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #992, 2:17.125 minutes
47. (12. BC) Au/Fach/Rump/Picariello (HK/CH/EST/B), Lionspeed X Herberth, Porsche 911 GT3 R #80, 2:17.191 minutes
59. (10. SC) Rappange/Blom/Nakken/Nouet (NL/FIN/N/F), Dinamic GT, Porsche 911 GT3 R #55, 2:17.949 minutes
62. (18. BC) Bohn/A. Renauer/Schuring/R. Renauer (D/D/NL/D), Herberth Motorsport, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91, 2:18.298 minutes
65. (6. PAM) D’Silva/Li/Bamber/Leitch (MAL/USA/NZ/NZ), EBM, Porsche 911 GT3 R #61, 2:21.031 minutes
66. (20. BC) Blattner/Richard Robichon/Marschall/Hartog (USA/CDN/D/NL), Rutronik Racing, Porsche 911 GT3 R #97
Pro = Pro class; PAM = Pro-Am Cup; GC = Gold Cup; SC = Silver Cup; BC = Bronze Cup
Holger Eckhardt,