Local team NM Racing had their moment in the Spanish sun, as Andy Cantu and Jörg Viebahn topped Pre-Qualifying for the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli season finale in Barcelona on Friday afternoon. Philippe Prette topped a mightily close Am class once again.
The #888 Mercedes-AMG GT2 crew gave the local fans plenty to shout about heading into the weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, thanks to a rapid performance by both Viehbahn and his new co-driver for the final weekend, Cantu, making his series debut.
A lap time of 1:44.545s by the German and American combination proved untouchable after the hour of running was up, heading a Mercedes-AMG one-two with Bosi Race Tech in hot pursuit. After topping Free Practice, double CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winner Bernd Schneider brought himself and Wim de Pundert up to second place in the #81 Mercedes-AMG in the closing minutes.
While eighth tenths covered the top two, Reinhard Kofler and Martin Koch were only 0.007s further back in the #812 Team MZR KTM X-BOW GT2, with DINAMIC Motorsport the best of the Maserati GT2 crews coming in right behind with its drivers, Roberto Pampanini and Mauro Calamia.
Another all-Italian line-up rounded out the top five in the form of LP Racing’s Gianluca Giorgi and Alfio Andrea Spina. It was an exciting session for the #88 Audi R8 LMS GT2 duo, the latter occupying the top of the charts for much of the opening half of proceedings with some rapid initial laps.
The Italian team’s two Maseratis were both next in line. Leonardo Gorini and Carlo Tamburini steered the #1 machine to sixth place in the times, inching ahead of team-mate Prette who was once again quickest of those vying for Am class honours - the #2 Maserati just 10 points adrift in the standings heading to Spain.
Behind was the car Prette is chasing for the Am class crown this weekend, as Gilles Vannelet and Jean-Luc Beaubelique clocked the eighth quickest effort in the #87 Akkodis ASP Mercedes-AMG. Two KTM squads rounded out the top 10, RTR Projects being the first with Lennart Marioneck and Matej Homola, beating the #80 Razoon - more than racing duo of Thomas Andersen and Simon Birch.
A crucial Saturday awaits the Fanatec GT2 competitors, with Qualifying kicking off at 10:05 in the morning and the penultimate race of the campaign commencing from 15:30. Both will be streamed live on the series website and via GT World on YouTube.